AR Filters have impacted how social media users interact with one another and with brands. They help in different ways, from adding fun filters to selfies to providing users with an immersive experience. Brands have realized they can leverage AR filters to drive user interaction and engagement. In this article, we examine the benefits of AI filters and show how brands can leverage them to take their businesses to the next level.

What Are AR Filters? 

AR and VR are the future of social media, with features such as AR filters, which are virtual augmentations of the reality available on social media platforms. These filters combine digital effects with the physical world and can overlay various things from branded content, like digital airbrushed makeup or even silly hat costumes. These filters have become more popular because they offer higher interaction and engagement levels than other forms of digital marketing.

Social media users usually filter videos and photos to change their surroundings and appearance. This means they can help brands increase their ads' engagement level by enabling them to create ads that people can share with their friends. They also encourage user-generated content, which can enable users to share experiences with their friends, resulting in higher brand awareness.

How AR Filters Work

Fundamentally, AR Filters leverage computer vision technology to discover facial features, objects, and environments in real time. These are layered with digital effects after identifying critical points such as the face or mouth. AR filters use the following steps:

• Face detection. The AR filters usually scan the facial features, such as the eye, mouth, and nose, to enhance the effective positioning of the digital overlays.
• 3D modeling. This technology is then used to create advanced effects such as hats, makeup, or glasses that fit the user’s natural surroundings.
• Real-time rendering. This is usually the last step and involves rendering the filter in real-time while moving and adjusting the image or video. This results in an immersive, seamless, and lifelike experience that helps increase engagement.

Benefits of Using AR Filters for Brands

AR Filters can add value to brands by improving their marketing efforts to increase user engagement. Here are some of the key benefits of using AR filters for brands:

• Better user engagement. AR filters increase user interaction with content. They enable users to perform various tasks, such as using creative effects or trying virtual outfits. By adding fun to an ad, brands can increase people's interest and even lead to a better emotional connection.
• Increasing brand awareness. When users share content with AR filters, they are usually acting as brand ambassadors. These elements can help create a viral effect, enabling a brand to reach a bigger circle and gain higher visibility.
• Increased user interaction. AR filters enable the creation of fun and interactive content that social media users love to share on their networks, leading to organic brand promotion.
• Better customer experience. AR filters allow customers to try out products virtually, enhancing shopping convenience. This results in an easy and enjoyable experience unavailable in a physical store.

Top Platforms for Using AR Filters

There are several social media platforms where AR filters are usually more prominent. These are:

 Instagram

• Instagram has added AR to the Stories section, providing users with a more unique and personalized experience. This enables brands to create filters that their followers can view, explore, and share. One AR filter that users can use on Instagram is AR sunglasses. With this AR filter, Instagram users can experiment with virtual sunglasses, which are loved by fashionable people.
• Disney.  These viral AR filters pick a Disney character and allow users to guess the character.

Snapchat

Snapchat was one of the pioneers of AR filters when they introduced lenses. This feature allowed social media users to change their looks and surroundings. This makes it a good choice for brand promotion and social media engagement. Examples of viral campaigns that have been run on Snapchat are:

• Dancing hotdog. This revolutionary lens on Snapchat placed a dancing hotdog in the user’s environment.
• Face swap. This enables users to switch their faces with other images, such as those of celebrities and friends. This makes it one of the most interactive and shared  Snapchat lenses.
• Comic World Lens. With this lens, the user's environment can be turned into a fun world that appeals to the user.

Facebook

The AR filter features are also available in the Facebook primary apps and Messenger. These filters work in the same way as the Instagram filters. However, brands cannot use them to create exclusive experiences for their audiences. An example of a brand that has leveraged Facebook filters is Sephora. The makeup brand allows users to try out different makeup products, such as facial makeup, eye makeup, lipstick, and blushers. This has enabled the brand to create an engaging experience for their shoppers as they can see how a certain product looks.

TikTok

As one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, TikTok has leveraged AR filters to allow users to add filters to their images and videos. This enables them to make interactive and entertaining videos. Brands can also use AR filters to create viral campaigns that increase engagement and brand visibility. An example of brands that leverage AI filters on TikTok is Fenty Beauty Shade Match, which allows users to experiment with the Fenty Beauty Foundation online. This campaign has become popular because of its utility level and the brand appeal it offers. Thousands of videos of users testing the product were created, resulting in higher utility and brand appeal. 

In Conclusion

While AR filters have been used as entertainment tools, they are also effective in increasing consumer engagement and conversion. When brands adopt AR filters, this can result in higher customer engagement, changed customer sampling behaviors, and higher revenue. 

By incorporating AR filters into their social media marketing strategy, brands can significantly impact their sales. Therefore, AR filters can be used beyond entertainment. By reading this guide, brands can leverage AI filters to increase engagement and conversion.