Showing posts with label Virtual Reality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virtual Reality. Show all posts

Friday, November 16, 2018

YOUR Augmented Reality Social Media Marketing?


AR And Social Media: Is Augmented Reality The Future Of Social Media?

Augmented reality (AR) is already impacting social media – and its done so for years now. In fact, it seems like AR is taking over the most popular social networks in the world.



Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat – and new AR technology is introduced all the time.

The big question is though, how will it continue to impact social media? Brands and marketers in particular need to know these answers if they are going to be at the forefront of AR in social media and find new ways to boost their sales.

So, is augmented reality the future of social media? And how will it affect brands and marketers?

What Is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality is often confused with virtual reality, but the two are quite different technologies. While sure, there are certain similarities, virtual reality implies creating a whole new world from scratch – a simulation of the real and the imagined world, whether it’s going back in time to walk with dinosaurs in realistic landscapes, or travelling to an imagined future where nothing feels familiar.



Augmented reality on the other hand, takes the real world and projects virtual, computer-generated augmentations to it, in order to enhance our experiences.

Like when you can see the world around you from your phone camera, along with Pokemons running around.

Or when you take a picture of yourself with a virtual top hat and a moustache to share with your friends and followers.

Or when a healthcare professional can better explain their work to their patients with interactive 3D projections.

While many still see augmented reality as a means for harmless fun, whether it’s a cute little game or an exciting photo filter, the potential for this technology is absolutely amazing – it’s already disrupting numerous industries, including healthcare, education, navigation, manufacturing, marketing and so many more. And, of course, it will continue to do so at a very rapid rate as the technology evolves and it becomes more accessible.



When it comes to social media, it’s already quite clear that AR and social work very well together.

The question is, how will this change in the future? Will AR have an even bigger impact on social media as AR evolves?

Even more so…is AR the future of social media?

Augmented Reality And Social Media

AR is already closely intertwining itself within social media, in large part due to Snapchat. In fact, much of AR’s popularity is due to Snapchat, although Pokemon Go has certainly had its own great impact:

--Snapchat users can bring life to their updates with AR filters and lenses, and they can even create their own.
--Snapchat users can play games with other users and friends with Snappables, which are essentially AR selfie games.



--You can turn yourself into a 3D Bitmoji and insert yourself in the real world.
--Plus, Snapchat recently released several features called Shoppable AR which allow brands to promote their websites and sign up pages, to share a video and to get people to install their apps. In other words, to give you a practical example, consumers can try out a brands’ products using a lens and then the retailer will be able to direct the consumers to where they can actually buy that product.

Snapchat has found multiple ways to implement AR in ways that felt organic to its users, instead of forcing AR down people’s throats; and even if in the past year or so Snapchat has certainly had its share of issues and it’s still losing users, it’s not because of the AR technology that it is happening.

In fact, it’s largely because other popular social networks like Instagram are adapting Snapchat's features to their own platforms.

And it’s not just Instagram and Snapchat who are using AR to enhance the user experience, but Facebook too. In fact, the platform recently introduced the so-called Facebook AR Studio, a very powerful tool for developers and artists who want to build their own interactive Facebook camera experiences – and soon, they’ll also have access to other Facebook products like Instagram and Facebook Messenger.



Will AR Take Over In The Future And How Will It Affect Other Brands?

Considering how much AR is a part of social media today, the answer feels very obvious: augmented reality will continue to be a huge part of our everyday lives, including, of course, social media.

And no-one will rejoice in this more than brands and marketers who will have new ways to promote themselves and their products or services in unique, exciting and engaging ways:

--AR virtual stores on social media: consumers can already buy products via social media, but with AR, this could turn into a much more engaging experience. People won’t even have to visit a brands’ physical stores any longer – they’ll be able to step into your virtual store, try out your products and buy them directly online (it will be very interesting to see how many impulse purchases this will lead to!
--AR and live events: what if you could attend an event from the comfort of your own home? Or play AR games with other fans? This technology is already being implemented by different organisations and brands such as the PGA Tour, for example; fans could download the AR app and start engaging with the event and the ShotLink player data in unique ways – all they really needed was their phone, the app and a flat surface:



--AR videos: brands will be able to further engage their audiences by creating interactive AR videos; there are many different ways that they can use these videos, such as to show customers how to use their products or how to make the most of them. Or, if they’re selling a service of any kind, AR videos can help show people what the user experience would be like if they bought the service.
--More brand awareness: a great AR experience is highly shareable. Meaning, if you create amazing AR experiences for your audience (such as lenses, games and other interactive AR experiences), people will want to share the results with their audience – this is incredible news for brands and marketers as it’s basically word-of-mouth and UGC (user generated content) on steroids.

