How business owners and marketers are scaling content

Between launching campaigns, managing social channels, and staying on brand, today's marketing teams are under pressure to produce more content than ever. But at what cost?

To discover how professionals strike a balance between quantity and creativity, and which tools enable them to scale smarter, Adobe Express surveyed 1,000 US-based business owners and marketing leaders. From burnout to the rise of AI adoption, this report examines how content teams are adapting under pressure.

Key takeaways

• More than one in five business owners and marketers (21%) frequently feel burned out due to the demands of content production.
• 33% of business owners and marketers doubled their content production in the past year.
• 46% of business owners and marketers sacrificed work-life balance to meet content goals this year, and 36% have sacrificed creativity.
• TikTok ranks as the most stressful content channel for business owners and marketers to keep up with.
• Teams that are using AI for both content creation and automation produce 75% more pieces of content per week than those that don’t use AI.

Summary/Overview

The content pressure cooker: Rising demand meets creative tradeoffs

Even the most experienced marketers are feeling the heat of high-volume content demands. While teams are producing more, many are sacrificing the very thing that makes content effective — creativity.

One in three professionals reported to have at least doubled their content production in the last year. The pressure to create more has taken a toll on quality, with 36% of marketers and business owners sacrificing creativity or originality to keep up with output goals.

Nearly half of business owners and marketers (46%) sacrificed work-life balance to meet content goals this year, and 21% said they frequently feel burned out due to content production demands.

Adding to the challenge is the rise of short-form video. TikTok ranked as the most stressful channel for marketers and business owners to maintain. The constant churn of trends and the demand for near-daily posting make it tough for teams to stay fresh without burning out. More than 1 in 10 also found it stressful to keep up with Instagram content.

For teams using artificial intelligence strategically, for both content creation and automation, the results are game-changing. These teams produced 75% more content per week compared to those not using AI tools, giving them a measurable edge in speed and scalability.

AI as a creative accelerator

With content demand climbing, more professionals are turning to AI, and not just for speed. These tools also provide creative support and help ensure brand consistency.

On average, marketers and business owners who use AI reported saving 14 hours per week, nearly two full workdays. That time saved helps teams stay on track and focused on higher-level strategy and storytelling.

AI-powered tools also help teams maintain quality: 44% said they rely on AI to help uphold brand voice and content standards across growing output. For organizations creating at scale, this consistency is key.

But not all teams have cracked the code yet. The top reported bottlenecks in keeping up with content production demand include content ideation (29%), last-minute requests (29%), and resource constraints (28%). These pressure points reveal that scaling content is as much a people challenge as it is a process one.

In spite of issues, confidence remains high. The majority of business owners and marketers (84%) said they believe their teams are equipped to meet rising content demands, a sign that while the work is hard, the tools and systems to support it are taking hold.

Tools to scale content without losing creativity

As content demands grow, having the right tools makes the difference between burnout and balance. Adobe Express helps marketers produce more while staying true to their brand with features like:

• TikTok video creator: Create short-form videos that match trending styles, perfect for staying visible in fast-moving feeds.
• Instagram tools: Design and schedule scroll-stopping posts, Stories, and Reels that keep your brand top of mind.
• Templates: Start fast with customizable templates for social posts, videos, and campaigns designed to grab attention.
• Content Scheduler: Plan, publish, and preview posts across platforms to stay consistent without the last-minute scramble.
• Brand kits: Keep fonts, colors, and logos organized so every piece of content stays on-brand, no matter how fast you're creating.

With Adobe Express AI tools, teams can scale content to meet demand while protecting the creativity that makes their brand stand out.

Staying ahead without burning out

The pressure to create more content isn't slowing down, but neither is business owners' and marketers' determination to adapt. This research shows that while nonstop demand can strain balance and creativity, smarter tools and strategies are helping teams find their rhythm. By combining AI-powered support with strong systems and brand consistency, marketers can scale without sacrificing their well-being and originality.

Methodology

Adobe Express surveyed 1,000 US-based business owners and professionals working in business management, information technology, marketing, and sales, including both full-time and part-time employees. The survey was conducted on September 10, 2025, via SurveyMonkey. The goal was to better understand how marketers and business leaders are managing content production at scale, using tools like AI, and structuring their teams to support creative output.

Fair use statement

If you'd like to share these insights, you're welcome to do so for noncommercial purposes. If you do, please include a link back to this page and credit Adobe Express appropriately.

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