APAC businesses embrace AI for social media management

Social media management in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is undergoing a significant shift. A recent study by Meltwater reveals a growing trend of businesses adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimize their social media strategies.

The report highlights a key finding: over half (55%) of APAC businesses consider AI a crucial element for their social media presence, compared to just 44% globally. This enthusiasm is further reflected in the high number of APAC businesses (55%) planning to increase their use of AI tools in 2024.

Time-Saving and Content Improvement: The benefits of AI are clear. Surveyed professionals report that AI helps them save significant time on content creation (64%) and even improves the quality of their copywriting (36%).

Focus on Brand Awareness: Despite the rise of AI, core social media goals remain the same. Building brand awareness remains the top priority for APAC businesses (47%), followed by fostering customer connection and engagement.

Platform Preferences: While the social media landscape is constantly evolving, familiar platforms continue to dominate in APAC. Instagram retains the top spot (45%), followed closely by the surging popularity of TikTok (43%) and the professional networking platform LinkedIn (40%).

Shifting Gears on Advertising: An interesting trend is emerging regarding advertising platforms. APAC businesses seem to be scaling back on Facebook and X ads, with a significant 63% planning to invest less in these platforms compared to the global average of 75%.

Budget Management: There's a difference in budget management strategies between APAC and global teams. APAC teams are more likely to maintain their existing social media budget (38%) compared to their global counterparts who are more inclined to increase spending (35%).

Challenges Remain: Despite the advantages of AI, challenges persist. Over half (51%) of companies grapple with managing their social media workload, and a significant number (37%) lack a well-defined strategy. Additionally, limitations in creative resources, small social media teams (most have 2-5 members), and the constant struggle to outsmart platform algorithms continue to be hurdles.

The Future is AI-Powered: The report concludes by emphasizing the growing role of AI in empowering social media teams. AI's ability to streamline content creation will likely lead to its wider adoption in the future.

In essence, while APAC businesses are embracing AI to enhance their social media endeavors, resource constraints and strategic planning remain key areas for improvement.