How to create engaging content people actually want to consume in 2026

In 2026, the challenge isn’t producing more content. It’s creating content people actually want to consume. Content that engages and reaches your audience at the right stage of the buyer journey. Our research shows 86% of content teams use AI, with 35% embedding it in real processes and workflows, yet over a third still feel stretched or overloaded. AI can improve visibility and efficiency, but human judgment and creativity still define quality. 

The teams that succeed are those that take time to operate strategically, optimise design, and build content people recognise themselves in. Then employ metrics like AI visibility, time on page, scroll depth, repeat visits, and conversions to understand whether content is truly engaging or just filling space.

Grounded in real insights from content experts across Europe, this article offers our point of view on what “good, engaging content” looks like now, and how to build the stack your brand and customers deserve. Without burning out your team.

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What does content engagement look like in an AI-driven world?

AI-powered search has transformed how people discover and consume information. This means understanding and adhering to new guidelines and adopting new ways of working. No, it doesn't mean throwing the entire rulebook out the window. 

Let’s try viewing this through the lens of a reality TV singing competition (bear with me). The judging panel might change from show to show, but that doesn’t mean that the loudest contestants or those who go overboard on the vocal gymnastics will win - or even get the most attention. 

It’s quality, charisma, engagement, and originality that ultimately triumph. So, rather than becoming an out-take that relied on a sparkly costume and a drenching of vocoder, why not put your unique voice out into the ever-crowded ether? Why not create truly engaging content and say something useful and relevant to the people who need to hear it?    

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The attention problem didn’t start in 2026

Content fatigue isn’t new. We’ve been distracted, diverted and (sometimes) disillusioned since, like, forever. In 2002, American Idol launched, teaching viewers how to instantly spot a singing dud. In the same year, Paul Graham published A Plan for Spam, doing the same for inboxes by training them to weed out inbox icks sent from the worst offenders. Coincidence, or simply another way to eke out my theme? You decide. 

Either way, labouring under the misapprehension that we’re all tired of content is missing the point - and it’s leading to the wrong fixes. 

Content doesn’t scale if you’re just feeding the beast. It scales if it creates leverage—across sales, onboarding, and product. — Vukasin Vukosavljevic, CMO at HeyReach

Content fatigue is a structure problem, not a volume problem. With 38% of companies lacking a dedicated content team, content is expected to drive demand, educate customers, support sales, and build trust, yet it often lacks clear ownership or governance. The result? Weaker, insubstantial content, enough bottlenecks to fill a Napa Valley winery and a seriously pressurised and demoralised team. 

As Olivier Paling, our Chief Product Officer, puts it:

Clients often come to us asking for AI. But without strong foundations and workflows, AI just adds chaos. Our strategists help teams redesign their processes, so quality content and smart automation work together, driving performance at scale.

Read: Building a scalable workflow. 

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Visibility ≠ volume anymore

AI-powered search and discovery is changing what it means to “be seen”, with Semrush predicting that AI search could surpass traditional search traffic by 2028. The same report revealed that almost nine in 10 queries that trigger AI Overviews are people looking for information, wanting to learn more about a specific topic.

Social search is also changing, with industry expert Jodie Shaw noting that AI-driven local search and social discovery are increasingly favouring bigger brands with budgets to match. 

Hootsuite’s research revealed brands now need to post 48–72 times per week to stay visible, so how do smaller businesses compete? By building a scalable workflow that helps your team thrive, supported by content marketing strategy services that combine smart AI use with top freelance talent. That’s how. Oh, and keeping a close eye on your progress, which leads us neatly onto our next section…

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Engagement isn’t a metric, it’s a signal

Whatever your take on AI as a work/life tool, most of us prefer to visualise a future where human spirit and creative endeavour prevail. An authentic voice and content that demonstrates clear ownership. Sharing facts and feelings, opinions and obsessions. This is what our customers and communities want. Not performative drivel or reactive campaigns with no context, follow-through or long-term value. 

Listen to all the signals your customers are sending you and closely monitor when and how you’re showing up on AI-generated searches.

Keep in mind that success in content engagement is less about clicks and more about behaviour. 

Visibility in AI-generated results lets you know if platforms recognise your content as credible, while signals like time on page, scroll depth and return visits indicate whether it actually holds attention. Your conversion data then helps you track your performance and, ultimately, become a Kelly Clarkson, rather than a one-hit wonder. 

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Where AI helps, and where it breaks things

The key message here is to use AI as an accelerator, not a replacement for thinking or creativity. From sifting the worthwhile wheat from the crappy ol’ chaff in reports, to helping you cut down your own over-explaining and waffling, tools like ChatGPT and Claude are a lifeline. 

They can be useful for research as well, but this comes with a major caveat: AI hallucinations are real. In fact, the folks at AIMultiple benchmarked 37 LLMs with 60 questions relating to factual information in specific articles and found that even the latest models have >15% hallucination rates when analysing statements. 

AI is indispensable—for research, editing, prep. But not for writing. It’s my co-pilot, not my pilot. — Kimberley Collins, SVP of Strategy and Product at #samsales

Assemble your AI tools, as you’ll doubtless put your band together once you nab that record contract. There’ll be people you recruit for getting day-to-day stuff done swiftly and smartly, then those who check your contracts and handle the heavy lifting. Then there’s the real-life team who are your ride-or-dies for end-to-end production duties.

The experienced, professional writers who help shape your words and ideas. The creative superstars who bring the tracks to life and the producer who partners with you to achieve your vision. A bit like the best b2b content marketing agencies work. 

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The operational reality of modern content teams

A standout theme in our Future of Content Marketing report was that process, focus, and boundaries matter far more than output.

37 respondents told us that revisions and approvals were a major bottleneck, with some teams involving up to 22 people to sign off on a single piece of content. 

Repurposing content that your audience responded well to is a great time-saving hack, but so is revisiting assets that struggled and seeing if they’re worth a second lease of life. Perhaps the format was iffy, maybe the messaging landed flat. Maybe your content calendar needs a review and realignment. Watch it here.

Read: The most efficient and valuable ways to scale your content 

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What content people actually want in 2026

So, how do you know what resources and assets your audience wants or needs from you in 2026? You talk to them at events and gatherings, virtual or IRL, about what makes them tick and what gives them the ick. You work alongside your customer and client service teams to discover the kinds of messages and language they respond to (or not) and which are their go-to resources and industry figures for the facts and the funnies (yes, B2B is allowed to be funny, in the right context, of course). 

Struggling to get started? 

Download: Revamp your content strategy: A 5-step checklist

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A calmer, smarter way forward

As this show draws to a close, let’s return for the last time to our reality judging panel narrative. 

These folks might have a wee bit of an attention span issue. But if you employ the right strategy, hone your performance and give it all of your authentic self, you’re in with a shot at the big time. Earn their trust with relevance, usefulness and a bit of humour (yes, b2b can be funny). Show you’re committed to your audience and community, keep an eye on your progress, and you’ll do just fine. 

If this all sounds like a lot of work to do alone, or with a small team, you’re absolutely right. The tools we mention above are an absolute godsend, as is making sure your team and any external partners, such as content writing services, SEO agencies, designers and so forth, are making the right things happen for your team and your brand. But you don't need to do it alone. Book a demo with us today to find out how we can help. 

Dive in: The state of content teams in 2025

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