The Power of AR Filters and How It Drives Organic Traffic
Chances are, you’ve used filters yourself to create a fun, augmented reality photo. Recent trends show a spike in Instagram AR filters created by brands.
Why are brands creating custom Instagram AR filters?
You may think filters on Instagram are reserved for silly photos or special occasions, but they are surprisingly powerful for brands. Filters are free to create and make accessible to the one billion users on Instagram’s platform.
When you create a custom AR filter on Instagram, you connect your brand’s name and account to the filter. Anyone who uses your filter or comes into contact with it will see your company information. Disney, Adidas, and Gucci are just some of the big names utilizing the power of Instagram AR filters for their brands.
These custom filters show the company’s logo, impose its products on your selfie, or put the brand’s characters directly into your photo. These filters effectively put a brand’s assets all over your photos. When you share your picture using the Instagram AR filters, you are also sharing their brand.
This drives organic traffic.
Adidas did not have to target you or pay for your click. They simply put up a free AR filter on Instagram and let it do the heavy lifting. Someone who follows Adidas may find the filter through their account, or someone unconnected with the brand could discover it while scrolling through available filters. Either way, once a picture is taken and shared using the filter, Adidas has effectively expanded their reach.
The power of Instagram AR filters rests in its ability to exponentially increase a brand’s exposure in a short period of time. One follower shares the filter and reaches several more of their own followers. Those users then share the filter with their followers. The pattern continues until countless people have seen or used the filter, plastering a brand’s name and social media account all over Instagram.
The exponential power of Instagram AR Filters.
Filters do not have to go viral to work.
Sharing an Instagram AR filter is free. If it is done well, it costs relatively little money to create and promote. You do not have to have a viral Instagram AR filter like the Kylie Cosmetics lip kit filters to be successful. With such a little investment in the tool, almost any payoff is profit. Micro or “nano” influencers are becoming increasingly popular and powerful because of their niche audiences.
If one of your current followers or customers uses your custom filter and shares it with a friend, you have effectively expanded your reach. You won’t reach all 1 billion users on Instagram, but you can reach audiences that are interested in your brand and content. Audiences will share the content they are interested in with their followers, who will, in turn, do the same. Over time, your filter has reached a targeted audience that is interested in your content.
Only engaging content will work.
You can’t throw out custom filters that have nothing to do with your brand or spark little interest. You will have to invest the time to come up with something unique and engaging. The whole purpose of Instagram AR filters is to create something that people will want to interact with and share.
You want users to follow your brand or visit your Instagram profile once they find your custom filter. Your content has to be interesting enough to make them go through the extra step. Through engaging content, you can drive organic traffic back to your own social media channel and your website.
Expand your sales funnel.
As people use and share your filter, they become ambassadors for your brand. They share your content and essentially promote your brand to their own followers. You can create mini sales funnels across the platform to drive your organic sales.
The more your custom Instagram AR filter is shared, the more you increase your organic reach. You can introduce new audiences to your products, engage them with your content, and effectively drive them to your website.
The success brands have with custom filters is undeniable.
Just think of all the branded filters you’ve seen recently. We’ve already mentioned Kylie Cosmetic’s lip kit try-on filters and Adidas’ nostalgic VHS-style filter, but there are countless others.
Kylie Cosmetics Instagram filter with branding information.
Gucci Beauty created a filter that turns you into a renaissance portrait. Off-White lets you try on their sunglasses through Instagram. The NBA launched a dunk cam filter that went viral.
All of these brands have greatly increased their organic traffic by harnessing the power of Instagram’s AR filters.
How can you do the same?
The Spark AR Studio used to create custom Instagram AR filters was previously in beta mode, but it opened to all users in August of 2019. Brands are likely to jump on this opportunity to create their own filters and boost their organic traffic.
To create your own custom Instagram AR filter, download the Spark AR Studio. No coding is required, and you can get a crash course on creating AR filters through the built-in tutorial. There is a lot of quality information available through the tool to help you design and publish your custom filter.
Download the Spark AR Studio to get started with custom Instagram AR filters.
If you are not design-savvy and want an AR filter that is highly engaging, consider partnering with someone in the Spark AR Studio creative community. The Spark AR Studio partners page features a directory of producers and agencies for custom AR filters. Investing in your filter may be worth the extra organic traffic your brand receives.
Create content that is relevant.
With AR filters, the best ones are relevant to your target audience. Share the aesthetic of your brand, demonstrate a product, or inspire your audience. Filters with a specific goal will benefit users and receive more attention and engagement.
Instagram AR filters are the newest way brands are driving organic traffic. How much can your brand benefit from a filter? Create one today to find out!
