Augmented Reality (AR) is now part and parcel of our daily lives, and more than ever before, people are using it to gain a competitive edge in business, and productively so. AR is the real-time application of graphics, audio, and text in the enhancement of real-life objects.
In today’s marketing world, the surest way to convert a potential client is by learning their preferences and using that information to suggest products and services they are most likely to purchase. However, this is becoming harder by the day, owing to the decreasing attention span consumers exhibit. A marketer only has a few precious seconds to make a pitch, and using Augmented Reality makes this easier and increases the chances of landing a new client!
Marketing using Augmented Reality is an added advantage because the technology learns the consumer preferences, and all that is left to do is enhance text, audio, and graphics to come up with a winning sales pitch.
How Augmented Reality Tops As A Marketing Strategy
In AR Marketing, potential consumers are granted the unique opportunity to try their hand at products before purchasing; call it digital window shopping. The customer is granted an augmented tour, complete with assistance on how to use the product. The marketer is able to create a buzz around the product they want to sell, which helps in branding too. It is also possible to leverage AR for B2B, increase the number of potential clients, and give the business a professional look.
Perks of Augmented Reality As A Marketing Tool
Immersion, Interaction, and A Personal Touch
AR is a straightforward way for consumers to interact with online content to seek out the perfect product for their needs. When people go shopping in malls nowadays, AR applications in their smartphones do the hard work for them. They can scout for the best prices and for the originality of the products and the impacts such products will have on them. They also have the chance to review their coupons, the shopping points at their disposal, and other financial incentives to save as much as they can. Such establishments attract more users because of the accuracy and ease of making purchases.
With augmented reality, product manufacturers can forecast and even involve consumers in the making of the products. When customers are made to feel a part of the product, the chances are that they will recommend the establishment to their contacts, attracting even more profits. AR is an attractive option to consumers in this generation, and companies that have invested in augmented reality marketing are already reaping big.
Helping in Buying Decisions Using Internet of Things (IoT)
Marketers who employ AR technology can accurately measure the engagement level of anyone who passes by their shop. Generally, consumers are amazed and attracted to technology which makes their purchases easier and more fulfilling. Through it, many marketing innovations have been discovered, and all the innovations can be tailored to the specific needs of any business. Augmented reality is excellent when working with a house whose devices are part of the IoT. The technology can note when stocks are running low in a household, recommending the purchase of products that are of the best quality.
The more technology improves, the more it becomes part of daily life. The world is now home to billions of people, marketing products to such a populace is no easy task. As big retailers rely on augmented reality to push their sales, so can small businesses employ the technology to make use of the Internet of Things. Long gone are the times when AR was a preserve of online gaming; marketers can now use the technology to increase their sales revenue, all while providing all the requisite product information for the client’s choosing.
The Augmentation of Marketing Materials
Augmented reality is being applied to brochures and business cards to improve the competitiveness of marketers. Once consumers have access to such materials, they use their smartphone AR applications to scan and get more detailed information regarding the products or services on offer. Business Cards are not what they were a few years ago; they are now more unique and essential in marketing and converting potential clients. AR has made such materials universal and available in every perceivable language.
Once a consumer scans these business materials, information is provided in the language they understand; in advanced instances, customers in different regions can access the same materials but different products and pricing depending on their geographical location. The information contained in these materials can be altered by marketers at any time to continue giving the consumers updated information on the products and services they are interested in.
AR Enhances the ‘Try Before You Buy’ Revolution
People love visiting physical business locations because they can actively try out products and pick what works for them. Augmented Reality marketing provides this online, and in the age of Covid-19, shopping cannot become any better. Because of the numerous setbacks consumers have faced in the past while trying to source products, they are more skeptical than even when placing orders online. AR marketing allows them to have a 360 degrees survey of products before purchasing, helping increase their confidence levels.
This technique does not apply solely to small-sized products but extends to furniture and other bigger household and industrial products. This way, consumers can plan their house outlay entirely online, with the surety that the products will perfectly suit their needs once ordered. Considering that all these amenities are provided on the smartphone, marketers have the best opportunity they have ever had to improve sales, but this can only be achieved if the technology is applied right.
Augmented Reality Marketing Disrupts Conventional Marketing Means
A couple of years ago, having an email list was sufficient to make anyone a successful online marketer. Presently, email lists are generally classified as spam, and as a marketer, failing to move with the times is sure death. Factoring statistics into the equation, more than 61% of buyers go for retailers who offer them an AR experience. Of these, more than 68% will spend more time reviewing the products and services, and within this time frame, conversions are recorded, and shoppers end up picking items randomly, all to the profitability of the retailer.
With AR marketing, consumers are now testing cars online before settling for their favourites, and of course, planning their real estates well before the purchase date. Marketing without using augmented reality is akin to setting oneself up for failure.
Other Benefits of Augmented Reality Marketing
Pokemon Go was the first beneficiary of AR marketing, and in merely one month, it generated $200 million in revenue for the investors. Any small business is projected to grow immensely by simply tapping into the power of this marketing strategy. The statistics which indicate its importance are staggering, with 72% of consumers reported to buy products after going through the augmented reality experience. With AR, shopping for products is more exciting and elicits more fun and customer retention.
Where AR marketing is applied, there are fewer returns; quite the contrary, first-time clients become regulars. AR capitalizes on the fact that all consumers are different, and what works for one person does not necessarily work for the other. Augmented reality marketing aims to serve everyone who comes across it, helping them make their purchase decisions.
Conclusion
AR marketing is here to stay, and there is no better time to get in it than right now. Large brands like Ikea, Toyota, and Gucci have already invested heavily in it. The best part of it is that it is affordable, and any business enterprise can use it, no matter how small.
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