If your business is undiscoverable by people who could be your customers, then you don’t really have a business. Or maybe it’s an expensive hobby that’s unlikely to survive for long. At this point, you’re probably wondering – how can I make sure my future customers find me so I can show them how great my service or product is?
In this vein, if your strategy for recognition and digital presence is still based on the maxim "The important thing is to be on the first page of Google", which is great in itself, we have news for you - you are already lagging behind your competitors.
According to data from the latest global survey by NP Digital, in 2026 consumers will have clearly established ways of discovering the products they need. Today, shoppers do not rely solely on traditional search engines to discover new brands. On the contrary, the leading factor in their search for a given brand is social networks, followed by recommendations from friends and only then search engines. Among the leading methods for this is also advising them with artificial intelligence such as ChatGTP, which opens a whole new page in the textbooks of SEO optimization .
Today, users scroll, watch reels, follow influencers, and generally everything that happens on social networks like TikTok , Instagram , YouTube, and Facebook.
The new order: Brand discovery channel analysis
According to NP Digital’s survey of buyers at 85 companies, traditional search on Google and Bing is now the third-largest way people discover brands to shop from. Search engines account for 22% of this “market,” and the leader is…
Social networks as search engines (29%)
The study is unequivocal – nearly 1/3 of consumers discover brands through social networks. There is a serious technological shift here – people are now using them as search engines, not just as a way to connect with other people or consume content.
So, instead of typing “good restaurant in Sofia” or “quality mountain shoes” into Google, they type the same phrases into the search engine on TikTok or Instagram. Why is this so? Because the user wants to see the product (or service) in a real and dynamic environment – most often through short-format video content .
Long story short – nowadays, most buyers want a visual presentation of the product through reels, rather than reading dry text in a classic web format.
Recommendations from friends (word-of-mouth) – 24%
Whatever technological changes we see in the future, recommendations from friends and loved ones will remain a key testimonial for decision-making. In a world where we are oversaturated with advertising noise and tons of AI- generated content, human trust is a “commodity” that is only going to get more expensive. From a digital marketing perspective, all of this puts a focus on UGC (User Generated Content) content – real reviews from real people about a given product or service.
The Rise of AI: The Power of Language Models (LLMs) – 16%
An increasingly serious piece of the pie is passing into the hands of popular language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. It is no secret that traditional Google search is gradually transforming into “conversations” with language models. More and more users prefer to ask ChatGPT “What are the best digital agencies in Bulgaria” instead of opening ten different sites and searching for information. If your brand is not recognized by language AI models, then this may pose a serious problem for you in the future.
How should your business react to the current situation?
If your marketing relies on only one channel, it is a serious risk. Here, the professional approach of marketers requires building an omnichannel ecosystem:
Traditional SEO is no longer enough
Investing in traditional SEO remains an important segment of modern marketing, but as we've already discussed, it's just one of several different channels that shorten the distance with your future customers. And not the leading one, as the data shows.
Here, the focus should gradually shift to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) so that language models (LLM) can recognize your brand or service, recommending them to the people they "talk to".
Video content that builds trust
Video is the new “king” of content – not only in Bulgaria, but also globally. All data shows that this is the most consumed type of content among people of different ages. In some countries, TikTok has already replaced Facebook and Instagram as the most preferred social network, and this is no coincidence – at its very heart is video. For businesses, this means only one thing – video is no longer just an “option” for marketing, but one of the main drivers for making sales and increasing brand awareness .
Over 80% of consumers say they were convinced to purchase a product or service immediately after watching a short brand video. However, to do this, you need to know what you are doing so that your efforts do not go to waste. Therefore, our advice is always to trust professionals if you do not have an in-house team for the purpose.
Aesthetics as a business tool: The profile as a showcase
Leaving aside the content you create, there is another fundamental element that remains important for the future client, namely – verification of legitimacy. If you have fulfilled your first goal – to “attract” the user to your profile, then they will inevitably look at it. And what they find there determines whether they will trust you or not.
Factors like a clean feed, consistency in visual identity, excellent graphic design, etc. come into play here. All of this is your “digital storefront” – the way your brand presents itself to others online. If your profile looks chaotic or even worse – abandoned, it will send “bad” signals to your audience.
The conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that the era of “passive” marketing is coming to an end. Today, the brands that dominate the market are those that build their presence everywhere – in the places where their customers research them. And this necessarily includes social networks and AI platforms.
