There’s no denying that augmented reality or AR is older than Pokémon Go or AR Air Hockey. But it’s a relatively new but increasingly popular concept in content marketing.
AR technology has been improved significantly over the years and is far more accessible today. It is slowly turning into a mainstream concept with incredible potential. So it isn’t surprising that the AR industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2024.
AR content marketers with a vision for the long-haul have already got in on using AR to enhance their content marketing efforts. With new and exciting ways to engage audiences, it offers a breath of fresh air in the marketing world where companies are struggling to keep clients engaged.
Many companies and content marketers are leveraging AR in a lot of ways. But how big is the impact of AR in content marketing? How can AR be used in content marketing?
In this blog we talk about AR’s various benefits and uses in B2B content marketing.
VR vs. AR
Before we look at how AR technology is changing content marketing, we need to correct a common misunderstanding.
Even though they attempt to bring a simulated experience to the user, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality are two separate things.
VR is an immersive virtual simulation that provides a different or altered reality. AR augments the surroundings with digital elements to the live view, often through a camera or a smartphone. AR overlays digital content into the real world and alters the existing reality.
VR requires a headset to block out the real world and simulate an alternative reality. AR is much easier to adopt because it only requires a smartphone with a back camera. Thus, AR, can induce the same excitement and effect as VR while remaining a far more accessible technology.
What are the Benefits of using AR in Content Marketing?
AR and VR ads have been used by many in digital marketing campaigns. But besides advertising, AR is gradually gaining favor as a valuable part of content marketing. AR content creation proves how companies across various industries all stand to gain by adopting it into their content marketing efforts. Here are some of the key benefits of using AR in content marketing.
Enhanced user experience
AR can help in creating more informative and highly engaging content. All these benefits add up to create a superior user experience. Product demonstrations, previews, etc. using AR can help customers interact and understand complex products. Interactive tutorials of this kind enhance the overall experience of a user.
Immersive experience
With AR in content, people are more invested and immersed in it, which significantly multiplies the content’s effect. Having the best AR marketing campaigns can greatly change how content gets across to the target audience, adding more immersion into the mix.
Generate excitement
Technology, especially new and intriguing technology, always has a way of creating excitement in people. When ads and traditional content stand a greater chance of getting ignored or skipped, AR can provide a fun and exciting experience that people will actively seek. Clients and users might come to you to be highly engaged, instead of you having to reach out to them.
Competitive differentiation
By using AR in marketing, you can distinguish your company from your competition. Having AR provides a great advantage that allows you to stand out, no matter the industry you belong to. In an industry where most businesses provide brochures and one-dimensional content, clients are more likely to approach those who can offer an interactive and highly informative product experience.
Encourage purchases
If you are not selling, then what’s the point of setting up costly strategies? Unlike traditional marketing methods, AR content creation can deliver on its promises. AR technology’s all other key benefits culminate in delivering improved sales. It allows people to experience products from the comfort of their mobile devices, improves customer confidence, and encourages them to purchase.
How is AR Used in Content Marketing?
Many businesses have already recognized AR’s benefits and have been experimenting with more applications for it. Let’s look at some of the key uses of AR in content marketing.
Making Immersive Content
One of the apparent benefits of AR as a marketing tool is its ability to increase engagement between the business and the client. 71% of customers say they would shop more from brands that use AR. AR can help make the content highly immersive and appealing to clients. For example, Toyota does this by providing an immersive demo experience of their vehicles through their app.
Immersive and interactive content greatly influences purchase decisions. With the ability to interact with and preview products or services through AR technology, the chances of clients sealing the deal are higher. Immersive content directly results in higher engagement and hence better client loyalty.
Product Testing
Based on a study by Harvard Business School, 80% of the new consumer products launched each year fail. Now, users can test products that are in development with AR technology.
By gathering customer feedback on the product in development, AR lets you directly connect to clients and foresee the outcome of your product. Since the consumers will use the product, their feedback reveals problems to be addressed. Negative feedback from AR product testing will stop brands from launching flawed products, while positive feedback will confirm that the product is good to go.
Allowing “Try Before Buy”
Sometimes people need to see the product in action or need to experience it before they can make up their minds about purchasing it. This can happen in both B2B and B2C scenarios. With AR, companies can let clients try out and interact with products before they make crucial decisions. If they can try it before buying it, customers can eliminate anxiety related to the specifics of products.
Ikea does this by providing an exceptional “try before buy” feature. The Ikea Place AR app allows customers to scan their room with their Apple devices and virtually “place” products into their homes in the most accurate way possible. Customers can try out products and have answers to questions like which furniture would fit where or what would go well with their living rooms.
Designing Content for New Audiences
Large and small businesses face difficulty in targeting new segments of customers without losing engagement with older ones. Here AR content creation can provide an effective solution. AR content creation campaigns targeting your newer audiences will fetch better results than traditional outreach methods.
Provide newer clients, interactive trials, or previews of your products, and use the excitement revolving around AR technology to attract them. An AR campaign leaves a better first impression than simpler greetings and promotions. Augmented reality can help marketers reach smaller and newer customer segments with little effort while maintaining engagement with existing clients.
Educating Clients
For complex products, a learning curve usually tends to overwhelm clients. A first-hand product experience is the best way to educate your clients and guide them through the learning curve. AR tutorials can be adapted to teach different learners differently while remaining simple and engaging. Moreover, educating clients on the qualities and complexities of a product, helps filter the ones who are ready to buy from those who are not the right fit for your business.
Provide Branded Experiences
A simple and seamless shopping experience guarantees purchases. This is also something AR technology can help you with. Using AR, you can tailor a unique in-home experience for your buyers that simplifies their journey down the funnel. You can even recreate the look and feel of a brick-and-mortar store, which customers can experience from their smartphones.
Identify your AR Content Marketing Goals
AR is gaining more popularity in content marketing and for all the right reasons. It is greatly impacting the way we consume content. AR ticks all the key boxes for being an ideal technology for enhancing content marketing.
However, before you start using AR in content marketing, you need a clearer idea of what problems you intend to solve with it. You need to understand what flaws your existing systems and strategies have that can be addressed with AR.
Are you struggling to provide customers with a better understanding of your products? Are you trying to gain informed and ready-to-buy clients? What issues does your product catalog have that can be addressed with AR? Answering such questions and identifying your goals is a necessity if you are to effectively use AR content marketing and find solutions.
Effective content marketing, as such, is all about asking questions and solving problems. But to do this right, you need time, effort and exceptional expertise. Contensify, with its team of content marketing experts, can provide such exceptional B2B SaaS content marketing expertise.
Reach out to Contensify for your content marketing needs!
