Personalisation used to feel simple. Add a first name here, reference a past purchase there, maybe swap a headline based on gender — and voilà, magic.

Fast forward to 2026, and “personalisation” has gotten… messy.

Most brands think they’re personalising. In reality, they’re often either:

• personalising superficially (“Hi Sarah!”) without real relevance

• personalising creepily (“We see you looked at X… buy now!”)

• ignoring it entirely in paid or email campaigns

The truth? Personalisation is now both more critical and more subtle. Done right, it drives performance without alienating audiences. Done wrong, it kills trust, wastes budget, and makes campaigns feel spammy.

Let’s break down what’s actually working — and how you can apply it.

If you’ve ever looked at a paid social or email report and thought,
“These numbers don’t actually tell me if we’re winning or not” — you’re not alone.

In 2026, marketing performance is harder to read than it used to be. Not because we have less data, but because we’re often looking at the wrong metrics.

Platforms are AI-led. Journeys are longer. Channels overlap.
Yet many brands are still measuring success with frameworks built for a much simpler time.

Let’s talk about which metrics actually matter now — and which ones are quietly holding brands back.

If, like me, you work in paid social, you’ve probably heard this advice more times than you can count:

“You just need more creative.”

Which is… true.
But also wildly unhelpful.

Most brands aren’t short on ideas. They’re short on structure. And without structure, “make more ads” quickly turns into:

• creative overwhelm

• rushed production

• inconsistent testing

• and very tired teams

The goal in 2026 isn’t to produce endless ads.
It’s to build a creative system that keeps performance moving without burning everyone out.

Let’s talk about how to do that properly.

Let’s address the elephant in the room.

Paid social feels harder than it used to.

Costs are up.
Results feel less predictable.
ROAS doesn’t stretch as far as it once did.

And the knee-jerk reaction many brands are having is:

“Paid just doesn’t work anymore.”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Paid social isn’t broken — it’s just being asked to do too much.

In today's digital world, if you're running a small business, you've probably considered advertising on Facebook and Instagram. They're like the superheroes of social media marketing, ready to help e-commerce stores and service-based businesses boost their presence. But when it comes to budgeting, it can feel a bit like navigating a maze. In this blog post, we're here to guide you through it, offering tips that work for your unique small business, whether you're selling stuff or offering services.