Storytelling Examples in 2026: Why This Is the Year Everything Changes

I keep seeing the same headline everywhere lately.

“Storytelling is the future of marketing.”

And every time I read it, I have the same reaction.

Finally, you’re catching up.

Because if I’m being honest, storytelling never left. It just got buried under hacks, hooks, and AI-generated noise for a while. Now, in 2026, it’s making a very loud comeback. Not as a trend, but as a skill people can’t ignore anymore.

I read a Wall Street Journal article recently that confirmed what many of us already felt. Storytelling is now considered one of the top skills in marketing. LinkedIn job postings that include the word “storyteller” have doubled over the last year. That’s not subtle. That’s a significant shift.

So yes, I’m calling it.

2026 is the year of storytelling. And these storytelling examples of 2026 prove it.

Let’s talk about why.

Why Storytelling Is Rising Again (And Why It Never Actually Left)

Every few years, marketing tries to reinvent itself. New platforms show up. New tools take over. New shortcuts promise faster results.

But storytelling stays.

No matter how we consume content, whether it’s blogs, podcasts, short videos, or something that hasn’t even launched yet, the one thing that has always stayed consistent is story.

What’s different now is that AI has made good storytelling mandatory (I hate to be all doom and gloom, but without good storytelling, your business will be left with all the other ChatGPT-esque copy out there). Because in 2026, we can tell when something feels off. We can spot disingenuous content instantly. We can hear when something sounds hollow, polished, and strangely empty.

That’s why storytelling trends are shifting so fast in 2026. Consumers aren’t expecting “polished” anymore. We don’t want things wrapped up in a tidy little bow for us. Instead, consumers are craving connection. We want to feel something again.

And story is the fastest way to get us there.

One of the Biggest Storytelling Trends in 2026: Brands Becoming Media

This is one of the most important 2026 storytelling examples I’m seeing right now.

Brands aren’t just selling anymore. They’re full-out producing.

Content is starting to feel like TV shows. Short videos are turning into mini episode series. Social media dramas play out in 60-second clips like modern soap operas. And guess what? Audiences are coming back for the next episode the way they would for their favorite reality show (anyone else bingeing TSLOMV, lately?)

This isn’t accidental.

Brands are realizing that attention doesn’t come from being louder. The only way to get it is by being more interesting.

We are living in the attention economy, after all.

So instead of random posts promoting products, we’re seeing well-played-out story arcs. 

This didn’t start in 2026. I talked about episodic storytelling in my 2025 storytelling trends post. But this year, it’s coming in harder and more refined.

And here’s the thing. You cannot do episodic content without story. You can’t fake it. You definitely can’t automate it. The only way to keep people engaged is by creating a narrative thread that people actually want to follow.

 

Why 2026 Storytelling Examples Feel More Personal Than Ever

Another shift I’m seeing is how personal stories are becoming more valuable in business content.

Not the polished origin story you’ve told a hundred times (or one of the ones you learned from Story Brand). I mean the small, everyday moments. The decisions you didn’t know how to make, the lesson you learned last week, or a random shower thought that made you pause and rethink how you do things.

Let me be so clear: I don’t mean this in a cheesy Linked in kind of way (please spare me the 13 lessons you learned from switching grocery stores lol).

This rise in personal stories in business content is directly connected to how consumer buying habits are changing. People aren’t paying attention to who has the cleanest content or the best hook anymore. They’re paying attention to who feels real.

That’s why brands are hiring storytellers now. Not copywriters. Not growth hackers. Storytellers.

They’re realizing that messaging problems, content fatigue, and low engagement aren’t strategy issues. They just need to tell stories that make their brand memorable, likeable, and trustworthy.

One of the Most Overlooked Storytelling Trends in 2026: Depth Over Basics

Let’s talk about something I really haven’t seen enough people acknowledging in 2026:

Content is going to require more depth.

Audiences are no longer searching for the surface-level “how to” content they were eating up five years ago. Everyone’s tired of the basics. And storytelling is one of the only tools that can deliver that depth without losing people in jargon or complexity.

Because when it’s done well, storytelling helps you communicate layered, nuanced ideas in a simple, human way. It brings clarity to complex topics. It makes your message feel less like a TED Talk and more like a conversation.

And this is exactly why I think depth is becoming one of the most important storytelling trends in 2026.

This is where a lot of people will struggle (which is why I think it’s YOUR biggest advantage). Going deep requires thinking. It requires reflection. It requires being present enough to notice what’s actually happening in your business and life.

It requires you looking at what ChatGPT gave you and thinking, “this is good… but it’s still not good enough.”

That kind of discernment will be key in 2026.

 

A Major Storytelling Trend in 2026: Connectioneering (aka Community-First Storytelling)

Next, I want to talk about a rising trend this year that goes way beyond surface-level engagement — and Adobe actually gave it a name: connectioneering.