Guest Authored By Lilach Bullock. Lilach is an entrepreneur and passionate blogger for over a decade, during which time She has written thousands of articles on her blog and many other publications. Her Forbes column is all about helping businesses market themselves, whether entrepreneurs or start-ups, enterprises, and everything in between. If she's not blogging, she loves speaking at events all over the world, spending time with her daughter, and when time permits, she's also a big fan of Zumba. Follow Lilach on Twitter.





"Augmented reality already is heavily linked to social media because of Snapchat and more recently, Instagram and Facebook. Plus, these top social networks are very much encouraging people to not only use their AR features as much as possible, but even to create their own AR experiences by giving the tools they need to build AR camera lenses and effects.

Brands, too, are starting to embrace this technology more and more, but the biggest changes will likely come when the technology becomes more accessible – the days when most consumers will try out products using their cameras via a Facebook Page are right around the corner.." -LilachBullock


    • Post Crafted By:
      Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, CO. where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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    Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA

    Monday, April 23, 2018

    YOUR Social Media Empathy Technology?


    Empathy technologies like VR, AR, and social media can transform education..



    The Better Angels of Our Nature, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker makes the case for reading as a “technology for perspective-taking” that has the capacity to not only evoke people’s empathy but also expand it.

    “The power of literacy,” as he argues “get[s] people in the habit of straying from their parochial vantage points” while “creating a hothouse for new ideas about moral values and the social order.”

    The first major empathy technology was Guttenberg’s printing press, invented in 1440. With the mass production of books came widespread literacy and the ability to inhabit the minds of others. While this may sound trite, it was actually a seismic innovation for people in the pre-industrial age who didn’t see, hear or interact with those outside of their village. More recently, other technologies like television and virtual reality made further advances, engaging more of the senses to deepen the simulated human experience.



    We are now on the cusp of another breakthrough in empathy technologies that have their roots in education.

    Empathy technologies expand our access to diverse literature, allow us to more deeply understand each other and create opportunities for meaningful collaboration across racial, cultural, geographic and class backgrounds. The new empathy technologies don’t leave diversity of thought to chance rather they intentionally build for it.

    Demand for these tools originates from educators both in schools and corporate environments who have a mandate around successful collaboration. Teachers who are on the front lines of this growing diversity consider it their job to help students and employees become better perspective-takers.

    Our need to expand our circles of empathy has never been more urgent. We as a nation are becoming more diverse, segregated and isolated by the day.



    The high school graduating class of 2020 will be majority minority and growing income inequality has created a vast income and opportunity gap.

    Our neighborhoods have regressed back to higher levels of socio-economic segregation; families from different sides of the track are living in increasing isolation from one another.

    These new empathy technologies are very different than social media platforms which once held so much promise to connect us all in an online utopia. The reality is that social media has moved us in the opposite direction. Instead, our platforms have us caught in an echo chamber of our own social filters, rarely exposed to new perspectives.

    And it’s not just social media, clickbait tabloid journalism has encouraged mocking and judgment rather than the empathy-building journey of a great piece of writing like Toni Morrison or Donna Tartt. In the rich depth of literature, we empathize with the protagonist, and when their flaws are inevitably revealed, we are humbled and see ourselves in their complex, imperfect lives. Research has since proven that those who read more literary fiction are better at detecting and understanding others’ emotions.



    What follows are several examples of empathy technologies in bricks and mortar schools, and online and corporate learning.

    Empathy technologies enhance human connection rather than replacing it. Outschool is a marketplace for live online classes which connects K-12 students and teachers in small-groups over video-chat to explore shared interests. Historically online learning has offered great choice and access but at the cost of student engagement and human connection.

