Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Use Social Media for Augmented Reality Try-Ons
Transcript
- Lucas: You know those Instagram filters that let you try on a pair of sunglasses or a shade of lipstick without leaving the app? They're moving from novelty to serious business tool. Luna: Yeah, I've definitely gotten sucked into a Sephora filter for an hour. But are brands actually seeing a return on that investment? Lucas: That's the question. And the data is starting to come in. A few months ago, Gartner published a survey — brands using augmented reality try-ons reported an average lift in purchase intent of over 40 percent. For categories like beauty and eyewear, return rates dropped by roughly a quarter. That's not just engagement; that's bottom-line impact. Luna: And I imagine it lowers the friction of buying something you can't physically test. Which is huge for e-commerce. Lucas: Exactly. Look, a lot of this is driven by the platforms themselves. Meta and TikTok have both rolled out AR creation tools for advertisers. You don't need a dedicated app anymore — you build a filter in Spark AR or Effect House, and users engage with it right in the feed or on your brand's profile. Luna: So it's become more accessible. But I'm guessing the quality varies. A bad AR filter — where the lipstick bleeds outside your lips or the glasses float — that probably hurts more than it helps. Lucas: Absolutely. The technology has gotten better, but it's not perfect. Warby Parker, for example, spent years refining their virtual try-on. They use Apple's ARKit, which maps your face with surprising accuracy. But they also acknowledge that it's a complement to, not a replacement for, ordering five frames to try at home. The AR step actually filters out the obvious mismatches early, which is why their return rate is lower. Luna: So there's a smart funnel here — use AR to narrow the options, then ship a few finalists. That seems practical. Lucas: And it's being adopted beyond just beauty and glasses. IKEA has their Place app for furniture, but that's a standalone app. The newer wave is in-app. Nike lets you try on sneakers in the SNKRS app using AR. Even car companies are experimenting — you can see a car model in your driveway through a social media ad. It's still early, but the pattern is clear. Luna: What about the cost side? I imagine developing a custom AR filter isn't cheap for a small brand. Lucas: It varies wildly. A simple face filter — like a color change on lips — can run a few thousand dollars from a decent developer. More complex ones, like full product rendering with lighting and physics, can hit fifty thousand or more. But there's a middle ground: platforms offer templates. On TikTok, you can use Effect House templates and customize them. It's not fully bespoke, but it gets you started. Luna: And I've seen brands run AR try-on as a campaign — not a permanent fixture. Limited-time filters tied to a product launch. That seems like a lower-risk test. Lucas: That's smart. And you can measure it. platforms now give you metrics: time spent in the filter, share rate, and crucially, click-through to purchase. Some brands see conversion rates three times higher from users who engage with an AR try-on versus those who don't. Luna: Quick honest thing — a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that literally funds making episodes like this one. No ads, just listener support. So if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, that's the reason we can keep diving into new angles. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small group that keeps the whole thing ad-free. We appreciate it. Luna: Alright, back to AR. One thing I'm curious about — privacy. AR try-ons often require access to the camera and face data. How are brands handling that? Lucas: It's a legitimate concern. Most AR filters process the data on-device — the face mesh never leaves your phone. Apple and Meta both emphasize that. But brands need to be transparent in their privacy policies. The bigger risk is if the filter collects unnecessary data. The best practice is to only use what's needed for the experience, and to clearly state that. Luna: And there's also the question of inclusivity. A filter that only works well on certain skin tones or face shapes can alienate users. Lucas: That's been a real issue. Early AR beauty filters were notoriously bad at tracking darker skin tones. Companies like L'Oréal have invested heavily in diverse training data. Their ModiFace technology now supports a wide range of skin tones. But it's an ongoing challenge. If your filter doesn't work for a significant portion of your audience, you're not just losing sales — you're sending a message. Luna: Right. So the bar for quality is higher than just 'it works.' It has to work well for everyone. Lucas: Exactly. And that ties back to the business case. If you invest in a high-quality, inclusive AR try-on, you're likely to see better returns. There's a nice feedback loop there. Luna: I also wonder about the future. With Apple's Vision Pro and other headsets, does AR try-on become even more immersive? Lucas: Potentially, but the mass market isn't there yet. For now, the smartphone is the primary device. What's more interesting in the near term is the integration with live shopping. Imagine a livestream where the host is wearing a jacket, and viewers can tap to try it on themselves through AR, then buy it. TikTok and YouTube are experimenting with that format. Luna: That feels like the convergence of several trends — live commerce, AR, and social media. It could be powerful. Lucas: It could. And it's not just for big brands. Smaller brands can start with simple try-ons — like a sunglasses filter for a summer collection. The key is to test, measure, and iterate. The platforms are making it easier every quarter. Luna: So the advice for a marketer listening today: if you haven't tried an AR try-on campaign yet, start small, pick one product category, and use a template. Measure the conversion lift. Then decide if it's worth scaling. Lucas: Exactly. And be prepared to invest in quality if you go deeper. A bad AR experience is worse than no AR experience. But a good one? It can be a genuine differentiator. Luna: Alright, Lucas, any final thoughts on where this is headed? Lucas: I think we'll see AR try-ons become table stakes for certain categories — beauty, eyewear, fashion — within two years. The brands that figure it out now will have a data advantage. They'll know what customers try on but don't buy, and that's valuable insight. Luna: That's a great point. It's not just a conversion tool; it's a research tool. Lucas: Exactly. So keep an eye on those metrics. And maybe try a virtual lipstick while you're at it. Luna: I already did. It's coral. And now I'm tempted to buy it.