The future of social media marketing will be increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence (AI): According to Capterra’s GenAI for Social Content 2024 survey of over 1,600 social media marketers worldwide, businesses plan to use generative AI (GenAI) for an average of 48% of their social media content by 2026, up from 39% in 2024.
Companies are enthusiastic about GenAI's potential to increase engagement, productivity and cost savings while fostering human creativity. But there are also major concerns about the risk of misinformation spreading through AI-generated content.
Businesses will significantly increase their use of GenAI in social media marketing
Currently, GenAI usage for social content is leading in regions such as Canada, Australia, the United States and Brazil. Over the next 18 months, we expect to see significant growth in the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Spain. This trend is due in part to the dominance of English language internet content, with English-speaking countries leading the way in using GenAI tools.
Increased Productivity, Engagement, and Efficiency Drive GenAI Adoption
GenAI's productivity-boosting capabilities are a key driver of its adoption in social media marketing. Companies report that GenAI streamlines workflows, accelerates ideation, automates routine tasks, and creates personalized content for specific audiences. Nearly all companies (90%) using GenAI for social content report moderate to significant time savings, and 73% have seen increased engagement and impressions with GenAI-assisted content.
Additionally, 49% of respondents said that GenAI-assisted content outperforms human-created content. However, the integration of GenAI also raises concerns about whether the value of human creativity can be maintained, with 40% of companies questioning the value of human input.
The challenge of maintaining credibility and preventing misinformation
Despite the benefits of GenAI, there are risks, including the potential for content to be trivial or contain misinformation, which will require close oversight to ensure quality and accuracy. Businesses cite maintaining credibility (43%) as their biggest challenge, followed by ensuring AI-generated content resonates with audiences (35%). Additionally, 94% are concerned that GenAI may spread misinformation.
“Errors and issues like factual inaccuracies, plagiarism, and bias are common, so the need for human oversight remains critical,” advises Molly Burke, senior marketing analyst at Capterra. “Companies should implement a human-in-the-loop strategy to ensure AI-generated content is reviewed and edited by humans before it's published.”
Implementing AI safely and effectively
To leverage GenAI responsibly, companies must establish formal policies and adopt best practices. Creating formal internal policies helps stakeholders align use cases with best practices to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and brand integrity.
It's important to use both internal and external metrics to measure the effectiveness of GenAI, as this helps track performance and understand the actual costs and impact on employee morale. As companies increase their investment in GenAI, they need to understand the challenges and benefits to ensure the technology supports human marketers, rather than replacing them.
For more detailed findings, expert analysis, and recommendations, check out Capterra's full report.
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