Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our personal lives, and social media is one of the biggest recipients of its influence. When it comes to social media platforms like Pikdo, Instagram and others, we’re seeing a lot of positive improvements on the wings of technology.

Now and in the future, social media will change for the better thanks to the following technologies:

1. AI Targeted Marketing

There has been no technology half as prolific as artificial intelligence in improving social media. Thanks to AI technologies, each platform has a customized algorithm that helps to put content they believe their users will enjoy most. That’s why you don’t always see stories from all the friends and brands you follow.

AI is also prevalent in the marketing sector. Now, you can curate an advertisement for your specific audience and pay to have that ad only reach the people who are most likely to engage. You won’t waste money trying to get it out to everyone because you don’t need to.

AI also plays a role in marketing automation, improving the way that bots and data collection tools can maximize your engagement and collect valuable insights to improve your campaign.

For example, the quality automation tool social captain relies on the latest AI to target consumers, find influencers, and market your brand so that you don’t have to spend hours doing it yourself.

“As it acquires more data from its interactions, it gradually modifies its approach in order to magnify its impact,” says one social captain review.

In short, AI is integral in making your marketing efforts more effective and reducing the amount of time you’re forced to spend on each platform.

2. Influencer Marketing

Another element of targeted marketing that stems from the wonders of technology is influencer marketing. This is considered one of the most effective social media strategies, particularly on Instagram.

 It allows you to connect with hundreds of thousands of followers (or more) without growing your following to that level.

As artificial intelligence and targeted marketing continue to advance, we’ll see changes in this as well.

“I think within a year or two, social media marketing will lean in on key influencers rather than working with everyone as they do today,” says Tomer Shmulevich, an influencer agent, told Forbes.

 “Every influencer is great for exposure; you can build a lot of buzz. But today, it requires specific types of influencers to actually drive sales of a product.”

Most notably, influencer campaigns will take over advertising. Those who successfully navigate such a campaign find the reach to be so much more successful than even geo-targeted ads.

 Word-of-mouth marketing is considered the most effective form of advertising with about 88 percent of consumers using the advice of a trusted individual when making purchasing decisions. It’s no wonder that influencer marketing is so successful.

“Brands are going to continue to grow as far as their marketing budgets; they’re going to continue to go after influencers that are more niche in their market,” Natalia Diaz, co-founder of experience-based marketplace 123 Wish also shared with Forbes “I have friends managing big campaigns who are opting to put on events with influencers instead of traditional ads, because they know they’ll reach 20 million people and that’s just going to get bigger.”

3. Privacy and Security Features

If you haven’t been hacked on social media yet, you probably know someone who has. Social media could be labeled as a hacker’s favorite target because it’s so easy to gain access to an account and personalized information.

It’s estimated that more than 600 Facebook accounts are compromised every single day. Hackers use social spam, phishing, link-jacking, and life-jacking tactics to try to gain control of your account and info.

Naturally, this has heightened the general public’s perception on privacy and security. “We’re seeing a shift in adoption and engagement on social media profiles that is related to our aversion to our tech addiction and our increasing awareness on the negative impact of tech,” says Jeanne Lewis, CEO of Capsure, a social media platform committed to humane design.

Social companies are prioritizing the security of user accounts with technologies like multi-factor authentication in order to avoid these tech-driven attacks.

4. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality has also been linked with the future of social media. We’ve already seen significant engagement with AR tools, like filters and lenses for photos and interactive tools from businesses.

You can even turn yourself into a 3D bitmoji and share it with your friends. As exciting as these innovations are, we haven’t scratched the service of what AR can do for social media.

An article from Forbes believes that we’ll begin to see advancements like virtual stores, live events, AR videos, and more with the power of augmented reality. These experiences are highly relatable and shareable, and they offer an incredible opportunity for brands and consumers to connect on a more personal level.

5. Communication Mediums

If you asked the average customer 20 years ago what their preferred method of communication was, most would say in-person interactions. The second-place method would probably be a phone call, and email and other text conversations would be next.

There has been a complete shift now that communication on social media is so easy. Most users state that communication over social media is their new favorite method.

Social media has taken communication to a whole new level, adding a personal element to each interaction for businesses. It also created a new platform for millennials who don’t turn on the 6:00 news to be aware of current events and their surroundings.

Social media communication creates a sense of urgency and a basic need to share that helps both brands and consumers make a difference.

“In basic communication, humans transmit information and receive instant feedback,” says an article from Higher Ed Marketing Journal. “The integration of texting, messaging and emailing, however, has enabled senders and receivers to sit and dwell before responding.

 Instagram Stories and Snapchat have changed the game by making messages and content available to view for only 24 hours. In order to remember what was said, or seen, and reply appropriately, the user must reply as soon as they’ve opened it. In effect, these temporary messages take away the ability to dwell and create a more real-time form of communication.”

This puts a higher emphasis on rapid, clear communication. Marketers who want to make a long-lasting impression on consumers will make communication through social media a priority. Consumers love the easy, immediate association that they can’t get anywhere else.