Throughout 2026, Sprout Social data shed light on a consumer contradiction: audiences began to reject AI-generated posts and want more original content, but they also feel it’s important for brands to keep up with culture and trends on social media.
A Q3 2026 Sprout Social Pulse Survey found that 33% of consumers think the originality of a brand’s content is what makes them stand out as a favorite on social media—second only to the quality of a brand’s product or service. But the same survey also found that 84% think it’s important for a brand’s social media to keep up with online culture.
Following trends and being original aren’t exactly complementary ideas. How can brands appeal to both of these expectations, and which matters more?
Original content offers an opportunity to break through crowded feeds and build long-term audience engagement. Luckily, there’s a way to produce original content while still paying homage to trends where you can offer a unique POV.
At its core, original social content is an umbrella term for social posts that don’t just repeat viral memes, visual aesthetics or the same recycled take on a trend. While it might become a cultural touchpoint, original content can exist without the context of online culture. Audiences don’t need prior knowledge of internet lore to get it.
The best original content is highly entertaining, educational or both . And it comes from a perspective that only your brand can deliver. It connects people to your brand through human-driven storytelling that AI content tools can’t replicate.
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