Is Augmented Reality (AR) the Future of Social Media Apps?

AR or augmented reality is one of the emerging technologies, to have a strong impact on social media apps in recent years. The technology is predicted to be the next BIG thing, inspiring the minds of the engineers and technology seekers, to think bigger and break the limited boundaries of the already established technologies. 

When you compare AR with other reality technologies, it lies between the virtual and real world. The technology is gradually gaining popularity as the virtual elements brought into the real world provides an immersive experience to the user.

Social media has made the world smaller. Users can instantly connect by sharing photos, content, video, etc. with their friends, colleagues, families around the world. 

Research by the New York Times Consumer Insight Group also found the motivations which compel the participants to share their information on social media, which includes the desire to spread entertaining and valuable content for defining themselves. Keep reading to find out more!

 

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Statistics to understand social media behaviour 

Let’s take a quick look at social media usage from the past few years. In the graph below, you can see the number of social network users worldwide from 2010 to 2021, which has been increasing every year: 

It’s forecasted that upcoming year nearly 3 billion people worldwide will be using social media networks. That’s almost three times as much as ten years ago. 

Regarding the popularity of each social network, Facebook, Youtube and Whatsapp are the three highest-ranking networks based on the number of active users. What might surprise you is that Linkedin for example, is ranking quite low on a global level. See more info in the graph below:

How is AR thriving on social media apps?

With every step into the digital revolution, “Matrix” would become more of a reality than fiction.  The lines are fast blurring between the virtual and real-world than imagined, making AR the future and integral part of social media marketing.

Snapchat, for example, is smartly exploring this opportunity and making it easier for people to share content on the platform. After developing the picture messaging app, it decided to go further via its Snappables AR game, which implements the touch, facial expressions, and motions to get more scores. 

Users can even send those pictures to their friends for better engagement. The creativity and magical experience, which the user goes through in the process, has made the platform popular. As of the third quarter of 2019, Snapchat had 210 million daily active users worldwide, up from 186 million global DAU in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

Augmented reality example #1 Snapchat

It is believed that Snapchat’s future depends on the build-up of its augmented reality platform. It’s CEO, Evan Spiegel even stated, that an active user interacts with the AR product of Snapchat 30 times a day.

In the video below, a few examples of Snapchat’s AR features are shown:

 

Augmented reality example #2 Facebook

Another example is the AR ad campaigns and games from Facebook. The Facebook messenger app has some of the AR games like Asteroids Attack and Don’t Smile. The former is a staring contest where the first person to grin loses and in the latter, users can navigate a spaceship with their face.

Facebook has made the creation of its content on the platform easier for users by integrating 3D filters. Facebook even has the facility, where most of the online sellers can provide the experience of the product, with the help of AR. In one of the handbag campaigns on Facebook, customers could actually see how big the bag was, helping them to make the right decision.

 

Do you want to create an app that includes AR features? Let us help you find the best experts in mobile app marketing!

 

Augmented reality example #3 Instagram

The augmented reality effects for the Instagram stories has become one of the fun ways for adding creativity and standing out from the crowd.

Recently, a French artist Ines Longevial, famous for her female forms of geometric paintings, made waves on Instagram with her AR face filters.

The powerful message “save the planet mask” impressed the users as they pledge to save the planet.

The influence of AR in social media trends

Augmented reality trend #1 Delivery of the new content

Soon you’ll see a future where 3D content replaces the 2D content on social media, with the help of AR. The heavy usage of interactive content will reshape social media. 3D content has the power to take the users to an entirely new and unimaginable world.

Don’t you think it will also provide a satisfying experience to the user?

Augmented reality trend #2 Social media purchases and AR

Do you remember any recent ad? On social media, where you saw a clothing item, but could not get the feel of, how it would look like on you? 

Well, you can now see all that in the amazing realm of the virtual AR world. Try all the products whichever you like and purchase them online. As a marketer, the AR feature on social media apps will also help you to promote your products in a unique 3D style.

 

You might be interested: Top Mobile App Trends for 2020

 

Augmented reality trend #3 Live events arrive at your doorstep

Users can get the real feel of events, without actually going to it and that too at the comfort of their home.  

The technology which is in the development phase is going to change the customer experience altogether, with many brands already vying up for this technology. The user has to only download the augmented reality app and enter the augmented world to get the real feel.

Augmented reality trend #4 Increasing the share on social media apps 

Augmented reality will help the users to share the content seamlessly on any social media platform. They will be able to explore a whole new world of great possibilities. 

For example, when they are shopping or booking the hotel room at their favourite holiday destination, they can see the ratings and reviews automatically appear in front of the shop or the hotel building on the mobile, which they can even share with their friends and colleagues.

 

Recommended reading | Gamification in marketing: Discover new strategies and top examples

 

Conclusion

Augmented reality will soon become a part of our daily life, besides, it’s a booming business.            

The augmented reality ads would have the potential to generate $13 billion a year, out of which 12% of the revenue would be from mobile ads. 

The AR ads on social media would be the face of online marketing. As AR takes over the social media platforms within a few years from now, a brand needs to match with the current and future trends on social media to utilize the opportunity to the fullest.

 

So, how are you going to use AR for your social media marketing? If you’re looking for the right experts to help you out, tell us about it!