    Outschool’s use of live video-chat and the small-group format removes the need for that trade-off. Kids and teachers see and hear each other, interacting in real-time like in a school classroom, but with participants from all over the world and from different backgrounds.




    The intentionally of curating a diverse library of content is a key difference between the new empathy technologies and social media.

    Newsela is a news platform delivering a bonanza of curated, leveled content to the classroom every day. It’s the antidote to the stale, single source textbook, refreshed once a decade. In the screenshot below, children are exposed to stories about Mexico, gun rights and Black women. Teachers often use Newsela articles as a jumping off point for a rich classroom discussion where respectful discourse skills are taught and practiced.

    Business leaders are increasingly touting empathy as a critical leadership trait and using these technologies in their own corporate education programs for leadership and everyday employees. Google’s Sundar Pichai describes his management style as “the ability to trancend the work and work well with others.” Microsoft’s Satya Nadella believes that empathy is a key source of business innovation and is a prerequisite for one’s ability to “grasp customers’ un-met, unarticulated needs.” Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Apple’s Tim Cook round out a cohort of leaders who are listeners first and contrast sharply to the stereotypical brash Silicon Valley CEO.



    To deepen employees empathy, cutting edge corporations like Amazon are using virtual environments like Mursion to practice challenging interpersonal interactions.

    Mursion’s virtual simulations are powered by trained human actors who engage in real-time conversations with employees. I tried it out by role-playing a manager discussing mandatory overtime with a line worker who was struggling to keep two part-time jobs. The line worker described to me how last-minute overtime requests threw his schedule into chaos, put his second job at risk and impacted his childcare situation.

    For Mursion and Newsela, empathy-building is an intentional outcome of the product. They are deployed in learning environments where trained educators can use them as scaffolding tools. With Mursion, employees can practice hard conversations and receive feedback from their facilitators and peers. With Newsela, teachers can use the gun rights article as a jumping off point for a richly facilitated group discussion.

    Guest Authored By Jennifer Carolan. Jennifer is a general partner and co-founder of Reach Capital. Follow Jennifer on Twitter.





    What the broader tech industry can take away from educators’ adoption of empathy technologies..

    Storytelling, elevating common elements of the human condition and taking a humanist approach to building products will help us break out of our tiny echo chambers and by doing so, enrich our own lives..” -JenniferCarolan


      • Post Crafted By:
        Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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      Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA

      Sunday, October 1, 2017

      2018 Tech Trends To Prep For??


      In the past year, a number of significant stories involved social media:

      Facebook lured Snapchat users to Instagram, the president of the United States communicated official policy positions in 140 characters and Apple announced plans to alter the way we interact with our mobile devices..



      Next year, social media is poised to create even more disruption as a number of new technological advancements go mainstream, and as social norms related to social media change. Here are the top 10 social media trends to prepare for as 2018 draws near.

      1. Rise of Augmented Reality

      At the first-ever event hosted in the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple announced the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X. Both devices incorporate a new chip that allows the phones to provide users with extraordinary augmented reality experiences.

      While augmented reality will have its initial impact on mobile gaming, it is likely that social media platforms will find ways to incorporate the new technology as well.

      For example, it's conceivable that Instagram will soon support filters that allow users to take a selfie with a friend or celebrity projected via augmented reality. Similarly, brands could soon project their products into the homes of social media users through special filters.



      2. Increasing Popularity of Instagram Stories

      Over 200 million people use Instagram Stories each month, which is over 50 million more than those who use Snapchat -- and Instagram Stories is just one year old! At this rate, nearly half of all Instagram users will be using Stories by the end of 2018. This means that brands interested in connecting with Instagram users must take the time to master Instagram Stories.

      3. Continued Investment in Influencer Marketing

      Over 90 percent of marketers who employ an influencer marketing strategy believe it is successful. Companies like North Face, Hubspot and Rolex use social media -- based influencer marketing strategies to connect with new audiences and improve engagement with existing audiences.

      This year we saw that brands that opted for traditional advertising strategies struggled to connect to social media users. Next year, it is likely that more brands will embrace influencer marketing as a way to connect with audiences who tend to ignore traditional strategies.



