Oculus Rift, Google and HTC Vive are just a few companies at the forefront of the type of technology that has changed how we interact with the world around us. Since teleportation is not a viable travel option, an alternative has been created with the use of virtual reality; the closest thing we have to transporting ourselves to a time and space that offers an immersive experience anywhere in the world you want to go! This is the future of video in both personal and professional arenas.
Virtual Reality, also referred to as Augmented Reality, is being applied in various fields such as gaming, live events, real estate, medicine, education and retail, just to name a few. Business owners are no strangers to this latest development in the marketing arena. Soon, it will be pertinent for businesses to make use of virtual reality for their continued success. Because of this, businesses have jumped on board in recent years and are taking advantage of this technology and seeing results.
The sensors in VR help to maximize the experience of the entire body whether walking, talking, feeling, hearing and even tasting. The five senses of the body are provided with the kind of information that they would be given if the individual interacting with the VR scenario had been present in a physical location. Creating a VR context i.e. the virtual representation of your business, service or product can enhance the customer experience, increase revenue, and provide valuable feedback thus reducing long-term pitfalls surrounding the release of a new product, service or feature that customers may not like. You can offer your customers the opportunity to review what you have to offer before you make an even bigger investment that could run you millions. Surveys can provide insight but having your customer experience it virtually could bring a higher degree of accuracy and value to you when making a decision. Beyond reducing pitfalls, it creates a powerful impact on customer.
As business owner there are ways that VR can help your business
1. Breathe new life into your marketing content – You probably have videos and pictures that reflect your product or service and you share them across social media platforms and online markets around the world. Now, you can reimagine and create new content that gets your customers participating in a whole new way. This would be a supplement to the content you already have and if you have done a good job at providing consistent and engaging content in the past then you have the willingness of your customers to take that next step and engage further with your brand.
2. You Can Meet Your Customers Without Traveling – With your store or business existing in a VR context – you can meet with customer that you normally would have had to interact with over using more traditional methods like telephone or email to communicate. You can interact more closely, provide immediate interactive information and experiences while receiving feedback and information faster than you would waiting for online feedback and engagement. You get real time face-to-face engagement. This is powerful and will revolutionize everything about traditional advertising.
3. Customers Can Experience Your Products – Virtual Reality is becoming a major player in getting customer reactions about a product before its eventual release. As a business owner you can avoid the risk that comes with creating a product that people may not embrace. By placing your product in VR context, you can test a product and receive feedback that will help you determine if you move forward or scrap the product. This will prove to be a powerful tool when it comes to your investments.
4. Training Videos for Your Product/Service Are More Interactive – Training and education are areas where VR has been applied extensively. If your product or service is one that needs tutorials, you can create an interactive experience where one tries out the product/service in the VR world. Perhaps you work in the medical field and are looking to further engage participants with an interactive/navigation approach to teaching. The possibilities are endless.
5. For Administrative Purposes – Businesses are already using VR to structure interview sessions and real-world work scenarios. Instead of only choosing qualified candidates from a pool of local talent, using VR gives you the opportunity to reach the most qualified individuals without the need to bring them to your physical location right away. You can setup all the scenarios you want and get them to perform while accurately analyzing their performance, including reactions and body language. This has been applied by German company Deutsch Bahn with great success.
6. Business Trips Could Become A Thing of The Past – Do you have a client, colleague or distributor living on the other side of the world? We walk a fine line between necessity and convenience. Using a VR scenario, you can avoid travel logistics involved like passports and long flights. VR can provide a face-to-face meeting that gets you the same engagement that you wanted without leaving your office.
7. Advertising, Advertising and More Advertising – This is an opportunity to explore ways of interacting with customers and creating unforgettable advertising that takes your viewers through an immersive experience that not even the sharpest HD video produced can compete with.
While some of the Virtual Realty situations mentioned above are great for boosting the success of your business through marketing, education and employee engagement, not all these situations are ideal for growth, but they can provide an alternative solution when applicable. Virtual Reality, though popular with its current capabilities and features, is still in the ‘baby’ stages of growth. Make no mistake, the technology behind VR is constantly in development and growing every day. Your business, if VR is properly and creatively applied to your branding and marketing campaign, would propel you to be a leader in your industry.
Have you used VR to promote your business in any way? Or, have you ever based a purchase decision on a VR experience you had with a product or service? Let me know your thoughts.
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