If you are a dedicated social media user, you must have noticed how augmented reality is steadily being embraced by every platform. It is being estimated that with 1 billion users by the year 2020, augmented reality (AR) is going to transform the face of social media marketing. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, it will be hard to imagine our lives without AR in the coming ten years. While it is still too early to verify that claim, AR is definitely going to be a game changer in a wide range of industries and also in social media in the coming years.
The main advantage of augmented reality is that it can present information in an interactive way by appending virtual elements in the real world. Such a device can take an object and add layers of virtual images, sounds and graphics to it, while displaying them on your screen. One perfect example of such a device is Google glass. There are already a wide range of apps acting on AR and the Gatwick airport passenger app is an award winning example. The app allows the passengers to use an AR enhanced map that helps them navigate through the airport. Other excellent examples of AR include the Ikea Place app which is very effective for buying furniture and the Dulux Visualiser app that allows you to try out a shade of paint on your walls before you buy it.
When you use a small app in a social media page that adds a moustache or a cowboy hat on your face that is a fun example of augmented reality. But the technology is already bringing in waves of change in various industries like retail, healthcare, manufacturing and marketing. Snapchat was the first social media platform that gave a boost to the popularity of AR. It has found multiple effective ways to utilize AR including the use of AR filters and lenses and also allowing users to play AR selfie games. Instagram has taken up the cue in the past years and so has Facebook. The Facebook AR studio is a very effective tool that has been introduced to help artists and creative developers.
Various business can use AR effectively to reach out to the customers through social media pages. Many top brands are already using AR effectively to share information with the user and also to boost brand awareness. Imagine a restaurant promoting a dish effectively by using AR or a sunglass brand making it feasible for you to try various models through your Smart Phone. Facebook has also partnered with a range of companies to develop an enhanced advertising platform by using various AR tools. There are Facebook ads that are making effective use of AR by blurring the lines between real and virtual worlds and effectively attracting the customers.
A whole new generation of social media users are ready to move beyond the typical advertisement patterns that try to connect emotionally. They are eager to embrace an advanced range of technology and AR is the perfect tool to provide them with a new level of experience. The fact that a user can try a new product through AR will lead to impulse purchases that will boost social media sales figures to a large extent. AR will also be an effective tool to highlight social causes and global issues through social media and evoke a more empathetic response from the users. This will bring about a new mode for telling interesting stories from different parts of the world. In addition, AR can also bring a range of exciting options for gamers, with Pokémon go being a very good example.
People love to embrace new technology and when it is interactive and exciting like AR, the popularity levels are sure to touch the skies. Whether you need to leverage your business or just want an enhanced experience from a user’s perspective, the use of AR is all set to bring a revolution in our engagements with social media.
