AI has quickly become a go-to tool for brands looking to streamline social media – automating posts, analysing engagement, and cranking out captions. It’s fast, efficient, and undeniably helpful in today’s digital landscape.
But here’s the catch: just because it’s quick doesn’t mean it’s perfect. AI still can’t match the human touch when it comes to storytelling and building relationships on social media.
Brands love AI for its speed and cost-effectiveness in creating content but as Matthew N.O. Sadiku and his colleagues point out in Artificial Intelligence in Social Media, “the human touch still remains the most desirable aspect in social media marketing”. AI may check the boxes, but it doesn’t have the soul.
The latest McKinsey Global Survey backs this up. While 65 percent of companies are using generative AI, it’s clear: AI is just a tool. There’s still a big need for human creativity and connection.
The survey reports marketing and sales adoption of AI doubled in 2023, but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. A surprising 44 per cent of organisations have already faced issues like privacy breaches and IP infringement. The high performers aren’t just using AI – they’re also closely monitoring risks and proactively tackling the challenges AI can bring.
What AI Can Do
When we talk about “AI-generated content,” we mean anything produced by an AI system that’s designed for social media – things like captions, articles, and even visual content. As Mike Kaput from the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute puts it, AI can “uncover deep insights about your audience, predict what content will resonate, create posts, detect trends, and understand sentiment”.
Tools like BirdAI take it further, generating social posts, suggesting hashtags and providing sentiment analysis to help brands better engage with their audience.
In a nutshell:
- Audience Insights: AI analyses data to uncover audience behaviours, preferences, and trends, with sentiment analysis offering real-time feedback.
- Content Creation: Tools like ChatGPT generate content fast, from captions to blog posts, helping brands keep up with a steady flow.
- Predictive Analytics: AI predicts what content will resonate based on past data, ensuring brands stay in tune with their audience’s interests.
Where AI Falls Short: The Human Touch
As Chris Haller from Forbes Communications Council puts it, “It’s a mistake to treat generative AI as a seasoned producer.”
“At best, AI is on par with a junior copywriter. The ideas aren’t necessarily bad, but the facts can be incorrect, the conclusions too shallow and the overall product bland. AI is a great way to throw several ideas at the wall quickly and find what sticks, but the further AI is from the final product, the greater the campaign’s impact will be,” he said.
Here’s where AI can’t quite replicate what a human brings:
- Creativity & Authenticity: AI is awesome at generating content, but it doesn’t have the same emotional depth as a real person. A human writer weaves in brand stories, connects on a personal level, and knows when to inject humour or empathy to create a more compelling message.
- Relationship Building: Social media is about building genuine connections. Followers value real interactions and while AI can automate replies, it can’t replicate the warmth and trust that come from authentic human engagement.
- Crisis Management: When things go sideways, thoughtful and empathetic responses are crucial. AI just can’t grasp the emotional context needed in high-stakes moments and that’s where human intuition and judgment shine.
- Trend Adaptation: AI can spot data patterns, but it lacks the intuition to spot subtle trends or adapt to cultural shifts in real-time. Creative humans read between the lines, interpret data beyond the obvious, and know when it’s time to try something new.
AI makes social media management efficient, but it can’t replace human insight, intuition, and creativity.
By letting AI handle routine tasks and using human talents to craft memorable content, brands can make their social media strategies both efficient and emotionally resonant.
So go ahead and let AI help, but don’t forget the magic that only people can bring to the conversation.
Factboxes
If You’re Using AI for Social Media, Keep These in Mind
- Quality Control: AI’s great at churning out content, but a human review ensures accuracy, brand alignment, and relevance.
- Originality: AI content can overlap with other material, so double-check for uniqueness to avoid copycat risks.
- Human Touch: Automated interactions are efficient but real, heartfelt engagement is what keeps audiences coming back.
Why Human Writing Still Wins Hearts
- Authenticity and Emotional Connection: Humans add depth to messaging.
- Creativity and Nuance: We add a touch of flair that AI can’t match.
- Context and Tone: Humans know when to switch it up depending on the platform.
- Storytelling: We create narratives that inspire and engage.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Humans get the cultural cues that AI often misses.
💬 How are you using AI in your social strategy? Are you striking the right balance between efficiency and authenticity? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s start a conversation.
