Introduction to Augmented Reality in Email Marketing
Most firms with an energetic customer base – large or small, B2C or B2B – use emails and email marketing to speak with their audiences. Companies the world over employ (and spend money on) email marketing strategies because email is an efficient tool for talking to individuals in a customized and efficient way. The ever-present problem for marketers who specialise in customer relationship management (CRM) and businesses as a complete is to make emails stand out in a crowded inbox.
The Challenge of Standing Out
Smartphones make serving content through email extremely beneficial, but what are you able to offer to customers that may make you stand out from the a whole lot of other businesses clamoring for attention? With the rise of technology, customers predict more interactive and immersive experiences. This is where augmented reality (AR) is available in, offering a brand new method to engage with customers and make emails more memorable.
Why WebAR?
WebAR is a method to create and deploy immersive web-based augmented reality (AR) experiences to web browsers – with no apps or downloads. Using no-code AR tools, anyone can create an interesting WebAR experience able to launch from a single link click or by scanning a QR code. Any marketer knows the pain of attempting to create exciting and visually engaging content on restrictive mediums like email. Depending on the e-mail service provider your subscriber is using, some or your entire labor could also be stripped out, distorted or broken within the eyes of the user. However, with WebAR, any modern smartphone is just a faucet away from transporting your email audience directly right into a limitless AR experience, and for desktop readers, the concept of scanning a QR code along with your phone is now rather more commonplace.
Types of AR Experiences for Email
With one quick tap or scan, a predictable email can transform right into a key piece of communication that your subscribers will love, engage with and forward to their colleagues. But what sorts of AR experiences are best fitted to email? Some examples include:
Face-filters
Face-tracked experiences are easy and fast to create and make for excellent ways to advertise a brand or event that’s more prone to be shared via selfies.
Product Visualizations
Helping customers to visualise a product, by placing a digital version of it within the physical space in front of them is something that AR does incredibly well.
Location Immersion
Panoramic or virtual portal experiences are incredibly engaging and help customers experience spaces in an immersive and memorable manner.
The Benefits of Using AR in Emails
The most blatant profit is to make your emails irresistible to your audience, driving up opens and clicks. If a user knows they’re about to see something exciting of their inbox, they’ll come back for more. Suppose you’re launching a brand recent, state-of-the-art high-performance running shoe. Would your subscribers relatively read through an exhaustive email list of features and scroll through static images, or would the topic line ‘Explore recent [brand X] now via augmented reality’, allowing them to learn in regards to the features via their very own virtual interactions? At Zappar, we found that a weekly newsletter consistently featuring AR examples had a median 41% open rate in comparison with 21% on standard newsletters. We also found that 40% of those that opened the e-mail went on to click or scan the experience (when using a plain-text style).
Making the Most of AR in Email Marketing
Email generally is a restrictive avenue for communicating visual information. AR can vastly increase the quantity of detail, interaction and memorability of your marketing without interfering along with your email template or deliverability. Instead of just telling your audience a few recent product with a static image, they will actively experience it in a real-world environment. Celebrating a milestone, campaign or competition? Get your subscribers in on the motion with branded face filters that they will then snap and share on social media.
AR Email Marketing Best Practices
When you create an AR campaign, a direct link and a QR code image can be generated that may equip you with all it is advisable to get people into your experience via email. Factor in each mobile and desktop readers; include the QR code image to cover all our bases and make sure that everyone can rapidly access the content. Your email must be clear, following through on the promise of the topic line to deliver people to the experience easily. We found that switching to a plain-text layout email (with QR code image) increased the variety of subscribers that went through to the experience in our AR newsletter by 64% over the previous average. So, this interesting prospect to your audience requires less investment in lengthy email copy and fancy layouts. Remember, the indisputable fact that AR experiences will be activated by each physical and digital triggers also signifies that an above-the-line campaign or in-store activation will be directly supported by (and aligned with) your email communication content.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using AR in email marketing generally is a game-changer for businesses seeking to stand out in a crowded inbox. With the power to create immersive and interactive experiences, AR can increase engagement, drive up opens and clicks, and make emails more memorable. By following best practices and using WebAR, businesses can create effective AR campaigns that resonate with their audience and leave a long-lasting impression. Whether it’s through face-filters, product visualizations, or location immersion, AR offers a brand new method to communicate with customers and make emails more exciting. As technology continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see much more modern uses of AR in email marketing, and businesses that adopt this technology early can be on the forefront of this trend.
