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Google Adds New Search Tools for the Holidays, Including AR Try-On Tools and Map Overlays

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Google Adds New Search Tools for the Holidays, Including AR Try-On Tools and Map Overlays

Google’s adding some new Search enhancements for the holidays, in order to help businesses maximize interest in the peak shopping season, and to help people get around and maximize their upcoming travels.

First off, Google’s adding some new AR shopping elements for the holiday shopping push, including a new make-up simulator for foundation, which is the most searched make-up category.

As per Google:

Developed with guidance from beauty brands, our new photo library features 148 models representing a diverse spectrum of skin tones, ages, genders, face shapes, ethnicities and skin types. Backed by Google’s technology, this library is a big step toward changing the way people shop for makeup online, helping you better visualize what different products look like on you.

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Google already has AR Try On options for lipstick and eye shadow, and this new addition will further expand its virtual testing tools, which could make it easier to find the right shade of foundation for your skin, without having to test it out in-store.

Google’s also adding a new AR sneaker shopping experience, which will enable you to look at shoes in 360 degrees, to get a better idea sense of each.

You can start exploring products from brands like Saucony, VANS and Merrell today, with more coming soon. Just search for a sneaker type, like “Shop blue VANS sneakers,” and tap “View in my space.”

Google says that shoppers engage with 3D imagery 50% more than static photos, which presents a big opportunity for brands to maximize engagement, and interest, via these advanced presentation options.

Google’s also looking to help people find their holiday favorite foods, with two new Search elements that will help you locate exactly the thing you crave.

First, Google’s adding a new element to its Google Lens camera search feature, which will enable users to find where certain foods are being sold nearby.

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Google holiday updates

As you can see in this sequence, you’ll now be able to take a picture of a food item, and Google will show you where you can get it, so you can grab more for yourself after leaving Christmas dinner.

Google’s also added a new search element to help you locate specific food items at restaurants nearby.

Google holiday updates

So now, you’ll be able to get the exact foods you want to liven up your holiday experience.

Finally, Google’s also rolling out some new additions for Maps to make it easier to get around over the holiday period.

The main addition here is the expansion of Live View, which enables users to explore the things around them via AR overlays. Google’s now making Live View available in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo on Android and iOS.

“Say you’re visiting New York with plans to knock out your holiday shopping and catch up with friends. Lift your phone and tap on the camera icon in the search bar to see nearby stores and other places like coffee shops, banks and ATMs. With AR-powered directions and arrows, you can see what direction they’re in and how far away they are – and even spot places that aren’t in your immediate view (like a clothing store around the block) to get a true sense of the neighborhood at a glance.

Google holiday updates

As you can see in these examples, Live View is basically an in-camera version of what AR glasses will provide, with a digital overlay of directions, pointers and other notes on your view.

That could make it a lot easier to find your way around, especially in unfamiliar cities.

Google’s also adding new search elements to highlight wheelchair friendly locations, and electric vehicle charging points.

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These are some handy updates – nothing revolutionary, but each providing a glimpse of how emerging technologies can provide direct, practical value, and enhancement for your marketing campaigns.

And while access to Google’s new AR options is fairly limited at this stage, this is where things are headed, with brands set to increasingly lean into 3D modeling, either for AR or for metaverse experiences, to better showcase and promote their items.

Worth considering, and worth checking out over the upcoming holiday period.

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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