Why Joy Is the Story Content Audiences Are Craving in 2026
Audiences are exhausted by fear-based content.
New data shows joy-driven stories build trust, increase engagement, and community. This article discusses how to use the emotion of joy in your storytelling content.
Every December, I read between the lines of trend reports to surface the must-tell stories for the coming year—the ones so relevant you don’t need to post 24/7 to strike a cord.
I’ll have the full list for you in January, but one type of story leapt out so far, I couldn’t wait to share.
As you’ll see, it’s not what you might expect for 2026.
It’s not stories about values or “your why.”
It’s something we don’t see much of in content these days: Joy.
This week, we’ll cover:
The Story People Are Craving From You
How Do You Put Your Spin On This Trend?
Why Joy Is the Story People Are Craving in 2026
Nearly half (49%) of users say the content on their feeds stresses them out.
They want relief.
Yet 99.9% of online marketing advises to “hook” people with the dark triad of negative attention grabbing emotions: Fear, Greed, and Hate.
You know what I’m talking about. Lines like “You’re leaving money on the table if…” with an “it’s worse than you think” undertone.
Those types of statements are thrust upon us moments after opening apps, but people are increasingly seeking the opposite.
Buried on page 13 of ICUC Social’s annual trend report, published via Social Media Today, hides a hopeful nugget of research.
“There are 12.97 million mentions annually around sustainability topics. And notably, two million of those are joy-driven—celebrating buying less, reusing more, and doing it together.”
While sustainability gets the spotlight here, it’s the emotion of joy, not the topic itself, that’s gaining traction.
The report goes on to say joy-driven stories are driving engagement—not from “great post” commenters or bots, but with people who care deeply and want to contribute to the conversation.
The kind of people you’d want in your community.
Creators like Sam Bentley offer a good example of how joy-driven, impact storytelling builds community trust.
His explainer on Releaf Paper—turning fallen leaves into packaging—sparked useful conversation and shared enthusiasm.
Could 2026 be the year fear, greed, and hate get eclipsed by joy, generosity, and compassion?
It’s certainly a trend to be optimistic about.
The question is…
How Do You Add More Joy To Your Storytelling Content?
There are near-limitless ways to talk about any given topic.
The perspective you choose is called “the angle.”
Here are a couple angles you could take to spread joy through your content.
Keep It Professional: Is there a study or client win indicative of a larger trend in your industry to get excited about? What’s a hopeful nugget you could provide context for to start 2026 on an uplifting note?
Get Personal: When did you feel the most joyful this year? What did it teach you about how you should define success for yourself? How are you incorporating those activities into your life more in 2026?
What about you?
Does the onslaught of negativity in newsfeeds have you craving something different?
Critical ignoring is the difference maker for me.
In a world where everyone wants to “hook” you, there’s no power like being intentional with your attention.
Cyndi, Founder of StoryCraft
Cyndi Zaweski is an award-winning journalist turned brand narrative strategist. She helps experts use storytelling and intentional marketing to build a body of work that so they can be remembered for what they say, not how often they post.
