The biggest social media advertising trends going into 2027 are automation, creators and video. Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn all spent 2026 handing more of the targeting and creative work to their own AI systems, making it easier to run ads through creators, and pushing video into more placements. For UK advertisers there is also a new cost to budget for on Meta.

This guide sticks to changes the platforms have actually announced or that reputable trade press has reported, so you can plan next year’s paid social budget on facts rather than predictions. For each trend we explain what changed and what a small or medium sized business should do about it.

Meta ads now cost UK advertisers a little more

In March 2026 Reuters reported that Meta would start charging a “location fee” from 1 July 2026 on ads shown to people in countries that tax digital services. The fee for ads shown in the UK is 2%. France, Italy and Spain are 3%, and Austria and Turkey are 5%. Meta said that until now it had covered these costs itself. The fee is based on where the ad is shown, not where your business is based.

Two per cent will not change most strategies, but it does change the maths. If you set a £1,000 monthly budget, check how the fee appears on your invoices and make sure your cost per lead and return on ad spend calculations include it. VAT may also apply on top.

Automation is now the default, not an option

Meta has been moving advertisers towards its Advantage+ campaigns for several years, where its system decides audiences, placements and budget split across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Threads. In June 2025 the Wall Street Journal reported that Meta aimed to let brands fully automate the creation and targeting of ads using AI by the end of 2026. Through 2026 that direction has been obvious, with more creative tools, AI generated variations and automated optimisation built into Ads Manager.

In July 2026 Meta launched Muse Image, its image generation model, across Meta AI and said it would bring it into Advantage+ creative. TikTok has gone the same way. At TikTok World in May 2026 it added new features to Smart+, its automated campaign type, including Auto Selection (which pools your creative and picks the best performers) and AI written performance summaries. It also added ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0 video model to Symphony, its creative AI suite.

What this means for your campaigns

• Your creative is now your targeting. When the platform chooses the audience, the image, hook and message decide who sees the ad. Feed the system several genuinely different creative ideas, not five versions of the same photo.
• Your data matters more. Automated campaigns optimise towards whatever you tell them is a result. Make sure your Meta pixel and Conversions API, or TikTok pixel, are firing on real sales and qualified leads, not just page views.
• Check AI output before it runs. Generated backgrounds and text can be wrong or off brand. UK advertising rules still apply, whatever made the ad.

Creator partnership ads are moving into the mainstream

Ads that run through a creator’s account, rather than a brand’s page, have become one of the clearest social media advertising trends. On Meta these are partnership ads. On TikTok they are Spark Ads. On LinkedIn they are Thought Leader Ads.

In September 2026, Marketing Dive reported that Meta launched its Creator Marketing Hub globally, with filters to find creators, partnership messaging and tools to get creator content ready to run as ads. Facebook creators are joining Instagram creators in Meta’s Creator Marketplace, and Instagram Live video ads, which let a brand boost a creator’s live stream as a partnership ad, became available from 29 September. TikTok’s 2026 announcements included Creator AI Search inside TikTok One, which reads a campaign brief and suggests relevant creators.

For small businesses, this is good news. Local and niche creators are often affordable, and content they post can now be turned into ads with far less admin. Two rules still apply: get clear written agreement on usage rights and how long you can run the content, and make sure everything paid or gifted is labelled as advertising under ASA rules.

LinkedIn is becoming a video and TV platform

LinkedIn has spent two years building out video. Its BrandLink programme lets advertisers run short pre roll video ads before content from selected publishers and creators, who share the revenue. Reuters reported in August 2025 that LinkedIn had added more than 70 publishers and creators, including BBC Studios, TED and The Economist.

Related reading: Boosting Facebook Posts vs Meta Ads: When to Boost a Post

In March 2026 LinkedIn added more. According to DestinationCRM, the updates included premium creator sponsorships through its Top Voices programme, connected TV ads that can be bought through Campaign Manager and targeted by job title, industry and seniority, and self serve BrandLink campaigns for selected customers.

If you sell to businesses, this changes what a LinkedIn budget can do. Instead of only single image ads and lead forms, you can now reach decision makers with short video in front of content they chose to watch. Start with a 15 to 30 second video that explains one problem you solve, run it to a tightly defined audience and retarget the people who watch most of it.

Ad inventory keeps spreading to new placements

The platforms are also finding new places to show ads. Meta opened Threads to advertisers globally in 2025, and in 2026 TikTok introduced options such as Search Hubs, which put brand pages at the top of TikTok search results. Meta reported second quarter 2026 revenue up 28% to $60.8 billion, with ad impressions up 14%, which tells you how much new space is being sold.

More placements are useful, but not all of them suit every business. Automated campaigns will often spread budget across all of them by default. Review your placement reports every month and exclude any that bring cheap clicks but no enquiries.

Privacy choices are shaping who you can reach

Since late 2025, people in the UK have been able to pay Meta for an ad free Facebook and Instagram. Marketing Week reported prices of £2.99 a month on the web and £3.99 a month on mobile, following discussions with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Anyone who does not pay keeps using the apps for free with personalised ads.

We do not yet know how many UK users will pay. The practical point is that tracking and targeting will keep getting less precise over time, so first party data, the information customers give you directly, becomes more valuable. Collect email sign ups, keep your customer lists clean and use them for custom audiences where your privacy notice allows it.

How to plan your 2027 paid social budget

1. Add the location fee to your forecasts. Two per cent on UK Meta spend.
2. Budget for creative, not just media. Automated campaigns need a steady supply of new videos and images. Plan fresh creative every four to six weeks.
3. Test one creator partnership. Pick a local creator whose audience matches yours and run their content as an ad.
4. Fix tracking first. Pixel, Conversions API and offline lead data should be in place before you scale spend.
5. Use display and retargeting together. Social reaches people while they scroll. Our display advertising team can follow up with banners across websites and apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest social media advertising trend for 2027?

Automation. Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn are all handing more targeting and creative decisions to their own AI systems, which makes the quality and variety of your creative more important than detailed audience settings.

Does the Meta location fee apply to my business?

Reuters reported that from 1 July 2026 Meta charges a 2% fee on ads shown to people in the UK. It is based on where the ad is shown, so it applies to most UK campaigns.

Are partnership ads worth it for small businesses?

Often, yes. Content from a trusted local creator can feel more natural than a brand advert. Agree usage rights in writing and label the content as an ad.

Should B2B companies still use LinkedIn ads?

Yes. LinkedIn’s job title, industry and seniority targeting is still hard to match, and its growing video and connected TV options give B2B brands more ways to be seen.

Get your paid social ready for 2027

Platform changes are coming faster than ever, and it is easy to waste budget keeping up. Our paid social team runs Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn campaigns for small and medium sized businesses, with clear reporting on what each pound brings back. Contact us to review your current campaigns and plan next year.