Author: Franz Malten Buemann

I posted recently about an AI tool that scores your IG Reels/TikTok/YT Shorts posts before you post them. It ranks your thumbnails and analyzes your caption using AI (two biggest engagement drivers for short-form video). It’s something my team at school have built. We’re close to being finished with the tool and we’d love to test it out on your upcoming IG Reels/TikTok/YT Shorts, for free! You can be an individual creator of any size and/or a content agency. This is launching soon as a paid tool, so if you’re interested, DM me asap and we can connect! 🙂 submitted by /u/dmalikmusic [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/sam__ovens [link] [comments]

“I got lucky.”
“I don’t belong here.”
“I’m a fraud, and it’s just a matter of time before everyone finds out.”
Sound familiar?

That’s imposter syndrome talking. Most of us have experienced feelings of doubt and unworthiness at some point in our lives. But when your accomplishments are a result of your own knowledge, hard work, and preparation and you still feel inadequate…you’re probably suffering from impostor syndrome.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is a feeling of unworthiness or incompetence, despite achieving accomplishments and success. This feeling is most common in the workplace, but it can manifest itself in just about any part of life. Those with imposter syndrome often go to great lengths to hide it, which can stunt their future success.
People who suffer from this syndrome often feel like frauds—despite being smart, skilled, capable professionals who actually deserve whatever commendations and praise they’re given. Rather than celebrating their accomplishments, they worry that they’ve somehow tricked people into thinking they’re good enough. As a result, they live in fear of being “found out” or “exposed.”
There are a variety of reasons why a person may feel like an imposter ranging from perfectionism to family upbringing. Regardless of the cause, this toxic line of thinking results in reduced self-confidence, low self-esteem, and limited ability to celebrate well-deserved success.
How common is imposter syndrome?
Impostor syndrome is actually fairly common: Researchers have found that up to 82% of people have suffered from it at one point or another. But the fact that it’s common doesn’t make it any less damaging to a person’s confidence and career growth. If anything, more people are unable to show up fully in their work than ever before which is concerning for several reasons.
How to Tell If You Have Imposter Syndrome
We often overlook the signs of impostor syndrome that come up in our day-to-day lives. However, recognizing these signs is the first step toward overcoming them.
You might suffer from impostor syndrome if:

You feel like you “got lucky” when you actually prepared well and worked hard.
You find it hard to accept praise.
You apologize for yourself when you didn’t actually do something wrong.
You hold yourself to incredibly —sometimes impossibly—high standards.
You find the fear of failure paralyzing.
You avoid expressing confidence because you think people will see it as overcompensating or obnoxious.
You’re convinced you’re not enough.
People close to you say you’re not as confident as you used to be.
You turn down opportunities for growth or visibility at work.

Pay attention to your language choices, both when you’re talking to other people and when you’re talking to yourself—especially when it comes to talking about work. If you find your own success or the praise others give you uncomfortable, do some reflective thinking on where those types of thoughts came from and what it means in your professional life.
The Impact of Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome doesn’t always stop at feeling like a fraud. This mental state has bonafide mental, physical, and emotional effects, including:

