James Armstrong: AI and Social Media – The Big Discussion

2025
Written By Lucy Hall

At SocialDay's Social Media Marketing Festival 2025, hosted at Phantom Peak London, we are excited to welcome James Armstrong, Creative Director and Co-Owner of Social Firefly. With a background in public sector communications and marketing, James has spent the last seven years leading Social Firefly, a Brighton-based social media marketing agency working with public, charity, and commercial sectors.

About James Armstrong

James spent 10 years working in the public sector before co-founding Social Firefly with Mel Berry. The agency specialises in helping brands build meaningful engagement through strategic social media campaigns.

At SocialDay 2025, James will be a panelist in “AI and Social Media: The Big Discussion”, alongside Nicole Mezzasalma and Lea Rhys-Moir, exploring the practical applications of AI in advertising and whether AI enhances or replaces human expertise.

What to Expect from James’s Panel

James will bring a practical and tested perspective on AI in social media advertising, addressing:

  • How AI performs in social media advertising and how brands can use it.

  • Whether AI can truly outperform human-led creativity.

  • The balance between AI as a tool to enhance jobs versus a replacement for human expertise.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will leave with:

  • A clear understanding of how AI fits into social media marketing strategies.

  • Insights into successful AI applications in advertising.

  • A discussion on AI’s limitations and why human creativity still matters.

James’s Perspective on Social Media Trends

James sees the decline of Twitter (X) as a welcome shift, with audiences moving towards platforms that align more with community engagement. He also highlights the challenges businesses face in justifying marketing spend in an uncertain economic climate, particularly as AI-driven automation disrupts traditional strategies.

A Social Media Success Story

James and his team at Social Firefly won Memcom’s Best Social Media Presence in 2023 for their work with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, shifting their entire social strategy from broadcasting to genuine community engagement.

What’s Next for Social Media?

James believes platforms need to strip back their offerings and focus on their core functionalities, rather than attempting to be everything to everyone—a shift he hopes to see from platforms like Facebook.

Connect with James

Want to learn more from James? Follow him here:

James joins a lineup of leading industry professionals at SocialDay's Social Media Marketing Festival 2025, bringing his expertise on AI’s impact on advertising and social media strategy.


More 2025 Sessions and Speakers

Lucy Hall
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