In today’s world where businesses are built on user experience, it’s more important than ever to find ways to interact with customers in fun and creative ways. That’s where virtual reality comes into play.
In technical terms, virtual reality can be explained as the simulation of a 3D experience through the aid of a computer and an interaction with the environment with the aid of a special headset or gloves fitted with sensors. It’s low production costs and fast-paced advancement has also allowed for its usage in digital marketing.
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Before we get into how you can use virtual reality, first you should think about why you should use it over other marketing mediums.
Here’s why should you invest in virtual reality marketing
1. Scientifically, it is very hard to refuse. Virtual reality appeals to the parts of the brain in charge of reception and perception: the neocortex in charge of higher level thinking, the limbic system in charge of emotion, behaviour and motivation, and the reptilian brain in charge of primitive instincts. It is basically the cheapest and best means of marketing that allows users not only to hear and see but also to feel.
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2. The ability of virtual reality to stimulate emotions should never be underestimated. As most marketers and advertisers know, emotion is one of the best tools in connecting an individual with your brand. Virtual reality users are tend to stay more engaged than those at the end of other marketing campaigns, and it is actually the best battle-tested tool for curbing our low attention span which is becoming harder to capture more than ever before.
3. Its ability to create unique experiences is one of the major selling points for virtual reality technology. This really is the first time where you can create something completely unique to your organisation in a fully immersive way, allowing you to bridge the gap between apprehension and buying. Virtual reality is really only limited by how big your imagination is in creating a whole new world.
4. Ad Blockers: One of the biggest annoyances on the internet are advertisement, which is why most computer users make use of various ad blockers to block ads. Virtual reality marketing, not existing in the traditional sphere of other marketing schemes, are not affected by the ad blockers and therefore increase the interaction of the users with your content.
5. Sophisticated technological platforms are on board: With companies like Facebook, Google, HTC and Samsung massively investing in virtual reality technology, it is becoming more tangible to the general public to adopt this technology. This is resulting in an increase in audience use.
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Tips for starting your own virtual reality campaign and using it in your marketing
1. Understand your audience: A common known fact in the marketing world is that when you begin creating your marketing strategy you always start with the question ‘who is my audience?’. If you don’t start here, failure is inevitable. This also applies to using VR technology as virtual reality is just another platform to communicate about your organisation. Therefore you should keep in mind that to fully experience the power of VR, you should develop targeted and customised content.
2. Create experiences that matter: One of the coolest aspects of VR is that you can create worlds and experiences that don’t actually exist. The opportunities that can be tapped into with VR technology are numerous. So why not get creative and explore all the immersive environments you can create.
3. Use immersive storytelling: The virtual reality platform combines the visual and audio immersion of video content with the feel of ‘presence’. This allows you to stand out from the crowd and create a different brand experience from your competitors.
4. Publishing: One of the advantages of the VR technology is its borderless future since it allows for your content to be viewed by people who live far away. No longer do you have to wait for someone to walk into your store in order to get a sense of your business. Therefore when creating your VR content, consider that it may be viewed by people from different countries speaking different languages. If you are aiming to have an international audience, looking into creating different versions of content to suit those markets is important to include in your initial marketing strategy.
