Social AR Creates Connections During Social Distancing and Beyond
Facebook & Instagram AR Effects and Snapchat Lenses Engage Across Audiences
On day 49 of our lockdown, my wife started laughing while playing on her phone. Then my daughter began giggling. Then myself. Across the country, our cousins joined in the fun. We were all sending funny Snapchat lenses to each other, enjoying time together, even through none of us were in the same room, let alone the same side of the country.
Our experience isn’t unique. The quarantine has audiences looking for new ways to amuse themselves and their friends, and as a result Social AR use is on the rise.
Social AR is Part of the New Normal
Many of the same factors fueling the growth of Social AR now will continue to propel it long after this moment has passed.
People everywhere are looking to enjoy shared moments, even more when they can’t share a physical space.
Augmented Reality has been a growth engine for social media platforms for years and Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram have been heavily investing in their AR platforms.
While Facebook and Instagram have seen growth in their Social AR offerings, Snapchat seems to be capitalizing on it most. As the undisputed king of Social AR, Snapchat has surged to 211 million users. With people everywhere stuck inside, lens usage is up 25% for the period and an additional 11 million users were added in the first three months of 2020.
75% of Snap’s 230mm daily average users use the platform’s AR every day. Engagement with lenses and AR effects is incredible. On average, users spend 40+ seconds engaging with each augmented reality lens and that engagement is contagious. Each time a user creates and shares a Snap with a lens, it generates an average of 40 views.
Playtime with Sponsored Lens AR experiences has increased by 18% as the COVID-19 crisis has developed and the lens swipe up rate with Sponsored Lenses has increased by 22% during late March.
Now that Zoom meetings are a part of everyday life, the desktop app Snap Camera is also enjoying a moment in the spotlight as meeting-goers use it to add some fun to video conferences.
A New Cornerstone for Digital Marketing
The ROI is remarkable as well. In the past, lens distribution was so expensive that it only made sense for campaigns with huge budgets. Now, lenses do not require any media budget and provides unlimited use. As with my family, organic promotion allows people to connect with friends, family and co-workers without a promotional push.
Analysis of recent campaigns shows the CPM for an organic Social AR campaign yielded rates similar to broadcast spots. And this comparison doesn’t even take into account that audiences spend more time with Social AR than a 30 second TV spot or that the brand awareness lift is much greater due to the interactive nature of lenses.
Social AR is affordable, effective, and reaches an elusive audience. The fact that it helps us bridge the distance during the days of social distancing validates its place in marketing campaigns.
If you’re interested in Social AR for your marketing mix, we would love to talk to you about it.
Get in touch at hello@prettybigmonster.com.
