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Social Media and Augmented Reality: What businesses need to know
December 12th, 2024 by esigners
AR (Augmented Reality) can play a vital part as well by melding the real with the virtual in social media. Such technology can be used effectively to create an innovative canvas that fosters greater user interaction. This fusion can in fact bring about a revolution in how a brand connects with its audiences by changing passive observers to active participants.
Even as social platforms start using AR features to a greater extent like virtual try-ons and filters, users get to enjoy immersive experiences that go beyond the boundaries of conventional marketing thus transforming the mundane to the remarkable.
The way the use of AR in social media has evolved
It was in the mid-2000s that social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook became popular and quickly became fertile grounds for experimentation with and self-expression through new technologies.
It was Snapchat in 2015 that can be principally credited with introducing AR lenses and filters in the domain of social media when it introduced Lenses that year. This feature permitted users to use facial recognition technology to apply effects to their faces in real time.
AR has become a rather useful tool as far as partnerships between brands and influencers are concerned as it provides them with novel ways in which they can engage with their audiences. Influencers can also leverage AR to create interactive and unique content that can stand out in the crowded landscape that is social media.
The use of AR in advertising and marketing on social media platforms
As we have said already, AR possesses the capability to improve user engagement by way of personalization, unique brand experiences, and interactivity. Not only do these elements make marketing campaigns more effective but they also assist with building stronger relationships between brands and customers.
AR provides you with interactive and immersive experiences that can create a higher level of engagement than what is possible for a lot of conventional alternatives used in traditional advertising.
Mini has come out with an AR feature that lets users watch a true-scale detailed model of a car in any location where they want to, starting in their living rooms to the driveway.
If you wish to measure how successful AR ad campaigns are being on social media platforms you must monitor both AR-specific and standard metrics which align with the goal of your campaign.
AR lenses and filters on social media
User experience is the most important factor in the context of the digital world and, as such, social AR filters provide brands with prime opportunities to enhance customer engagement, define brand identity, and boost sales. A Snap and Ipsos research shows that when you integrate AR into your marketing your sales conversions can increase by 94%.
Social media face lenses and filters overlap a user’s face with digital graphics in real time by using smartphone cameras. These lenses and filters are capable of transforming users’ appearance by adding virtual elements such as the following:
• hats
• glasses
• animal ears
• makeup
• complete character transformations
Location-based filters are activated whenever a user is at a certain geographic location.
AR shopping on social media platforms
AR is playing the role of a transformative tool as far as enhancing online shopping experiences is concerned. In a Global Report, Snap and Ipsos showed that 79% of consumers are interested in AR product interactions before they make a purchase and 65% of them feel that their shopping experience becomes easier when they use AR. Along with that, 90% of fashion brands agree that AR does widen the range of clothing that customers can try on with ease.
The thing with AR is that helps make consumers feel a greater degree of confidence regarding their shopping decisions. It lets them visualize, share, and then get feedback before they make any decision. Since most brands these days are integrated with platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram users can try products such as jewelry, clothing, and makeup using their smartphone cameras and then buy them seamlessly without having to leave the app. Not only does this simplify the path they follow to purchase but also provides them with an immensely personalized experience which increases the chance of conversion to the highest possible level.
AR brand and event activations using social media
Brands can find it challenging to promote events or introduce products if they do not have a strong base of social proof that they can use to drive demand for the same. AR can be a handy tool as far as overcoming this challenge is concerned since it can bring products to life even before they start selling on the market. The actual value of AR in the context of brand activation is in its scalability and interactive nature.
The beauty of exclusive content lies in how it makes people feel special – as if they are part of a select group that has access to something that no one else has.
It cannot be denied that there is an inextricable link between the transformative influence of AR and the future of social media.
AR is capable of blending the physical with the digital and this is not just an enhancement – it is a redefinition of engagement paradigms. This is an era when the levels of noise in the digital domain do not show any signs of abatement and in such a situation AR can provide you with a refreshing opportunity to capture attention in ways that are shareable and interactive. The numbers also reveal a lot in these cases. It is estimated that 64% of customers have expressed a greater sense of loyalty towards brands that use AR and 57% are likelier to buy from brands that use AR.
