Metricooler, you already know we love data. This time, you built the data.
More than 700 social media professionals shared with us how they use AI day to day and... 75% already use it daily (no surprise there). What we didn't expect was what they use it for.
Here's what their relationship with AI looks like right now, and a few numbers worth your time:
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STAT #1 – For 30%, AI's biggest problem is that it sounds generic
Professionals are clear that the output they get is the biggest problem they run into with AI.
30% find the results uncreative or repetitive. For 19%, the tone feels artificial or off-brand. And 10% worry about how accurate the answers are.
RESOURCE:
If you experience the same, it's probably because you start from a blank chat every time. So AI has to relearn how you work, your tone, and your style from scratch.
This kit fixes the generic-content problem: set up your brand, let AI learn who you are and how you sound, you send the prompt, and the content comes back sounding like you.
Set it up one time, and you're good forever.
STAT #2 – 26% only use free versions
Professionals still lean on the free versions of these tools, though less every year: in 2025, 52% weren't paying for any app, and in 2026 that's dropped to 26%.
Trust (and investment) in paid tools has grown a lot over the last year, and today, 30% spend between $21 and $50 a month, up from 18% in 2025. And 13% now spend more than $100 a month, compared to just 3% a year ago.
RESOURCE:
Which AI tool should you use? The trick is knowing which one actually fits your work, so you don't overpay, double up on tasks, or tangle your workflow.
And if it works with the platforms you already use, even better.
STAT #3 – 59% now use AI to analyze metrics
When we asked what they use AI for, some answers we saw coming: writing copy (86%) and generating content ideas (84%).
What we didn't expect was the fastest-growing use of AI in 2026 is analyzing metrics, jumping from 32% to 59%.
And it makes sense. Measuring how a post or campaign did takes hours (you know the drill), and even then it's easy to miss a number or a takeaway that was sitting right in front of you. AI turns those numbers into something you can use, making it easier to spot what's working in your strategy, what isn't, and why.
RESOURCE:
Generate the analysis that used to take hours in minutes with Metricool Studio. In three clicks (or one prompt), you choose what you want to measure, and Metricool hands you back a visual breakdown with charts, metrics, and insights on your content.
No twenty tabs open, no data lost along the way, and no answer sitting right there that you somehow can't see.
STAT #4 – 33% don't think labeling AI content is necessary
It's easily one of the biggest debates around AI: should content carry a label when it's been made with AI? The platforms are betting on transparency, and you can see it in their features. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube all let you add an AI label.
Among people working in social, opinions split. 33% don't label their content and don't think it's needed. Another 12% don't label it either but believe they should. And only 10% currently add a note or tag.
If you're one of that 10% who do add an AI label, or you want to start, Metricool makes it simple.
Flag AI-generated content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube right when you schedule from the planner, with the same options you'd have on each platform, but all from one place.
THIS WEEK’S STORIES
YouTube gets strict: creators now need twice as many watch hours before they can start monetizing
YouTube rethinks views: they'll start counting from the first second a video plays
YouTube views rose nearly 76% and estimated watch minutes grew nearly 11% vs 2025 (2026 YouTube Study)
LinkedIn wants more engagement: it's updating the feed to encourage more replies and comments
6 LinkedIn strategy insights: Carousels drive 11x more interactions than images
WEBINAR
LOL
Every feed is starting to sound the same: polished, safe, and flat. The posts that still get attention feel like a real person made them.
On August 25 (11am EST / 4pm UK), we're bringing in Adam Falkner, comedian and creator who built 40K+ followers by being funny about business, to break down why humor is the most underrated move in social media right now, and how to test it without it feeling forced.
VIDEO
Are Trial Reels worth it? We tested 50+ to find out
Trial Reels let you test content on a small audience before it goes to everyone, but does that make them worth using?
We posted 50+ over four weeks to find out. Here's what still made it worth doing, and what we changed.
PD
And just like that, Instagram decided it was time for a new “wordmark” (high five if you learned the word this week too). As always, the best part of these changes is the jokes and the memes.
My favorites: the "Instagram is Instagzam now" bit, and the way some people online have taken it.
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