      4. Focus on Generation Z

      A recent study conducted by Goldman Sachs concluded that Generation Z was more valuable to most organizations than millennials. Today, the oldest Gen Z'rs are 22 years old. They are just beginning to enter the labor force, and will have increased buying power for some time.

      Brands will begin to recognize this, and will shift their social media strategies accordingly. Expect great investment in platforms loved by Gen Zrs like Snapchat and Instagram.

      5. Increasing Brand Participation in Messaging Platforms

      Over 2.5 billion people use messaging platforms globally, and yet brands are still primarily focused on connecting with consumers on pure social networks. In 2018, expect brands to invest more time and money in connecting with consumers on messaging platforms. Artificial intelligence, voice assistants and chatbots will enable brands to offer personalized shopping experiences on messaging platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp and Kik.



      6. Expansion of Live Streaming

      What was once a novel gimmick has become a mainstream part of social media. Today, brands big and small have started using live streaming to capture the attention of followers.

      GORUCK, a backpack manufacturer and the organizer of extreme endurance events, is one example of a medium-sized brand that has grown its reach by live streaming compelling content on Facebook. Thousands of followers tuned in to watch 48-hour coverage of a recent endurance race.

      In 2018, more brands will begin to realize the power of live streaming, and will incorporate it into their monthly content plans.

      7. Rethinking Twitter

      Twitter has failed to grow followers significantly in 2017. In fact, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram all have more social media followers. This year, Twitter also lost access to streaming NFL games (Amazon won the rights). In 2018, it is likely that Twitter leadership will aim to rethink how the platform operates.

      Possible changes to Twitter include selling the company to private investors, changing the platform to include some subscription element and/or revamping Twitter advertising options, which have fallen behind other platforms.



      8. Digital Hangouts Go Mainstream

      Houseparty is a video hangout platform used by over one million people each day. It is primarily used by Gen Zers as a way to hang out with friends digitally. The platform is so successful that Facebook is reportedly investigating ways to create a similar functionality within their platform.

      We have already seen video become increasingly important on social media, and live video group hangouts are a natural next iteration of this trend. It is conceivable that in 2018, Facebook will announce a similar product to Houseparty that will win over users, just as Instagram's introduction of Stories did.

      9. Facebook Spaces Goes Mainstream

      Facebook isn't just interested in live video streaming; they've been working on a project called Spaces that is designed to allow friends to connect in VR. Given that Facebook owns Oculus, a virtual reality hardware and software company, it is no surprise that the social media giant is developing a platform to make use of this new technology.

      Facebook is poised to scale Spaces in 2018. When they do, it is likely that it will be the first successful VR social media product at scale.



      10. Social Platforms Embrace Stronger Governance Policies

      After a series of controversial decisions during the 2016 presidential election, social media platforms have embraced a more hands-on approach to governing conduct on their platforms. Facebook recently turned over thousands of ads that seem to be connected to Russian meddling, and has invested in new AI and human forms of monitoring.

      Given the wide criticism that Facebook and Twitter received during 2017, it is likely that these platforms will embrace codes of conduct and governance policies that protect the brands from future criticism.

      With the announcement of the new iPhones, augmented reality has a chance to become a part of social media in ways that were unimaginable only a few years ago. Lastly, Twitter and Facebook will most likely adjust their policies to protect their brands from political criticism and to provide users with better online experiences.

      Guest Authored By Deep Patel. Deep is the Founder of Owl Metrics, a serial entrepreneur, marketer and bestselling author of A Paperboy’s Fable: The 11 Principles of Success. The book was dubbed the #1 best business book in 2016 by Success Magazine and named the best book for entrepreneurs in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Also recognized as a top 25 marketing influencer by Forbes, He has worked with VC-backed startups to Fortune 500 companies. He's am also a contributor at Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post and Success Magazine. Follow Deep on Twitter.

      Related Article: Media Company Social Media?



      “A number of new social media trends that will impact users and brands alike are strengthening and accelerating. It is likely that video streaming and virtual reality will go mainstream.

      Additionally, brands will turn to newer social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat as Gen Zers increasingly spend their time there.." -Deep Patel

        • Post Crafted By:
          Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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