Rethinking Digital Strategy in the Age of AI

In the fast-evolving world of digital advertising, paid social media platforms like Meta have become essential for brands looking to reach and engage their audiences, but it’s no longer enough to simply select demographics, interests, or lookalike audiences. AI is increasingly powering smarter, more automated audience targeting, allowing platforms to predict user behaviour, adapt in real-time, and optimise for outcomes that go beyond simple clicks or impressions.

For media planners, this shift means moving from static audience definitions to dynamic, data-driven strategies that continuously learn and improve. Audiences are becoming more automated and sophisticated, and the role of the planner is evolving to focus on shaping creative, designing effective tests, and interpreting insights that guide future optimisations.

AI in Paid Social

Social platforms are investing heavily in AI, not just for efficiency, but to enhance how campaigns are targeted and measured. Modern AI can recognise patterns in user behaviour and content performance, allowing campaigns to adjust in real-time, and helping advertisers deliver more relevant experiences to audiences. While the technology is powerful, it is not fully autonomous. Human input is still essential to define campaign goals, set testing strategies, and ensure creative resonates with people.

Creative as a Differentiator

As audiences and targeting become smarter, the creative becomes the true differentiator. AI can help generate multiple variations quickly and cost-effectively, but understanding the principles of A/B testing is key. By creating and testing different versions of messaging, visuals, and formats, campaigns can identify what works, what doesn’t, and scale success across platforms. Today, this testing doesn’t have to be expensive, as AI tools can support creative iteration, but careful planning and analysis are still critical to shaping campaigns that perform over time.

AI is no longer an add-on in paid social, it’s becoming central to how audiences are reached and optimised. Success comes from blending AI-driven insights with creative strategy and structured testing. Brands that embrace this approach will be well-positioned to lead the next era of digital advertising.