Where can AI support us - and where not?
I gave an Master Class on this topic at this year's Social Media Summit in Engelberg. Read here what AI can do, where it reaches its limits and how we can combine the best of both worlds.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually making its mark in the professional world, especially in social media and community management. AI proves invaluable for developing strategies, creating content, and moderating interactions—often time-consuming tasks. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? However, before considering that AI could handle everything for us, it's worth questioning some of its capabilities: in which areas is AI truly useful, and when are our human skills still indispensable?
We have therefore explored both the possibilities and the limitations of AI to combine the best of both worlds.
Community Management: What AI Can Really Bring
Let’s start with the basics: community management is about engaging and growing an online community. It’s not just about collecting likes; it’s about building authentic relationships—a task that can be demanding! This is where AI comes into play, handling some routine tasks to free up time for what truly matters.
An example to illustrate? Imagine we’ve created a community for a vegan superfood drink. Members eagerly share their smoothie creations, discuss the best recipes, and frequently ask if a chocolate version will be available soon (the answer: maybe!). With AI, we could automate some responses to common questions, allowing us to focus on showcasing the most interesting recipes or crafting personalised replies to unique requests.
1. Strategy Development: AI as a Trend Scout
Where AI truly shines is in data analysis and trend spotting. It quickly analyses audiences and competitors, helping us identify current popular themes and make relevant choices.
- Market trend analysis: tools like ChatGPT can identify the latest social media trends, saving us hours of scrolling and ensuring we don’t miss out on anything key. For example: “What are the latest trends in the ‘vegan lifestyle’ space?” AI provides us with popular smoothie bowl and quinoa recipes, which we can directly incorporate into our content.
- Competitor Analysis: Anyone who has tried to identify their competitors’ social media strategies knows how time-consuming it can be to analyse their activities. ChatGPT provides us with a ranking of the competitors' top posts, saving us considerable time. It’s then up to us to decide how to use these insights and determine what’s truly important.
2. Content Creation: AI as a Source of Inspiration
While content creation is often enjoyable, inspiration can sometimes run dry. AI becomes a valuable ally, offering inspiring ideas we can refine and adapt.
- Generating post ideas: a simple prompt like “Give me 10 creative post ideas on [topic]” provides immediate suggestions. For our superfood drink, we might get ideas like “A Smoothie for Every Mood” or “Which Ingredient Are You?”
- SEO optimisation and image ideas: for those needing SEO-optimised text, ChatGPT also suggests relevant keywords. With tools like Canva Dream Lab or Adobe Firefly, we can generate image ideas suited to our content. However, most of these serve as inspiration, as AI-generated images don’t always align with brand requirements.
3. Editorial Planning: AI to Maintain a Holistic Overview
A well-structured editorial calendar is essential. AI can incorporate seasonal themes and events into our planning, ensuring we don’t miss anything—from “Veganuary” trends to summer posts.
- Seasonal Highlights: by simply requesting, “Create a monthly editorial plan with seasonal highlights,” AI suggests topics we might not have considered, such as World Avocado Day.
4. Moderation and Interaction Analysis: AI as Support in Comment Management
Managing a community can be intense and demanding. AI helps track discussions and identify sentiment trends.
- Automated Responses: FAQ-based questions can theoretically be handled by chatbots, sparing us from daily questions about shipping fees. However, for many businesses, the risk of incorrect responses remains too high. And when dealing with a frustrated message about a delayed package, human empathy is essential. Currently, fully automating comment management is still delicate. However, we are open to AI-suggested responses and thoroughly review them.
- Detecting Early Warning Signs: AI detects negative sentiment early, preventing potential digital “shitstorms” by allowing us to respond before issues escalate. However, spending personal time on the platform remains irreplaceable. To truly feel the community's pulse, managing some aspects of community engagement personally is crucial.
5. Reporting and Monitoring: AI as a Data Analysis Expert
There’s no community strategy without data analysis. Yet, reporting and analysis aren’t completed in minutes. Here, AI can be a real asset, comparing data for us. But there’s a caveat: numbers must be carefully verified! AI can sometimes miss a line, fail to extrapolate correctly, or mismanage file formats. Don’t blindly trust it! The initial setup effort is also relatively high, so it’s only worthwhile if intended for long-term use.
- Monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): important metrics like reach and engagement can be easily tracked at regular intervals. This helps us know if our latest smoothie post was well-received or if we should revert to matcha content.
The Limits of AI: Why Human Input Remains Essential
As advanced as it is, AI is not infallible. Community management relies on building connections, understanding emotions, and setting long-term goals—areas where human insight remains crucial.
1. Long-Term Vision and Objectives: AI is a valuable tool, but it lacks its own vision and cannot make independent decisions. The long-term development of the community, spotting potential, and fostering new ideas are our responsibilities. Only Humans know where we want to take the community and how we wish to shape it over time. AI is not an autonomous collaborator but rather a tool that must be directed and fuelled.
2. Empathy, Authenticity, and Common Sense: AI may provide support, but empathy and authentic engagement are where humans excel. We bring the intuition and ethical judgement needed to navigate complex interactions, creating genuine bonds that AI cannot replicate.
3. Ethics and Diversity: AI often carries biases related to values, moral beliefs, and stereotypes concerning gender, minorities, or cultural and social backgrounds. When handling sensitive topics that require empathy, ethical judgement, or appropriate representation, we must shape communication to reflect our values.
AI: A Powerful Tool for Community Management
AI helps with repetitive tasks, data analysis, and content ideation, but it remains a tool that needs to be used purposefully. The true strength of a community lies in the vision and dedication of its community managers. It’s human ideas, values, and commitment that drive a project forward and provide a sense of direction.
