Scroll through a few global social media trend reports, and you’ll notice a pattern. Everyone talks about the same things. AI. Influencers. Short-form videos. But social media doesn’t work the same way in every market. Some of the biggest shifts happening in Poland have more to do with how people discover brands and decide who to trust. Here are 6 trends shaping Polish social media and what they mean for your brand.
1. Social media are the search engine for Polish consumers
One of the biggest trends in Polish social media has nothing to do with any platform. It’s more about how Poles behave online.
According to the 2026 Polacy w social mediach study by IAB Polska and SW Research, 59% of Poles use social media to search for information alongside or instead of Google. 62% use social platforms to research products and services before buying.
What’s particularly interesting is where this happens. Facebook is the most popular platform for product and service searches (61%), ahead of YouTube (48%), Instagram (36%) and TikTok (27%).
This challenges a common assumption that social search is mainly a TikTok phenomenon. In Poland, Facebook still plays a major role in helping people verify information and contact brands.
Our quick tip: your social media management should be designed to answer actual questions. The content you create is a big part of the customer journey.
2. Poles don’t always want shorter video content
We see everywhere that attention spans are shrinking, and every video should be short. But actual data suggests something… more interesting.
According to IAB Polska and SW Research, the most popular video formats among Poles last 30 seconds to 1 minute (33%) and 1 to 5 minutes (30%). Content shorter than 30 seconds is preferred by only 16% of respondents. In other words, Poles aren’t rewarding content simply because it’s short, but because it gives them something useful, entertaining or worth remembering.
Podcast episodes, expert interviews, true crime stories, video essays, or educational creators regularly attract hundreds of thousands of views. Many brands focus entirely on short-form content while ignoring sponsorship opportunities inside longer formats. From our perspective – they are amazing for social media campaigns.
What video content works best in Poland:
- TikTok and Instagram Reels – dynamic content, strong opening seconds, fast editing and a point.
- YouTube explainers, reviews and podcasts – deeper education, product comparisons and sponsorship integrations.
- For B2B audiences – expert-led content, webinars, and interviews outperform entertainment-driven formats.
- For younger audiences – faster pacing, stronger hooks and shorter formats generally perform better.
3. Facebook isn’t dead in Poland
… but it has a different job now. It may no longer set trends but writing it off would be a big mistake.
According to Mediapanel data by Wirtualnemedia.pl, the platform reached 25.85 million Polish users in March 2026. It also recorded an average monthly usage time of 18 hours and 24 minutes per user. 61% of Poles still use Facebook to search for information about products and services.
That’s a different role from TikTok or Instagram. In Poland, Facebook has become a utility platform. People use it to check reviews, ask questions, compare options, browse local groups and contact businesses.
Here’s where we see Facebook still performs amazingly:
- Local businesses and regional brands.
- Service-based companies.
- Brands targeting audiences aged 40+.
- Customer service, community management and reputation building.
4. TikTok is no longer a Gen Z platform
Some marketers in Poland still think of TikTok as a platform for teenagers. Audiences moved on from that conversation a long time ago.
According to Wirtualnemedia.pl, the platform reached 16.43 million Polish users in March 2026. Of course, it is still particularly strong among younger people, but 30% of Poles aged 55-59 also use TikTok. It increasingly influences product discovery, recommendations and purchase decisions.
What works best on Polish TikTok:
- Reviews and comparisons.
- Creator-led recommendations.
- Educational content.
- Local humour and commentary.
- Fast, authentic storytelling.
Global brands that treat TikTok as a mainstream platform are often ahead of those still treating it as a Gen Z phenomenon.
5. Followers don’t automatically mean influence
Polish brands are now looking much more closely at trust rather than reach.
According to research by Wavemaker, the average consumer follows around 47 creators but trusts only 8 of them. Meanwhile, EY’s Future Consumer Index says only 25% of clients follow creators because they are famous.
It is changing how brands see influencer marketing in Poland. Big influencers still have a place, especially when your goal is awareness. But if you want to build trust, educate or influence purchase, reach alone is not enough. In many cases, a smaller creator with an engaged community can deliver more value than a celebrity with millions of followers.
6. Building a community is getting harder
For years, we have been told to build communities. Launch a Facebook group. Start a brand’s channel. Build relationships with your audience on Instagram. Now most customers… don’t actually want to participate.
According to the Polacy w social mediach study, 35% of Poles follow brand or creator broadcast channels. Nearly half (48%) can’t even remember which channels they follow. It doesn’t mean communities are gone. People are just more selective about where they spend their attention. You have to try harder to get your Polish clients to come back.
What keeps Poles engaged on social media:
- Educational content they can’t get elsewhere.
- Early access to new products or promotions.
- Direct access to experts, founders or influencers.
- Practical recommendations or tutorials.
- Good sense of humour and being really quick with trends.
Social media in Poland are changing, but not always in the way global reports suggest. Want to build a social media communication strategy for your brand? Get in touch with our team!