Depression
Anxiety
Impaired Job Performance
Lowered Job Satisfaction
Burnout

Moreover, these negative mental health outcomes of imposter syndrome have been the subject of academic research for years. Most recently, Kevin Cokley, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, has explored the subject in depth and found that imposter syndrome disproportionately affects the mental health of people of ethnically minoritized backgrounds, especially African Americans. This poses a greater challenge to everyone in the workforce to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent.
If you feel like you’re suffering from impostor syndrome or something like it, know that there are ways to curb these feelings in a healthy, proactive way.
8 Tips to Combat Imposter Syndrome
Getting rid of imposter syndrome isn’t as easy as positive self-talk and a can-do attitude. While those things are helpful, you’ll need to dig a bit deeper to uncover ways to overcome this debilitating mindset.
1. Know you’re not alone.
When you have impostor syndrome, some of the most important encouragement comes from realizing how many hugely successful people, both male and female, have built amazing careers even while regularly coping with it.
Which highly accomplished people have spoken about their impostor syndrome? Here are some quotes from The New York Times and Forbes:
“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” – Author, Poet & Civil Rights Activist Maya Angelou:
All I can see is everything I’m doing wrong that is a sham and a fraud.”
“All I can see is everything I’m doing wrong that is a sham and a fraud.” Actor Don Cheadle
“The beauty of the impostor syndrome is you vacillate between extreme egomania and a complete feeling of: ‘I’m a fraud! Oh God, they’re onto me! I’m a fraud!’ So you just try to ride the egomania when it comes and enjoy it, and then slide through the idea of fraud.” – Actress, Writer & Producer Tina Fey, from her book Bossypants
2. Distinguish humility and fear.
There’s taking humility in your hard work and accomplishments, and then there’s feeling overcome with fear because of them. Sometimes, simply being good at something can cause it to discount its value. But as Carl Richards wrote in a New York Times article, “After spending a lot of time fine-tuning our ability, isn’t it sort of the point for our skill to look and feel natural?”
It all boils down to feeling unworthy. I like how Seth Godin put it in a blog post: “When you feel unworthy, any kind response, positive feedback or reward feels like a trick, a scam, the luck of the draw.”
But it is possible to feel worthy without feeling entitled, and overcoming impostor syndrome is all about finding a healthy balance between the two. Godin goes on to write, “Humility and worthiness have nothing at all to do with defending our territory. We don’t have to feel like a fraud to also be gracious, open or humble.”
3. Let go of your inner perfectionist.
I wrote about how perfectionism, while helpful in certain contexts, can be a major roadblock for productivity. Turns out it can be a major roadblock for overcoming impostor syndrome, too.
Many people who suffer from impostor syndrome are high achievers; people who set extremely high standards for themselves and are committed to doing their best and being the best.
But perfectionism only feeds into your impostor syndrome. When you feel like a fraud, it’s usually because you’re comparing yourself to some *perfect* outcome that’s either impossible or unrealistic.
Not only can no one do everything perfectly, but holding yourself to that standard can actually be super counterproductive. At some point, you need to take a step back and ask yourself: When is good enough good enough?
Read this blog post to see what a formula for “good enough” might look like. And if you need further encouragement, read this article from The Guardian.
Bottom line? While striving for perfection is certainly noble, it’s usually not realistic — and often, it’s counterproductive and will only make you feel more like a fraud.
4. Be kind to yourself.
“Take the pressure off yourself and stop trying to be the expert on day one.” advises HubSpot marketing manager Jennifer Stafancik.
Impostor syndrome often manifests itself as a voice in our heads, berating us with negative messages like “you’re not smart enough” or “you’re a fraud.”
Negative self-talk is a bad habit, and it can heavily influence our stress and anxiety levels.
“Being kind to yourself” simply means changing the way you talk to yourself in your head by practicing positive self-talk. Not only can it help you become less stressed and anxious, but it can also help you build the courage to do things that’ll bring you greater rewards.
Maria Klawe, the president of Harvey Mudd College, suffered from what she called “impostoritis” for most of her career. While she found it hard to silence the negative thoughts completely, she practiced hard to add positive thoughts to her inner voice. “Now I wake up most days with a voice on the left side of my head telling me what an incredible failure I am,” she wrote. “But the voice on the right side tells me that I can change the world — and I try to pay more attention to it.”
First, try to catch yourself whenever you have a negative thought. Then, turn around and challenge your own claim. For example, if you find yourself thinking, “I just got lucky,” challenge that by thinking, “What steps did I take and what work did I put in to get to this point?”
Then, you can answer your own question using affirmations, which are short, focused, positive statements about a goal you have. In this case, one might be as simple as, “I worked hard – and I always work hard.”
“For me, I put a lot of pressure on myself when joining HubSpot since it was a lateral move, which ended up sparking imposter syndrome — something I honestly thought I was immune to. “Stefancik explains. “Once I realized there was no reason to rush and to give myself more realistic milestones the imposter syndrome symptoms started to melt away.
5. Track and measure your successes.
When you feel like an impostor, one of the hardest things to grasp is how much of a role you have in your own successes. You might default them to luck or others’ hard work, when in fact, your own work, knowledge, and preparation had a lot to do with it.
