While content is king, augmented reality must then be the emperor, as emperors are generally recognized as having a higher honour and rank than kings. With AR, you’ll be able to offer your audience value those other rulers can’t.
You might be wondering how to get started with augmented reality and how to create that value? If so, this is the article just for you.
Define your concept and goals
In ARtillery Intelligence’s recent study on AR usage, the results show that AR customers expect AR to have a practical approach. Applications such as education, history, and item visualization are among the most popular use cases.
Whether you want to approach your audience with these most-wanted AR applications or something entirely different, step into your audience’s shoes. What kind of experience would be most beneficial to them? What would bring them joy? The value can arise both from utility and delight. And with AR, they often come together. What your audience doesn’t want is to waste their time.
Begin with crystallizing your concept. What are you trying to achieve, and what would delight your customers?
Augment your story
After having a clear concept in mind, the next thing is storytelling. With AR, you can tell a story that is engaging and immersive. When you offer your customers a chance to interact with great stories and experiences, you create value that’s impossible with other storytelling forms. You enable your audience to be a part of your story.
The key to immersive storytelling is interaction. Augmented reality can offer an emotional impact; use it to your advantage.
Materials
To transform your message into an augmented reality story, you need virtual objects. They can be photos, videos, and 3D models or sound, motion graphics, captured data, and so forth. In fact, you can display almost any digital content you already have at your disposal in augmented reality. But of course, the best results come from materials specially designed for your AR experience.
Then decide where and how your AR content will appear. Does it need a trigger image to appear, and will it attach itself to a print or a product? Is your AR experience based on a location, or can it be launched without any context?
The first step in creating your AR story is creating your digital materials.
Add magic to the real world
While augmented reality has lots to offer, there are also things to keep in mind. Being aware of them will help you create fantastic and safe AR experiences!
The first thing is that AR should add to the physical world. Be it location-based experiences or AR attached to a surface, the best experiences utilize their surroundings to their advantage. Also, with applications like Pokémon Go, the users can get too focused on the experience. Not paying attention to the surroundings can lead to serious, or even dangerous, situations. So, when planning on your AR experience, focus on the surroundings.
Think in 3D and add to the physical world.
Choose your delivery
You can publish your AR to be app-based or experienced through a browser (WebAR or browser-based augmented reality). Depending on the delivery method you choose, the quality and accessibility can vary. With in-app AR, you get more high-quality content, and you can utilize all of the cool sensors current mobile phones offer.
Still, the audience might feel uncomfortable having to download an app. WebAR is more accessible than an app and works magnificently, for example, in street ad campaigns. The downside is that the AR content needs to be more straightforward. Complex and high-quality content requires a lot of computing power, and AR running through a browser cannot offer the same experience as an app can.
Choose between app-based or browser-based AR, depending on your goals.
Create your experience
There are many augmented reality platforms out there, each with its individual strengths and features.
One of the few AR platforms designed for creative professionals in mind and with no need for coding is Arilyn Manager. Arilyn Manager is a complete augmented reality content managing and publishing system (CMS). Arilyn Manager also offers you analytics on your content performance to stay on track whether you need to make some changes to your AR marketing campaigns.
When you’re done with designing and creating your AR experience, you publish it to the world. Arilyn offers a free app for you and your end customers, so there is no need to create a custom application. Now your audience can immediately engage and immerse themselves in your story or experience with their smartphones or other AR devices.
Choose your platform according to your needs, then create and publish your AR experience.
Succeed with AR
With many ways to go and many things to consider, AR offers almost endless possibilities. Whatever your goals, AR can be your medium for engaging and delighting your customers with an experience they remember.
If you’re in doubt about how to begin, get in touch with our AR experts. Consulting them is free, and they will be happy to guide you on your way to augmented reality stardom.
Read more about what is augmented reality.