It’s all about creating stories and content that build common ground fast. The kind of content that feels instantly, intimately relatable (like you’re sharing the same inside joke, lived experience, or moment in time). And it’s one of the biggest reasons storytelling is thriving again in 2026.

Let me give you an example.

There was a TikTok video about Topgolf, apparently their net broke, and someone created a video around it saying something like, “I hope they fix this before my company Christmas party.” That should’ve been the end of it. But instead? The internet did what it does. People in the comments rallied: “We ride at dawn for Logan.” “Topgolf, please — this man’s party is at stake!”

It turned into this hilarious, collective movement around a total stranger and it worked. Topgolf saw the video, responded, and fixed it. All because one small moment became a shared experience.

That’s the power of community-first storytelling.

It’s not just about telling a story but instead, it’s about sparking participation. It invites your audience to see themselves in the content, to chime in, to make it their own. This is why you’ll notice more content in 2026 that leans into everyday rituals, dating stories, new parent exhaustion (the simple, real-life stuff). It’s what Adobe calls “creative that reflects the lives of your audience.” And it works.

Another key takeaway? Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself. The moment you think “this is too mundane to share,” it’s probably exactly what your audience needs to hear because they’re living it too.

Sensory Storytelling Is Another Trend We’ll See In Marketing This Year

We are fully back in our feelings.

And I’m not just talking about emotional vulnerability… I’m talking about content that hits all the senses. It’s not new, we all know we salivate when we read a good food article, but it’s making a comeback in a big way.

 In fact, Forbes just came out with this article a few weeks ago all about the rise of sensory marketing in a digital era.

The more AI floods our feeds with flat, robotic content, the more we crave stories that feel lived-in. And the fastest way to do that? Use your senses.

When you say the pasta was buttery, rich, and slightly crispy around the edges, your audience’s brain starts tasting it. When you describe the sharp wind hitting your face as you crossed the street to your first client meeting, we can feel it. Those little details bring your story to life and they hold attention longer than any hook ever could.

Because here’s the deal… AI can write words. But it can’t recreate texture. It can’t bring in scent, temperature, tension, or the sound of something happening in the room. That kind of storytelling takes presence. It takes memory. It takes you.

And in 2026, that kind of realness stands out.

So the next time you’re sharing a moment, big or small, ask yourself: What did this moment feel like? What did I see, hear, touch, taste, or smell?

Then layer that in.

Because if your audience can sense it, they’re way more likely to remember it. In fact, in one recent study it was shown that 67% of customers recall brands better when multisensory elements are incorporated.

 

Storytelling Trends in 2026 Are Just History Repeating Itself

I’m going to jump into some of the worst storytelling trends in 2026 soon, but here’s the part that always makes me laugh.

We keep acting like storytelling is new.

It’s not.

This is history repeating itself, just in a new format. Storytelling has always been the foundation. What’s changing is how the stories are packaged and where they’re shared.

First it was word of mouth. Then print. Then TV. Then social. Now short-form video and episodic digital media.

That’s why I keep saying storytelling is the key to everything you want to do in your business. And in 2026, more people are finally seeing that because AI forced us to confront what happens when story disappears.

Which brings me to my next point…

 

AI Isn’t Killing Storytelling, But It Is Exposing Bad Storytelling

I want to clear something up because while there’s a ton of AI slop out there, I’m not anti AI (like, ChatGPT is a permanent tab I have open). AI isn’t the enemy… but lazy storytelling in. In 2026, it’s very obvious when AI is doing all the talking.

One of the worst storytelling trends in 2026 (that quite frankly, I wish would disappear) is when people let AI write their entire story in the most dramatic way possible, thinking no one will notice.

Trust me girl, we notice.

Another storytelling “trend” I wish would go away?

Fabricated stories pulled from forums and reshared for rage bait or engagement.

The goal with these kind of posts isn’t connection. It’s virality at any cost. And audiences are exhausted by it.

These are the storytelling examples we should stop doing. They might get attention short term, but they destroy trust long term.

And as a business, trust is the most expensive currency now.

That’s why so many 2026 storytelling examples point back to one thing. Human-centered storytelling wins.

 

Ready to Go Deeper?

As you can see, I believe most of our marketing problems can be solved by better storytelling. If your content isn’t landing, it’s probably a story issue. If your messaging feels messy, it’s probably a story issue. If people aren’t connecting, trusting, or buying, it’s probably a story issue.

You might not be telling the wrong stories. You might just not know how you naturally tell them.

And the good news? Storytelling is a skill you can build. I promise you that you don’t need a dramatic life story. 

That’s exactly why I created my quiz. What’s Your Storytelling Style? It’s a quick, 4-minute quiz that helps you understand how you naturally tell stories and what to lean into so your content feels easier and more aligned (and finally starts to click).

And if you’re ready to go all in, my Storytelling Intensive is where we take this from theory to practice. We dig into your stories, your messaging, and how to turn them into content that actually connects.

If you’re serious about showing up differently this year, now’s the time.
Because storytelling isn’t coming back.

It’s already here.