Social media is the centre of every marketing strategy
Day-to-day marketing lives on social media: campaigns, conversations, collaborations, memes, and milestones.
Every touchpoint comes back to where audiences already spend their time, online, from podcasts shared on YouTube, Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Shorts, to global brand campaigns launching on social first. Three studies from Metricool show that social media more than a mere part of strategy.
AI’s role in social media
The State of AI in Social Media 2025 report reveals that 96% of social media professionals use AI in their workflow, with the top uses being content ideation and post writing, captions, and copy. Newer innovations, like image and video creation, measurement, and automation remain underutilised, suggesting ‘deeper’ AI tools remain in early adoption.
Six out of ten marketers say AI-generated content now matches or outperforms human-created posts, with the top three most-used AI tools being ChatGPT, Canva, and Gemini. Over a third of those taking part in the survey don’t track AI content performance, leaving a gap between creation and measurement.
Around 73% of respondents say AI helps them experiment with new formats or strategies. While AI has transformed daily workflows and speed, it can’t fully replace unique online voices, and this is where marketers can move past the initial hype of AI and view generated content more critically.
Podcasting in the social era
The Podcasting and Social Media Study shows how top-charted podcasts have evolved beyond just an audio medium. Among the top 100 US podcasts analysed, YouTube emerged as the leading platform, with 87% of podcasts publishing to the network, and creating an average engagement rate of 3.13%.
Instagram is the runner-up, with an average engagement rate of 2.08% and 5,517 interactions per post, 724% above platform averages. This is largely thanks to Reels, which account for nearly 80% of podcast content shared on the platform.
Where YouTube drives views and loyal engagement, Instagram delivers interactions. YouTube attracts audiences who want to watch and listen, while Instagram fuels discovery through quick, shareable snippets.
Podcasts don’t thrive on audio alone, but grow on social platforms where visual and interactive formats dominate. Short-form content drives awareness and creates brand hype, while long-form content builds depth on YouTube.
Social ads: Today’s digital billboards
The 2025 Social Ads Study reveals that social advertising is ‘the new’ billboard marketing, but more intelligent, faster, and more measurable. TikTok is the winner for discoverability, with brands investing 85% more in TikTok reach campaigns.
In the middle of the funnel, TikTok continues to perform well. Its traffic campaigns deliver a 94% higher click-through rate than Meta, accounting for nearly 75% of TikTok’s conversions. Yet when it comes to closing sales, Meta remains unmatched. Its campaigns drive 61.3% of total conversions at a cost-per-action up to seven times less than TikTok.
TikTok has replaced Meta as the platform for discovery and traffic, while the latter remains indispensable for sales. The shift reflects the preferences of Gen Z and younger audiences, especially with the rise of influencer and UGC campaigns. This isn’t about choosing between TikTok and Meta, but understanding the role each plays in the customer journey.
In 2025, success depends on meeting audiences where they are on social and in video-first formats favoured by younger audiences.
Visit Metricool at booth #10 this October at DMWF North America, and catch Anniston Ward, US PR, Events, and Education Manager, presenting “Everything is Social: How Data and Digital Innovation Shape What Comes Next“, on the Social Media, Community, and Influencer Marketing Track at 2 PM, October 13th.
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