A COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE- AND HUMAN-DRIVEN SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

Purpose- The rapid advancement in digital marketing, driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), forms the backdrop for this research. This study aims to investigate the performance differences between AI-driven and human-managed digital marketing campaigns by means of a true field experiment. Selected Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are evaluated on the Meta platform to make a statement regarding the performance. Methodology- The study has an experimantal research method. Two concurrent marketing campaigns for the Paul Kenzie brand were conducted over a two-week period: one fully created by ChatGPT-4 and the other by a human expert. Key KPIs measured include Click-Through Rate (CTR), number of conversions, conversion rate, and Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS). Findings- The results indicate that AI-driven campaigns outperform human-managed campaigns in terms of CTR, conversion rate, and ROAS, suggesting higher efficiency and effectiveness in reaching and engaging the target audience. Conclusion- The findings highlight the potential of integrating AI technologies with human creativity to optimize digital marketing strategies. Keywords: Artificial ıntelligence, social media marketing, digital marketing, field experiment JEL Codes: M15, M31, Q55