To help show yourself that you’re actually doing well, keep track of your wins in a private document.
There are a lot of different ways to track these successes, and the metrics you use will depend entirely on your job. If you’re a blogger, you might keep track of your posts’ monthly average page views and watch them go up, or compare them to the team average. You might also keep a separate tab to paste kind words people have written to you via email, Twitter, blog comments, and so on.
In the same vein as keeping track of your success metrics, keep a file on your computer of wins and positive reinforcement both at work and in your personal life. One of the best things I’ve done is created a folder on my personal Gmail account called “Happy,” where I’ve stored everything from my college acceptance email to praise from my colleagues and bosses. Whenever I need a lift, I open that Gmail folder and scroll through them.
You can create an email folder for these emails as I did, or create something like a “swipe file” (i.e. a digital file) on your computer or phone to store screenshots of emails, tweets, dashboard metrics … whatever makes you feel good about your hard work and preparation.
6. Talk about it with a mentor and your manager.
No one should suffer in silence. Sharing your thoughts and experiences with someone else will make you better equipped to deal with your impostor syndrome. We recommend sharing them with both a mentor and your direct manager.
Your mentor will be able to help you talk candidly about your struggles with impostor syndrome while giving you a more objective point of view — especially if they work on a different team or at a different company. When you share your experience with them, you might ask if they’ve ever felt that way, or if they know someone who has.
The best mentors are forthcoming about the struggles they’ve gone through and the mistakes they’ve made in their careers, and you may find that they have some helpful stories or advice for how to deal with what you’re feeling.
We’d also suggest that you talk with your direct manager about your experiences, too. Why? Because they’re more likely to have the knowledge and tools to help you overcome your impostor syndrome in the context of your current job.
For example, you might ask them to help you find a system for tracking your successes, or figure out which metrics you should measure. Knowing what they know about both you and your role, they may also help you seek out more opportunities to shine and gain visibility on your team or at your company in general.
Finding a mentor or manager to talk to is a strategy that Krystal Wu, HubSpot’s Social Media Community Manager highly recommends.
“I’ve learned the best way to deal with imposter syndrome was to find a mentor to help guide me through my career choices,” Wu says.
As an example, Wu reflects, “I was new to my social community role and to marketing and I wanted to do my best work but I didn’t know what that meant all the time.”
“When I put myself out there to find people in roles similar to mine, attended events to learn more about my industry and learned from my mentor it helped me gain confidence in my career,” Wu explains. “The more confidence and education I had the more the imposter syndrome started to fade.”
“I won’t say it’s completely gone — because let’s be real, I’m always learning,” Wu admits. “But it’s not something hanging over my head all the time. It comes and goes and I know that surrounding myself with people that are more knowledgeable in my field has helped me grow.”
Speaking of opportunities …
7. Say “yes” to new opportunities.
It’s impossible to say “yes” to everything, especially when you’re feeling stressed or spread thin. But it’s all too common for people who have impostor syndrome to turn down career-making opportunities because they don’t feel like they’d do a good job.
When you’re presented with a new opportunity, it’s important to distinguish between the voice in your head saying you can’t do it because you’re not worthy and the one saying you can’t do it because you have too much on your plate. The former is your impostor syndrome speaking.
But remember: Taking on challenging new work and doing well at it can open a lot of doors for you. Don’t let your inner impostor turn down these game-changing opportunities. They can do wonders to help you learn, grow, and advance your career.
Keep Richard Branson’s famous quote in mind: “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you are not sure you can do it, say yes. Then learn how to do it later.”
While it might be intimidating to take on a role you’re not sure you can succeed in, know that you were asked to do it for a reason, and there’s nothing wrong with learning new things and asking questions along the way.
8. Embrace the feeling, and use it.
It’s really hard to get rid of impostor syndrome completely — especially if you’ve had it for years and years. The fact that hugely successful people like Maya Angelou and Don Cheadle feel that way after all they’ve accomplished is evidence that it can sometimes be a lifelong condition.
That’s why the best angle from which to tackle your impostor syndrome isn’t getting rid of it completely; it’s stopping it from hindering your success.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
I like the way Richards put it: “We know what the feeling is called. We know others suffer from it. We know a little bit about why we feel this way. And we now know how to handle it: Invite it in and remind ourselves why it’s here and what it means.”
Richards says he’s been invited to speak about his work and career all over the world, and yet he still hasn’t been able to get rid of his impostor syndrome. What he has learned to do is think of it “as a friend.”
Whenever he hears that negative voice in his head, he pauses for a minute, takes a deep breath, and says to himself, “Welcome back, old friend. I’m glad you’re here. Now, let’s get to work.”
Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in January 2016, but was updated in March 2020 for comprehensiveness and freshness.

Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.
In late February a new filter called “Bold Glamour” took TikTok by storm.
The Bold Glamour filter uses AI to drastically alter the facial features of those who use it and is less detectable than other filters. The filter has been used in over 30 million videos to date.
As Bold Glamour gained popularity it was widely criticized by TikTok users for promoting unrealistic beauty standards, especially for young people. Beauty brand Dove joined the conversation with a timely campaign featuring original data.
Per Dove research, 48% of girls who digitally alter their photos have lower self-esteem compared to 28% of girls who don’t digitally alter their photos. To amplify this message, Dove partnered with Ogilvy and DAVID to launch the #TurnYourBack campaign on March 7.
The campaign featured influencers and celebrities comparing their digitally altered faces to their natural appearances while encouraging their followers to turn their backs on the Bold Glamour filter in hopes that they discontinue using it.

@gabunion
#DovePartner I am turning my back on the Bold Glamour Filter. I am enough! Join me and
#TurnYourBack
#BoldGlamour
#LetsChangeBeauty
♬ original sound – Gab Union

Since the campaign launched, the hashtag #TurnYourBack has racked up over 40 million views on TikTok and has received generally positive feedback from audiences. This campaign isn’t Dove’s first stance taken against imagery promoting unrealistic beauty standards.
The company debuted its “No Digital Distortion Mark” in 2018 to authenticate photos that haven’t been digitally altered. In 2004, the company launched the Dove Self-Esteem Project which initially began with workshops for young people related to body image and beauty standards.
Currently, the Dove Self Esteem Project curates educational materials related to body image for parents, teachers, and youth leaders, and champions original research conducted by Edelman.  
Elsewhere in Marketing
The latest marketing news and strategy insights.
Twitter announces plans to remove legacy blue check marks in April.
Adidas and Beyonce mutually decide to end their Ivy Park partnership.
Meta discontinues NFT support on Facebook and Instagram.
Instagram is beginning to test ad placements in search results.
Wistia’s head of production shares how AI will impact the future of video marketing.
Consumer trends: learn how consumer behavior has changed since 2022.

Twitter is among the most popular (and powerful) social media networks. How you leverage the platform depends entirely on how its members use, follow, post, and interact with what they care about. Luckily, there are new statistics to make your social media marketing decisions more manageable.
So, how are people using Twitter nowadays? How are businesses using Twitter? And how connected do people feel to a brand due to your Twitter presence? Look at the most remarkable Twitter stats we’ve found for 2023. And if you’re in a pinch, jump to the information you need below:

General Twitter Statistics
Twitter Statistics for Business
Twitter User Statistics
Twitter Usage Statistics
Twitter Followers Statistics

Twitter Statistics

General Twitter Statistics
1. Most world leaders and foreign ministries have an official Twitter account. (Statista)
2. As of 2023, Twitter.com is the 4th most visited website in the world. (Similarweb)
3. The United States is the country with the most number of Twitter users, with 79.6 million users. (Demandsage)

Twitter Statistics for Business
4. Twitter generated $4.4 billion in revenue in 2022, an 11% decline year-over-year. (Social App Report 2022)

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5. 7% of social media marketers believe that Twitter is the most effective for building an active community on social media, higher than LinkedIn but less effective than Instagram at 26%. (Social Media Trends Report)
6. 6% of social media marketers think Twitter offers the highest ROI when selling products directly in the app. (Social Media Trends Report)
7. Even though only about 17% of Twitter’s users come from the US, it accounts for more than 50% of the company’s revenue. (Social App Report)
8. The top three types of content that offer the biggest ROI on social media are relatable content, trendy content (cultural moments and news), and educational/informational content (Social Media Trends Report)
9. Almost 30M unique social media authors mentioned “reviews,” “advice on,” “pros and cons,” “alternatives,” and “best option,” on Twitter, looking for more authentic sources of information that they can trust. (Social Media Trends Report)
10. 5% of social media marketers plan to work with influencers/creators on Twitter more than other social platforms. (Social Media Trends Report)
11. The average Twitter Ads ROI is 40% higher than the average media ROI for other channels. (Twitter Marketing)
12. 66% of brands are not moving their presence off Twitter in 2023. (HubSpot Research)
13. The top three formats that social media marketers plan to invest the most in for 2023 are short-form content (TikTok, Reels, etc.), long-form videos, and audio chat rooms (like Twitter spaces) (Social Media Trends Report)
14. The best time to post on Twitter is between 9 AM to 3 PM. (Social Media Trends Report)

