In any profession, it should only be natural for you to want to expand your existing skill set. Not only will this help to further your career development down the line, but it will also allow you to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of your chosen path. This is especially important now, given the current context of the global pandemic.
Over the past year, the world’s digitalization has drastically accelerated. Most, if not all, businesses were forced to pivot their operations into the online realm. This transition is more than likely to persist even after the crisis has come to pass. In effect, this also gave way to the rise in demand for professionals involved in the digital marketing industry.
The growing relevance of digital marketing has been more than evident in recent years. If you’re in the same line of work, you’ve more than likely received lots of opportunities throughout the duration of the pandemic. However, it’s not enough for you to know the basics of digital marketing. You also have to hone your expertise, particularly with the more current avenues of digital marketing.
Is this the Real Life?
Being able to create interactive content through innovative technologies is among one these modern digital marketing trends. It’s been proven to substantially increase and prolong consumer engagement while still enabling personalization. Companies have been tapping digital marketers to capitalize on this form of marketing, as evidenced by the increase in requests for quotations of 3D product visualization.
Integrating innovative technologies like augmented reality (AR) and visual reality (VR) has completely revolutionized how digital marketing operates. Here are some prominent reasons why you should definitely consider developing your skills in this area.
Tracking Data
Just like any other modern technology, AR and VR are constantly evolving to be able to provide companies with better data that prove to be crucial to their bottom-line, like sales and efficiency. Additionally, newer innovative technologies have developed tracking systems to monitor facial expressions, body language, and eye movement.
These tracking mechanisms are relevant for a variety of reasons. For instance, it keeps consumers more engaged when viewing items helping to generate better customer acquisition and retention in the long run. It can also prove to make websites more accessible for consumers with disabilities by providing them with different avenues to input their desired products.
Improving Experiences
Alongside improving engagement and accessibility, incorporating innovative technologies will also help to elevate a brand’s consumer shopping experience from end to end. The sudden boom of the e-commerce industry has also consequently led to an increase in product returns. This is primarily driven by the inconsistencies in how items are depicted online compared to in person.
AR, in particular, provides a much-needed solution for this issue. Brands have begun utilizing AR systems compatible with smartphones to provide consumers with more comprehensive information regarding a product like the necessary specifications. This allows customers to layer the digital product over a consumer’s real-world perspective, making all the difference in making sales through e-commerce.
Connecting Worlds
Ultimately, the world’s accelerated digitalization also prompted the need for the virtual and physical worlds to collide. In the digital marketing industry, this has been taken quite literally. AR and VR, which are both visual technologies, have significantly helped companies meld these two worlds. This fusion definitely reshapes how consumers can interact and transition between both realities.
Moreover, it’s important to note that there is a stark difference between AR and VR. Put simply, VR is more geared towards creating an immersive experience by creating an entirely virtual world. This also requires more sophisticated equipment like goggles or headsets. AR, on the other hand, layers digital elements which augment the real-world setting as its name suggests. Again, this can easily be done through smartphone-based systems.
The Promise of Innovation
The market value for these innovative technologies is expected to reach approximately £69 billion (or $97 billion) by 2025. This proves that there is a growing need for the development of these solutions in digital marketing. Likewise, entering into AR and VR as early as now will only present you with substantial growth in your skillset and career.
Digital marketing is definitely where all businesses are headed. The landscape has already become saturated and more competitive in just the past year alone. This shift into the online realm brought about by the global health crisis simply serves as a massive leap towards the full-scale adoption of the digital marketing industry. If you want to be ahead of the curve in your profession, this is one of the paths you can take.