Modern businesses are harnessing the power of augmented reality (AR) and making their digital marketing strategy more engaging for higher revenue.
Augmented reality (AR) is no longer a concept limited to science fiction movies. If you are familiar with digital retail digital marketing of 2020, you must have known that you have made your way into marketing long before.
Marketers are interested in adopting this amazing technology in their digital marketing strategy. They have some compelling reasons for this.
Did you know that 72% of online shoppers buy products they hadn’t planned on due to AR? Or that 61% of them prefer AR retailers?
This new industry is literally on the rise. The net market value of AR is $ 3.5 billion. And according to Citrus Bits, the market is forecast to grow by $ 61.4 billion by 2023.
Seven ways you can harness the power of AR in your digital marketing strategy
Let’s take a look at some of the ways augmented reality can change your digital marketing strategy forever:
1) Allow you to capture the customer’s attention
Good marketing is all about getting people’s attention. In the past, it was quite simple, but with the advent of new technologies, it has become quite difficult. You need to discover innovative practices to increase brand awareness and visibility.
AR technologies allow you to do this. With AR, you can capture a lot of attention from your target audience in ways that traditional promotional tactics like television, billboards, and print media cannot. You can reach a large number of people in a short time, and this is the beauty of AR.
Plus, you can excite customers, forcing them to buy from you.
2) Product visualization for digital marketing strategy
Augmented reality empowers today’s consumers by giving them the ability to visualize products.
In its basic definition, product visualization can be described as a process in which companies use images and graphics to visually communicate products to customers. To date, many companies are doing this by enabling their e-commerce sites and demo applications with visual product configuration software.
Take IKEA, for example. The Sweden-based furniture retailer has recently replaced its traditional photography with 3D renderings. Digital catalogs and the IKEA app allow users to see what a piece of furniture of a specific color and size would look like in their homes.
According to a survey, more than 75% of customers worry about buying the wrong size furniture. AR apps are great technological advancements that can help retailers reduce the hassle of returns and regrets.
3) Allow customers to virtually test before buying
You can test your next pair of glasses that you are going to buy just by using your smartphone.
Integrating AR technologies into their digital marketing strategy would allow customers to understand what they are buying and how accurately cosmetics, clothing and accessories, etc. would work for them.
It’s about putting your product in the hands of customers virtually so they can make more informed decisions. Warby Parker, the direct-to-consumer eyewear brand, launched a “virtual test-drive” system that allows its customers to test the glasses in the comfort of their home.
People just need to download the app, choose the frame style they want to try and then activate the function that opens the front camera and place the glasses on their face. The lenses remain fixed in place even if the person moves and tilts their head.
4) creating a buzz around the brand
Augmented reality can work both directly and indirectly for your digital marketing strategy. If you are not launching a new product, you can still use AR technologies to enhance your brand reputation and increase awareness among your target audience.
By offering an unexpected reality experience, you can create a stir around your new brand. Since AR is still a new concept on the market, using it as part of your marketing plan can help you create memorable moments for people with the brand.
Get inspired by the beauty brand that thrived even amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Sephora has created an augmented reality app that enables people to shop for the perfect makeup during the pandemic. The company partnered with an AR firm, ModiFace, which scans the human face and allows consumers to test hundreds of different cosmetic products so they can choose the products according to their facial characteristics and needs.
5) AR technology to inject life into objects
Augmented reality is a great way to increase the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategy. Augmented reality technology is a great way to improvise the experience of a tour by bringing the dead to life.
The app is famous among visitors who use it inside the museum to learn about the history and see what dinosaurs and objects displayed in the exhibition looked like a few thousand years ago. In fact, this is a great way to enhance the tourist and academic experience, as technology allows people to interact with objects on a deeper level.
6) Drive commitment to digital packaging
Every student and marketer knows that packaging plays an important role in influencing purchasing decisions. The packaging is your opportunity to communicate with users. With AR technologies, you can turn your dull and boring packaging into great and convey detailed information that you can put on the label.
AR is a great way for all your users to explore additional product-related information when viewing a product with specially designed applications. You can share content that is unique, interesting, and relevant through a variety of digital media.
This information can be text or 3D animations. For example, the British Museum signed a partnership with the smartphone company Samsung to create augmented reality applications for this purpose.
AR technologies for product packaging can benefit you in several ways:
1.Powerful brand storytelling
2.Provide educational and technical details about the product.
3.Entertain clients
Jack Daniel’s, the world’s leading whiskey brand, uses AR for its product packaging. Within seconds of scanning the bottle, the app takes users on a virtual tour and displays the detailed winemaking process.
7) Digital marketing strategy with gamification
According to a recent study published by a course writing service, gamification has been recognized as one of the best digital marketing techniques in a very short period of time. This tactic has been adopted by several brands to capture market attention and offer them superior value.
It involves design elements that can engage game lovers and force them to want more. The US-based entertainment channel used the gamification tactic to spread the word about its mysterious “Dig” series. The cable channel launched a smartphone app by the name “Dig Decoder” to give clues about the game.
Using the app’s viewer option, users can search for additional game clues hidden within the game magazine, billboards, and print ads. You can say that by using augmented reality for your next digital marketing strategy, you can give your audience another reason to enjoy the show.
Key takeaway
Augmented reality has made its way into the digital marketing strategy of brands large and small. Technology enables marketing managers to make their digital marketing campaigns innovative and engaging by allowing people to connect with the brand.
