By Nirvi Jain
Five years ago, the idea of buying glasses without visiting a shop or trying them on in person would have made anyone laugh.
But Lenskart makes it possible with AR technology, letting you virtually try on any glasses using AR filters.
So, what exactly is an AR filter?
In simple words, AR filters are digital enhancements for your camera view, adding images or text to make selfies and surroundings more appealing. Brands use them to engage customers creatively, boosting brand awareness and sales. They’re like virtual dressing rooms or interactive ads personalising your online experience.
AR filters are digital overlays for your selfies and surroundings with images or text, to make them more engaging. Brands are leveraging these filters to connect with customers in a novel way, transforming brand awareness and sales into an interactive experience. These filters serve as virtual dressing rooms or engaging advertisements enhancing online presence and building meaningful customer connections.
Social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok have led the adoption of AR filters, making them accessible worldwide. With the rise in smartphone usage, AR users are expected to comprise nearly 75% of the global population by 2025.
Initially started as entertainment, with just animated photo frames, but now playing a crucial role for brands to engage audiences on social media through engaging games, sports, contests, and photo filters, offering a unique opportunity to capture attention, increase conversions, and enhance brand performance. This immersive advertising and customer experience tool has proven to significantly impact performance metrics.
The influence of AR filters on social media is significant, showing a 94% higher conversion rate and 67% effectiveness in event-based AR experiences. Additionally, 80% of brands report improvements in sales and customer acquisition from AR ads.
Brands like Boat, Hyundai, and Johnson & Johnson have already raised the bar for AR, introducing head gesture-controlled filters for creating team anthems or virtual Hyundai cars that navigate and collect coins through head movements, or scanning Johnson’s products to see what’s in the bottle and why it’s there. These examples underscore AR’s capability to merge practicality with engagement, enhancing brand perception and motivating consumer action.
The future of AR filters in social media looks promising, with technological advancements expanding their capabilities. The AR market is still yet untapped properly. We expect to see more personalized and context-aware filters, leading to a new era of interactive content for customized and engaging user experiences.
The analysis shows how AR filters in social media have evolved from simple improvements to advanced storytelling tools. Every brand should anticipate the potential of AR, as it empowers users as loyal brand ambassadors. With AR becoming more deeply integrated, it brings fresh opportunities for creativity and interaction, allowing brands and users to create captivating experiences. Ultimately, it imagines a future where digital stories are as detailed and engaging as real-life experiences.
The author is the co-founder at ARtmeTech