Social media trends have changed rapidly in recent years. Internet users consider Instagram one of the most beloved platforms. It has overtaken Facebook and even TikTok. In terms of active audience, Instagram ranks first.

Recently, we can observe a trend that bloggers easily gain a large audience in a short period of time. This is due to the fact that due to the lockdown, many users use social networks around the clock and actively participate in the life of bloggers. Thanks to this, many influencers do not even have to buy Instagram followers on special services.

But with the growth of social networks, the attitude of the audience towards advertising is also changing. Less than 5% of users can now identify themselves with the offers presented to them by various brands. How to change it? This is where personalized content comes in handy for marketers.

How Content Personalization Will Change

Content personalization is no longer a trend, but a necessary strategy for development in social networks. Why? In 2021, Adobe conducted a study and found that 42% of Internet users are annoyed by non-personalized content. The audience is more loyal to advertising brands that create unique offers.

At the same time, in the new year there will no longer be enough general information about where customers live or what kind of music they like more. Analysts advise paying attention to their fears, dreams and hopes. Brands will have to delve deeper into their target audience and focus on more psychologically based information. For example, how do users make their decisions? What goals do they set for themselves? What is their individuality?

Some experts are already using new criteria when creating a user persona: which interface images, color palettes or advertisements are preferred by the target audience. Designers even compare the types of sites that users choose for work and entertainment purposes.

Every detail matters when it comes to strong competition among bloggers. Now everyone is trying to make their accounts perfect so that users notice them among hundreds of others. To this day, many influencers have to buy real Instagram followers, as this is the only way to quickly gain an audience. In a highly competitive environment, it is very difficult to become popular without the help of third parties.

How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect SMM

More recently, the use of artificial intelligence in the SMM sphere seemed to be something impossible. The study of the target audience in most cases fell on the shoulders of the PPC specialist. Big changes are coming in 2022. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming more accurate as well as accessible.

Today, there are at least two programs, Mnemonic AI and Delve, that are able to determine the personality traits of the audience and independently create a user persona. In the Russian market, machine learning is also gaining popularity. For example, the Brand Analytics monitoring system is based on AI technologies.

Analysts believe that at this rate, in the near future, artificial intelligence will be able to find even more detailed patterns and recognize those patterns that even the most experienced marketers can miss.

Why Micro-influencers Will Become Even More Popular

If earlier brands sought to conclude contracts with stars or millionaire bloggers, then recently this trend has significantly weakened. Micro-influencers are trending right now. First, let’s figure out who they are. Literally, this concept is translated as micro-influence. That is, these are bloggers or opinion leaders who have up to 100 thousand subscribers. Some experts single out into a separate category those whose audience is less than 10 thousand people. They are called nano-influencers.

The Digital Marketing Institute provided some very interesting statistics. 70% of teenagers trust influencers more than traditional stars. The new generation believes that bloggers understand them even better than friends. In addition, more than 80% of Internet users are guided by social networks when buying various goods and services.

At the same time, most brands around the world prefer to work with micro-influencers. And there is nothing surprising in this. First, as we have already seen from the statistics, users trust more those who understand them. Due to the relatively small number of subscribers, it is many times easier for micro-influencers to analyze their audience, study its preferences and tastes than for millionaire bloggers or stars.

Secondly, micro-influencers help brands find a more personalized approach to their target audience, which can save a lot of time and budget.

For these reasons, in 2022, brands will partner primarily with niche bloggers across platforms to find the right medium for each micro-segment of their audience.

What Will Be Next and What Should the Business Do?

Despite the fact that in the near future social networks will become even more popular, and the reach of advertising will only grow, the amount of work for marketers will not decrease. Those who make money on social networks will have to thoroughly study their target audience: its goals, habits and preferences.

Fortunately, new technologies and micro-influencers will help to find a personal approach to clients. That is why it is worth allocating some time and budget to research these areas.