Is social media marketing worth it anymore in 2025 [stats and data]

Elisona Iskurti
Jun 28
5 min read

Updated: 1 hour ago

By now, every business has asked this. Some have answered with a shrug. Others have doubled down. And many are stuck posting daily content they’re not even sure people care about. So, let’s stop pretending and get real: is social media marketing worth it anymore in 2025? Or are we just screaming into the algorithm hoping someone notices?

The short answer: Yes…but only if you understand what social media has become and stop treating it like 2022 (damn, AI has changed so much in so little time.)

When AI rules the feed, humans (should) rule the hearts

AI’s cracked the code on efficiency: it generates captions, posts, videos faster than any intern. Over 83% of brands are now churning more content than ever thanks to generative AI tools. According to a growing chorus nearly half of all traffic came from bots in 2024. Let's dive into some useful insights.

Is social media marketing worth it with the increase in AI content

2025 is the year AI took over the feed. Most companies are using AI to generate content at scale. Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Canva's Magic Write are churning out captions, carousel ideas, and even video scripts faster than a junior marketer on 6 shots of espresso.

It’s efficient. It’s clean. It’s also getting… predictable.

We’re now seeing timelines full of the same “Top 5 tips,” repurposed quotes, and perfectly framed stock photos. And ironically, this is exactly why “is social media worth it” is becoming a hot question again.

Because even though the content is optimized, SEO-rich, and technically correct… it’s empty.

As you can guess, the audience is fed up with flawless, synthetic perfection. The internet is reaching peak “everything but human.”

What users are craving more than ever is imperfection. They want the behind-the-scenes chaos. The “I made a mistake” post. The blurry pic from your team lunch. The badly lit video that made them laugh out loud. Even amateur videos are sure to increase reach and engagement (especially on TikTok as Instagram is a little bit more curated.)

And yes, AI can fake authenticity…but people are catching on. They’re not dumb. They scroll, they sense, they click off.

Brands that dare drop the polished mask and talk like humans hit harder. Think behind-the-scenes screw-ups, honest rants, raw reactions. That’s a radical honesty trend pushing serious trust because..in a world of AI perfection, real cracks sell.

So yes, AI can scale your output and handle grunt work, but emotionally resonant human content is still the only thing that builds loyalty. If your feed reads like a brochure, you’re wasting dollars - and losing hearts.

UGC vs. AI-generated ad scripts

There’s a big difference between a polished ad and personal story from someone who used your product. In fact, 40% of consumers trust user-generated content (UGC) and consider it very important in their shopping experience.

Brands embracing UGC (especially micro-influencer content)see conversion rates jump dramatically. But here’s a fun fact, according to a 2025 report, the most preferred format for learning about local businesses is actually (and surprisingly) video content posted by the businesses themselves. More than a third of U.S. consumers said they’d rather watch videos directly from a business than hear from influencers, friends, or even regular social media reviewers.

Here’s the friction point: AI can fake UGC, but audiences can smell synthetic personas. For example, AI avatar ads might reduce production costs, and they might stop people from scrolling but they sabotage trust in the process.

Businesses that still pay small creators to star in “real” posts (from product unboxings to honest reviews) see stronger loyalty. When customers feel like part of the convo, not part of a broadcast, the algorithm pays attention…and so do buyers.

Everyone talks about "Reach" - But let's talk about Depth

We’ve seen it over and over again - a lot of businesses are still measuring social media success based on likes and follows.

In 2025. And in one sense it’s okay because you have to have something to measure to know you’re going (or not) somewhere with your efforts.

But something else that we’ve seen is that reach is easy. Resonance is hard.

You can buy reach. You can boost posts. You can chase trends. But none of it means your audience gives a damn about your business. And I see brands with 100K followers get 300 likes per post. Meanwhile, a solo founder with 800 followers might generate 10 sales a week. Which is the most important?

The difference is Depth.

It’s not about getting seen by everyone. It’s about being remembered by the right people.

Now, let’s talk strategy. When businesses ask me is social media worth it, I ask back: how are you using it?

If you're posting just to keep up appearances? Not worth it.
If you're using it to tell stories, build trust, show your face, and sell transparently? Absolutely worth it.

People follow people, not logos. They don’t want “updates” from brands. They want opinions, values, jokes, real takes. And they want to know who the hell is behind that logo/brand/business.

This is especially true on Instagram and TikTok in 2025. According to The Happiness Report 2025, 72% of people would choose a brand that made them laugh over a competitor. And brands that use humor see an 80% increase in loyalty….even B2B business (!)

And on LinkedIn? People are tired of “thought leadership.” What they want is grounded leadership. Not (only) your 8 tips from a Forbes article….but the raw lessons from your client call that almost derailed the project? A screenshot of your work? A PDF with important tips?

Social media is still incredibly powerful. But not if you're just pushing things at people. You have to meet them where they are and talk like you’re in the same room.

Is social media worth it? Not if you’re chasing mass appeal. It’s worth it if you’re okay with deep, real connections that may look “small” on paper, but that convert.

ROI of social media marketing in 2025

Let’s talk about money, because for most businesses, that’s the real question behind the “is social media worth it” question.

And here's the problem: social media ROI is incredibly hard… to even more so for small businesses.

Big brands have teams and tools and dashboards that (might) tie every click back to a conversion. But usually social media is a long game. It’s awareness. It’s reputation. It’s proof of life. And sometimes, it doesn’t show results right away.

But that doesn’t mean it’s NOT working.

People lurk. They see you months before they reach out. They remember that one post. They check your page before replying to your email.

I’ve seen this happen dozens of times: A business thinks social isn’t working. They pause posting. Engagement drops. Sales drop. They restart posting. Everything picks back up.

Coincidence? Maybe. But more likely, it’s visibility.

So, is social media marketing worth it even when ROI isn’t obvious? Yes, but only if you value the invisible impact.

And here’s a better way to measure: track conversations, not just conversions. Are more people replying to your DMs? Are leads mentioning your content? Are customers referencing a post in their sales call?

That's ROI. It's just messier than a dashboard.

Is social media marketing worth it? The answer isn’t “Yes” or “No.” It’s How.

If you’re still reading, you probably get it by now. The question is social media worth it isn’t a yes/no checkbox. It depends on how you’re using it.