The world of online marketing is constantly evolving. Just a few years ago, SEO was all the rage, and PPC was the preferred way to appear in the search results.
Today, SEO and PPC are both considered “traditional” methods, and many marketers are looking for ways to evolve their strategy. One of the latest trends to emerge is virtual reality (VR) marketing.
1. Build Relationships
While SEO and PPC are both excellent ways to reach potential customers, neither of them allow you to establish authentic, long-term relationships with your customers. The most successful businesses develop lasting bonds with their customers by taking the time to listen to and answer their questions and by nurturing an educational environment where they feel comfortable sharing their expertise.
VR marketing allows you to do just that. With so many different platforms available to create VR content, from simple apps to fully-fledged games, you’re bound to find the perfect solution for your needs. And with the booming success of the Pokémon Go mobile game in 2019, it’s no surprise that so many businesses have decided to dip their toe into the VR waters.
2. Test Screens & Walkthroughs
Another strategy employed by many successful businesses is to regularly test different aspects of their website to see how users respond and to find out where improvements can be made to improve conversion rates.
VR allows you to conduct “A/B testing” of websites, or even entire apps, on a whim. If you’d like to test out a new idea or see how people react to a particular design or feature, you can do so in VR and then compare the results to those found in the real world.
For instance, imagine showing someone an online store in VR and having them visit the site in the real world. You can then measure the results of your experiment and decide whether or not to keep tweaking the design of your website or app based on the outcome.
3. Experiment With Different Devices
VR content is not only suited for online marketing; it can also be viewed on mobile devices and even standalone headsets like Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR.
Based on your target audience, you can choose from a variety of device makers to fit your needs. For instance, if you’re geared towards tech-savvy millennials, you can target the Oculus Rift S or the Google Daydream.
If you’re looking to expand your reach, consider experimenting with mobile billboards or even a 360-degree billboard located in Times Square. While these are probably not ideal for every situation, they can be useful for garnering attention or for enhancing brand awareness.
4. Create Customer Conversions
Like a good business, you’re focused on generating revenue and profits. And just like a good business, you identify the key customer conversions that will help you achieve that objective.
When it comes to VR, the most important conversion to focus on is the sale. But unlike a traditional website where you might have a call to action such as an “Add to cart” button, the goal in VR should be to create a “lifelong relationship” with your customers. Which is why you want to pay attention to every little detail of your design and make sure that the user experience is flawless.
For example, consider the case of an e-commerce store that wants to appear professional and sophisticated.
To accomplish this, they can opt for a sleek black dress code that is both stylish and sophisticated, or they can choose a red dress code that is both passionate and fun.
Although a beautiful design like this may seem like an obvious decision to make, it’s imperative to consider the type of content that your customers will find most appealing. In this case, the user experience matters, and you need to ensure that each touch point—from the clothing to the packaging and shipping – is delivered with care.
5. Experiment With Pricing
Pricing is always a key consideration for any business, especially when you’re operating on a tight profit margin. But when you’re in the world of digital marketing, you can experiment with different pricing structures and see which one yields the best results. In the case of virtual reality, you can experiment with one-time donations, premium memberships, or even a freemium model.
To gauge the effectiveness of different pricing structures, you can utilize tools like Google Analytics to track purchases and conversions over time. With this data in hand, you can determine the optimum pricing structure that will help you maximize your revenue and profits.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re running an e-commerce store and you notice that your product sells for $50 but people are only spending $10 on average. Does this mean that your product is priced too high? Or is it potentially a case of your customers not finding value in what you’re offering?
The answer is likely somewhere in between. In this case, you should either drop the price or find another way to monetize your product. In many cases, you can also choose to tweak the product to generate additional revenue.
As you can see, VR marketing is here to stay. The world of mobile advertising is constantly changing, and with the right tools and strategies, you can take your place among the top VR marketers in no time at all.