Twitter User Statistics
15. The leading countries based on the number of Twitter users in 2022 were the United States, Japan, and India. (Statista)
16. Twitter currently has 237.8 million monetizable daily active users. (Demandsage)
17. Twitter has around 450 million monthly active users as of 2023. (Demandsage)
18. It’s estimated that Twitter’s monthly active users will reach 652.23 million by 2028. (Demandsage)
19. Around seven-in-ten adult Twitter users in the U.S. (69%) get news on the site. (Pew Research)
20. 62.9% of Twitter users identify as male, one of the highest gender disparities out of all social networks. (Statista, We Are Social)

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21. Roughly half of U.S. adults who use Twitter (49%) post fewer than five tweets per month. (Pew Research)
22. 59% of infrequent tweeters (otherwise referred to as “lurkers”) are between the ages of 30-49. (Pew Research)
23. Most Twitter news consumers in the U.S. say using the platform has increased their understanding of current events in the last year, but around a third say it has increased their stress levels. (Pew Research)
24. 31% of U.S. users say Twitter limiting the visibility of certain posts is a major problem, and 25% say the same about banning users from the platform. (Pew Research)

Twitter Usage Statistics
25. 80% of Twitter usage happens on mobile devices. (Google)
26. 55% of users log into Twitter each day. (Statista)
27. Twitter’s global average time per visit is approximately 10 minutes and 32 seconds. (Similarweb)
28. In 2022, 😂 Tears of Joy and 😭 Loudly Crying Face are tied for the most popular emojis used on Twitter. (Emojipedia)

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Twitter Followers Statistics
29. Former president Barack Obama is the world’s most-followed Twitter account, at 133.1 million followers, followed by Elon Musk and then Justin Beiber. (Brandwatch)

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30. The NBA and Google are the most followed non-media business accounts on Twitter. Their followers are 39.9 million and 28.9 million, respectively. (Statista)
31. The most followed news account on Twitter is CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk), with 58.9 million followers. CNN controls the two most followed news accounts on Twitter. (Press Gazette)
Stay Up to Date on the Latest Twitter Stats
Twitter is adapting and changing amidst the rise of new social platforms and tech, but it’s still a big competitor. Social media marketers should keep it on their radar and continue to leverage it to reach their target audience — just make sure you’re using it wisely.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are talked about a lot.
Understanding the concepts can get confusing as the terms are used interchangeably, but each has its unique set of characteristics and applications.

In this post, we’ll break down the difference between augmented and virtual reality, their unique marketing applications, and how consumers feel about them.
Table of Contents

What is augmented reality (AR)?
What is virtual reality (VR)?
What is the difference between AR and VR?
Use Cases for AR and VR
AR vs. VR: Which Is More Effective for Marketing

What is augmented reality (AR)?
Augmented reality (AR) layers virtual elements on top of a real-world scene, allowing users to exist in the space they’re physically in but benefit from the augmented elements in their experience.
Pokémon GO is one of the most popular and notable examples of AR, where Pokémon characters are superimposed into a real-life setting, like someone’s backyard or outside of their favorite restaurant.

What is virtual reality (VR)?
Virtual reality (VR) is any software that immerses users in a three-dimensional interactive virtual environment, usually using a VR sensory device that brings real-world actions into a virtual world. Many VR experiences are 360 degrees.
It’s a computer-generated simulation, and each virtual reality world allows people to fully participate in the unique world.

In addition, many VR experiences require headsets or sensory devices to work, while AR does not. It’s also commonly said that AR is 75% reality and 25% virtual, and VR is 25% reality and 75% virtual.
They’re similar in offering immersion for users, VR in an entirely new world, and 3D and virtual content.

Use Cases for AR and VR
Marketing applications for AR and VR can vary, so let’s discuss a few examples.
For one, AR is a high-quality tool for product marketing. The tech can overlay virtual elements to actual reality, allowing consumers to “test” products in real-life scenarios to see how they like it.
The IKEA Place app is a great example of AR product marketing. App users can select a piece of furniture they like and superimpose a to-scale model in their real-life space to see how it looks before purchasing. This opportunity can increase buyer confidence and sales if people see that they like how a product fits into their lifestyle.

