AI Now Rules Social Media—But Results Fall Short

AI is reshaping social media marketing, but most marketers say the promised productivity gains have yet to materialize, according to a new report.

According to Emplifi’s “State of Social Media Marketing 2026” report, which surveyed over 500 marketers, 82% of respondents now use AI in their daily operations, primarily for analytics and content creation.

However, even with widespread AI adoption, just 35% of marketers say they’ve seen significant efficiency gains, while most describe the impact as moderate. 

The report highlights several factors that may explain this discrepancy. 

“This could come down to various factors, from knowledge gaps and people not knowing exactly how they can make best use of these tools within their daily process as yet, to embedded work behaviors, which, in many cases, will be hard to shift,” Emplifi notes.

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Why AI Productivity Gains Remain Limited

Experts caution that AI tools are often overhyped. 

“AI tools function best as complementary additions, and in some ways, they’re being framed incorrectly as intelligent machines that will be able to take over human labor wholesale from the time of implementation. Which they aren’t,” the report explains. 

AI excels at identifying patterns and generating insights and recommendations, but it still requires human oversight and strategic direction.

Influencer Marketing Continues to Grow

Despite mixed results from AI adoption, marketers continue investing heavily in other digital growth strategies — especially influencer marketing.

Emplifi’s findings suggest influencer marketing continues to grow, with two-thirds of marketers planning to increase their budgets in 2026, mainly to boost brand awareness. 

The rise of short-form video has further boosted influencer marketing, as creators are often quicker than brands to adapt to emerging trends and platform culture.

“The real story is diversification. As budgets and teams stretch across multiple platforms, technology becomes essential to maintain efficiency. Automation, AI scheduling, and cross-channel analytics help brands grow their organic reach and community presence without burnout,” the researchers found.

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Brands Urged to Avoid Excessive Cross-Posting

However, the survey advises caution. “I would advise a level of caution in cross-posting too much, as each platform is different, and requires a different content approach, while people who follow you on multiple platforms might get sick of seeing the same updates.”

Short-Form Video Still Leads Engagement

Short-form video remains the priority content type, with engagement being the key metric. Lead generation ranks third, reflecting marketers’ focus on turning social engagement into conversions.

The full Emplifi report is available for download with an email sign-up.