Optimising corporate social media for AI search

AI assistants are becoming the first stop for audiences with questions about your company. 

Your stakeholders are increasingly turning to tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Mode or Perplexity for quick answers. The way those tools describe your business depends heavily on the content they can find, including what’s published on your corporate website and your social media channels. 

That means that in 2025, corporate social media is more than just a storytelling platform. Now, each channel is also a data source for AI. 

The more descriptive, structured, cross-linked and accessible your content is, the more likely AI will pick up your official narrative – not someone else’s version.

Here are practical ways to optimise each major social channel.

LinkedIn: build authority through clarity

LinkedIn is a cornerstone for corporate reputation, and a core source of structured content for AI.

• Write for clarity, not slogans: instead of vague statements, use precise wording in post headlines and captions. AI needs easily accessible, clear-cut language.
• Tag your people: when you connect employees to specific topics, AI recognises your company as a source of that expertise.
• Use long form posts and articles: extended content is indexed and often referenced, giving you more control of your story.
• Create topic hubs: “Showcase Pages” can serve as dedicated “libraries” on sustainability, careers or innovation.

Best practice: Norsk Hydro

Thought leadership carousels and articles reinforce your company as an industry forerunner, like Norsk Hydro

Instagram: make visuals readable

 AI can’t “see” your images – it reads the supporting text. As of July 2025, Instagram content became visible outside of the app and is indexed by Google. Treat every visual as a chance to provide context.

• Add meaningful alt text: don’t rely on auto-generated text; describe what the image really shows.
• Expand your captions: one-liners don’t help. Spell out who, what and why in each post.
• Use hashtags with intent: a balanced mix of wide-reaching and targeted hashtags improves how your posts are organised and discovered.
• Caption every reel: subtitles and on-screen text make reels and stories machine-readable.

Best practice: Unilever

Unilever's Instagram reels are fully captioned, with clear questions hooking in audiences.

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A post shared by Unilever (@unilever)

YouTube: approach videos as editorial content

YouTube is one of the richest sources of structured information for AI, thanks to transcripts and metadata.

• Be precise in titles: make them self-explanatory so they stand alone in search.
• Write full descriptions: treat the description box like a 200-word mini-article.
• Upload accurate transcripts: edit auto-captions to capture keywords correctly.
• Add chapters: breaking long videos into sections makes them easier for both people and AI to navigate.

Best practice: Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom offers well-written video descriptions with bookmarked chapters

 For more detail on YouTube, read our deep dive article

Facebook: go beyond the image

Corporate Facebook pages are also widely indexed. Use them to promote your key messaging.

• Write captions with depth: as with Instagram, add the who/what/why to every post.
• Edit alt text: auto-generated descriptions are too vague and unreliable.
• Cross-link to longer content: use Facebook as a distribution channel for reports, articles and videos on the corporate website, and YouTube.
• Consistently engage: replying to comments, especially from customers or interested members of the public, reinforces credibility. 

Best practice: Henkel

Reply to customer comments, like Henkel does. Note the long-form captions, with keywords and hashtags.

TikTok: optimise for machine readability

TikTok is shaping search behaviour, especially for younger audiences. AI analyses audio, captions and overlays to understand content.

• Say your keywords out loud: TikTok’s speech recognition picks them up. Get your employees and social media voices to reiterate your keywords.
• Use on-screen text: reinforce your message with keywords in overlays.
• Keep hashtags focused: three to five well-chosen ones work best.
• Always caption videos: subtitles provide a reliable transcript for AI.

Best practice: BHP

Keep captions and clear and concise as possible, like BHP does.

@bhp From mine to port, in Escondida, Chile! Eduardo, Leaching Engineer Specialist, explains the journey from ore to copper cathode. Escondida is the world's largest producer of copper concentrates and cathodes. #BHP #copper #chile #mining ♬ original sound - BHP

X: be clear and contextual

Brevity works on X, but your message should never be vague.

• Use plain language: avoid wordplay that obscures the message.
• Thread when context matters: expand on complex topics in structured sequences.
• Add alt text to visuals: a small detail that makes content accessible.
• Join topical conversations: hashtags and replies link your company to broader discussions and give you a voice.

Best practice: GSK

GSK's posts on X are easy to understand for a range of audiences, with links back to the main site.

🔍 AI is changing the way we understand disease.

Not just by helping us analyse data at speed — but identify how diseases progress and which patients respond best to treatments.

Read our article to find out more: https://t.co/oyvkC8I3gA pic.twitter.com/iwS3vuVjbI

— GSK (@GSK) August 28, 2025

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