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VR marketing applications immerse consumers in branded experiences that can build awareness, recognition, and satisfaction. People can explore the world you create, learn more about your products, and even purchase VR products.
Gucci Town is a great example of an immersive VR brand experience. It’s the luxury fashion house’s virtual world within the Roblox metaverse, where people can explore, learn about its history, and connect with people in the game. They can also purchase exclusive Gucci Town clothing for their Roblox avatars.
These worlds are a new, unique, and exciting way of interacting with their favorite brands that don’t come from watching a TikTok, visiting a store, or reading an email newsletter.
An application of AR and VR is experiential marketing, where you invite your audiences to interact with your brand as a form of marketing. It’s a valuable application because humans want to build that kind of relationship with a brand, and a fun and immersive real-world experience can build an emotional connection.
Netflix’s Stranger Things Experience was an AR experiential marketing experience to promote the show’s upcoming season. Fans visited an in-person location and became part of an interactive AR game experience to make them feel like they’re in the Stranger Things world.

Consumer Preferences for AR vs. VR
Given their marketing applications, it makes sense to be curious about consumers’ thoughts.
We conducted a survey to ask consumers about their use of AR and VR and if they had preferences for either. Respondents reported using AR and VR on similar levels, most often saying they use it a few days a week or once a month or less.
When we asked consumers if they’ve bought AR apps, tools, devices, or software, a majority said no (55%), 25% said yes, and 20% were thinking about it. The numbers were relatively similar for VR: 50% said no, 30% said yes, and 20% said they were considering it.

When asked if they preferred AR or VR, the majority said VR. Their reasons for preferring it were:

It’s a more immersive experience that takes them to an entertaining world,
The graphics and movements are smoother, and the visuals are better,
It has more applications than AR and is better for video games and interactive entertainment,
They’re more familiar with VR than AR.

Those who preferred AR said they appreciated it because it was more reality integrated and felt more real, they liked how they could add virtual things to real-world views and that AR was better for quality of life (QoL) applications like education, shopping, navigation, and healthcare.
A fair amount of respondents also said they didn’t prefer either or have an interest in using either. Some explicitly stated that they didn’t understand what either was, and some showed that they might not understand the difference by saying that VR is more realistic than AR when AR is the more life-like option.
This tracks with the results of our latest Consumer Trends Survey, which found that only 39% of respondents understood the concept of the metaverse (which can blend AR and VR elements). In addition,

Only 8% of U.S. adults have ever visited a metaverse (this remained consistent between 2022 and 2023 surveys.)
47% bought virtual items other than NFTs, down 25% from May 2022, meaning that marketers planning to sell products in the virtual world might find consumers less willing or interested in buying.

Engagement with virtual worlds has waning hype, and consumers invest less in virtual items.

Business Preferences for AR and VR [Data]
Our marketing strategy report from 2021 found that 35% of marketers were leveraging AR or VR in their strategies, but in 2023, more than a quarter of marketers plan to stop using VR and AR. It’s still intriguing for marketers, but it can be challenging to execute on because equipment can be expensive.
However, 14% of marketers do plan on leveraging and exploring VR/AR for the first time in 2023.

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AR vs. VR: Which Is More Effective for Marketing [Data]
There is no right or wrong answer as to whether AR or VR is more effective for marketing — it depends entirely on your business goals.
For example, a study conducted by Tim Hilken in the Netherlands found that both AR and VR increased customers’ purchase intentions. AR was more effective at stimulating purchases, but VR was more effective at creating positive brand attitudes. Both were effective at fulfilling a marketing goal, but each for a specific goal.
True sensory immersive VR experiences can be costly and require consumers to have the right devices to use them, but our survey results found that most consumers haven’t invested in them. However, virtual worlds like Horizon Worlds and Roblox don’t require sensory devices.
AR can be a cheaper option, but it doesn’t have the fully immersive brand experience that allows consumers to disappear into an alternate reality. But, the Stranger Things Experience did effectively create an immersive AR experience.
This is not to say that marketers shouldn’t use either of them. It boils down to this: AR and VR are both emerging technologies for marketing. Instead of changing your entire strategy to revolve around AR and VR, consider leveraging them as experimental tools. For example, you can create an AR experience as product marketing for a new offer or offer a fun VR game for people to play on your website.
You can test it out and give your audiences a new way to interact with your business without relying on it to meet your marketing goals. It can also be costly, so you’re preserving marketing budgets and not spending all of your money on channels that might not be as effective as you’d hoped.
To find inspiration, note what other brands are doing and what people are saying online about their experiences.
Over To You
AR and VR have been around for a long time but are still emerging tools for marketers. Consider your business needs, and note what other brands are doing and what people say online about their experiences.
Staying ahead of the trends simply means paying attention. If VR and AR marketing experiences skyrocket in popularity and become a must-have strategy, you’ll already know how your business needs to respond.