In this industry snapshot, Anna Rozwandowicz, Founder and CEO of The Story Mob, highlights how brands are rethinking everything as social media matures from a distribution channel into a business-critical function, with AI, creators and community-led ecosystems shaping the new rules.
What are the biggest shifts you are seeing in how brands are investing across social platforms today?
Brands are moving from platform-first to audience-first ecosystems. Investment is concentrating in fewer, higher-impact channels, with a clear focus on participation over passive reach. Creator partnerships are now core infrastructure, and owned channels are treated as media products. There is also a shift from campaign bursts to sustained narrative building, with social seen as a long-term, compounding asset.
How is AI changing the way social media content is planned, produced and optimised?
AI is compressing timelines and enabling faster iteration, but its real impact is in planning. Teams can identify patterns, test ideas earlier, and make more informed decisions. Strategy is shifting from intuition-led to signal-informed. Scale is easier, but the advantage comes from sharper content – not more content. AI will not replace taste or cultural fluency, but rather, it will expose the absence of them.
What shifts in consumer behaviour are influencing how social media campaigns are planned?
Audiences expect to participate, not just consume. Trust has shifted from institutions to individuals and communities, making creator-led ecosystems more effective than brand-led messaging. This has long been true in gaming and is now standard across industries. There is also an expectation of relevance at speed. Brands must respond in real time, but speed without cultural understanding leads to misalignment. The balance is agility with editorial discipline.
What do you think will be the biggest shift in how social media is used by brands over the next few years?
Social will move from a marketing channel to a core business function, sitting closer to product, community, and revenue. Brands will build direct relationships with audiences, using platforms as infrastructure. We will also see a shift from storytelling to world-building. The strongest brands will create environments people choose to engage with, and the advantage will come from shaping conversations, not reacting to them.
