AI in social media is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s quickly becoming an essential part of every marketer’s toolkit. In a recent Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) member webinar, award-winning consultant Steph Inez Matthews shared a fast-paced, insight-packed session on how marketers can start using AI more effectively in their day-to-day social media activity.

If you’re short on time but big on ambition (sound familiar?), here’s what you need to know.

AI is Already Here, and It’s Delivering Results

The adoption of AI in marketing is accelerating fast. The majority of marketers are already experimenting with AI tools, with many reporting improvements in both efficiency and campaign performance.

From generating content at scale to improving targeting and personalisation, AI is helping marketers do more with less, and faster.

But the key takeaway? It’s not about replacing marketers, it’s about enhancing what we already do.

 

It All Starts With the Prompt

One of the biggest themes from the session was this: better inputs = better outputs.

Think of AI like a junior member of your team. If you give it a vague brief, you’ll get vague results. But if you’re clear on:

• Your objective
• Your audience
• Your brand tone of voice
• The format you need

…you’ll get far more usable content.

A simple framework shared was to define:

• Role
• Task
• Audience
• Context
• Expectation

In other words, treat AI like you would a creative briefing process.

 

Content Creation: Faster, Smarter, More Scalable

AI tools are now capable of producing:

• Visual assets in minutes
• Video content without large production budgets
• Copy tailored to your brand voice

Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Canva and Google’s AI suite are enabling marketers to create and adapt content at speed, something that’s especially valuable for social media’s always-on demands.

However, there’s a catch…

 

Don’t Fall Into the “AI Slop” Trap

Just because AI can create content quickly doesn’t mean it should be used without thought.  Over-reliance on AI-generated content can lead to:

• Generic, repetitive messaging
• Loss of brand personality
• Reduced trust with your audience

The advice?

Use AI for ideas and efficiency, but keep a human hand on the final output.  Or as it was nicely put in the session, think of it as a “human hamburger”:

• Human strategy at the start
• AI in the middle
• Human refinement at the end

 

Automation is Powerful, but Needs Oversight

AI isn’t just about content creation. It’s also transforming workflows through:

• Automated scheduling
• Community management support
• Sentiment analysis
• Content repurposing

While this can free up valuable time, it’s important not to “set and forget.”

Brand reputation still relies on human judgement.

 

Brand Voice Still Matters (More Than Ever)

AI can mimic tone, but only if you train it properly.

Uploading brand guidelines, past content and examples helps ensure outputs feel consistent and authentic.  Without this, you risk producing content that feels… well, a bit robotic.

And in a crowded social feed, that’s the fastest way to be ignored.

 

Be Aware of the Risks

Alongside the opportunities, there are important considerations:

• Bias in AI outputs
• Inaccurate or “hallucinated” information
• Copyright and ownership grey areas
• Data security concerns

Marketers are now not just content creators, but also ethical gatekeepers when it comes to AI use.

 

So, What Should You Do Next?

If you’re just getting started, keep it simple:

• Start small, test AI on low-risk content
• Focus on improving your prompts
• Experiment with a few key tools (not all of them!)
• Always sense-check outputs
• Keep your brand voice front and centre

And most importantly, don’t try to automate everything at once.

 

Final Thought

AI isn’t here to replace marketers, but it is changing how we work.

Those who embrace it thoughtfully will gain a clear advantage: faster execution, smarter insights, and more time to focus on strategy and creativity.

Because ultimately, the brands that win won’t be the ones using AI the most… They’ll be the ones using it best.