How AR (Augmented Reality) is transforming the Digital Media in 2021

Similar to virtual reality (VR), recent events have accelerated the adoption of Augmented reality (AR) experiences, including in the social space. AR doesn’t require additional hardware beyond a smartphone, making it even more readily accessible than VR. It’s also familiar from experiences like dynamic photo filters that have been on multiple social platforms for years.

Augmented reality experiences are inherently interactive and highly effective for engagement.

Brands are quickly buying into this latest social media trend by creating AR filters to promote new products or encourage fan interaction. This keeps your audience engaged and entertained, and could even help you attract new customers with the right promotion.

One excellent example is how McDonald’s came up with the Spice Zapper filter, which allows users to zap nuggets as they fall.

\With limited brick-and-mortar shopping in 2020, AR can also be effective in driving purchases.?AR shopping options?to let you ‘try on’ products via your phone camera were implemented on Instagram in 2019, and AR experiences that let you envision products in your own home are only likely to continue to drive sales.

Creatively implementing AR into your social media marketing strategy for 2021 could very well help your brand stand out. The 2020 Sprout Social Index even found that creative and entertaining content are some of the top factors that make a brand’s social presence stand out.