Engaging College Basketball Fans with Augmented Reality on Snapchat and TikTok
The yearly springtime basketball tournament is just around the corner, and if you’re a college basketball marketing professional, you are gearing up to engage your fans while your players have the spotlight.
One of the most effective strategies to captivate audiences is through augmented reality (AR) on popular social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. AR offers immersive and interactive experiences that can turn casual viewers into lifelong fans
In this blog post, we’ll explore how college basketball teams can leverage AR on Snapchat and TikTok to boost fan engagement and provide relevant statistics to highlight the potential impact.
Why Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality enhances the real-world environment by overlaying digital elements, creating an engaging and interactive experience for users. For college basketball teams, AR can be used to enhance brand loyalty by providing unique and memorable experiences that keep fans coming back for more. We are looking to create immersive experiences that captivate and entertain your fans ultimately driving UGC. Social AR amplifies your reach, turning your fanbase into ambassadors for your team. Let's dive into two platforms that let you reach your audience quickly.
Which AR Platforms?
Snapchat : A Hub for AR Innovation
Snapchat has been a pioneer in AR technology, offering a range of tools and features that allow brands to create engaging AR experiences. With over 397 million daily active user, including 75% of Millennials and Gen Z in the United States, you can find your niche and audience here. On average, users spend 25 to 30 minutes per day on the app, engaging with friends, brands, and content. 60% of Snapchat users create new content instead of simply viewing other users’ stories. For college basketball teams, Snapchat offers several opportunities to engage fans:
- AR Lenses: Create custom AR lenses that allow fans to show their team spirit, try on virtual merchandise, or participate in interactive games.
- Snap Ads: Utilize Snap Ads with lenses in the carousel to reach your target audiences quickly with the lenses you create.
Tik Tok: The Power of Short-Form Video
TikTok has rapidly become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger audiences. Its short-form video format and creative tools make it an ideal platform for AR experiences. TikTok has emerged quickly with over 1.04 billion monthly active users worldwide. US adult users spend an average of 53.8 minutes per day on TikTok, so UGC is critical here to meet the content demand. TikTok users spend nearly 24 hours per month watching, interacting with, and posting video content. TikTok can help you meet your social content goals with:
- AR Effects: Create custom AR effects that fans can use in their videos to show support for their team, participate in challenges, or celebrate victories.
- Influencer Collaborations: Partner with popular TikTok influencers to create AR content that reaches a wider audience and drives engagement.
How AR Benefits College Basketball Teams
AR filters can range in experience, from countdowns to the tournament, to minigames that give the thrill of competition. Here are some of the benefits you can expect when running a campaign:
Increase Fan Engagement
- Fans love sharing creative content and repping their team on social media. By offering custom AR filters, you encourage fans to become content creators.
- Whether it’s a spirited pre-game selfie or a touchdown celebration, AR filters amplify fan-generated content. When fans actively engage with AR filters, it strengthens their emotional connection to the team. The San Jose Sharks ran an AR marketing campaign during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and saw a 35% rise in fan interaction and 45% increase in social media participation.
Brand Visibility and Recognition
- When fans use your team’s AR filters to share pictures and videos, their content becomes organic marketing for your team. This allows you to reach their followers, thereby extending your team's visibility. The Sharks saw a 30% increase in local fans’ awareness and recognition during their playoff campaign.
- Paris Saint-Germain ran an AR campaign around their new jerseys debut and saw a 60% increase in social media impressions.
Creating AR Custom Filters
When creating filters for your team, keep in mind your audience. What connects your fans with your institution? Is your mascot a favorite? Perhaps you want to test your fan’s knowledge. Optic Sky has a series of templates, like countdowns and quizzes, that can help you get started quickly with proven engagement. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Bespoke experiences can feel authentic and new, engaging your audience with content they’ve never seen before. Whatever your path. Look for a partner that can deliver the entire pipeline and support your creative strategies.
Will you take the Shot?
College basketball teams have a unique opportunity to engage their fans through augmented reality on Snapchat and TikTok, and an event to be leveraged with the entire nation’s attention. If you are a marketing professional in the space, consider adding AR experiences to your social repertoire. You can create immersive and interactive experiences that captivate your audience and generate an audience of dedicated fans. With the right strategy, AR can enhance fan engagement, encourage user-generated content, and build brand loyalty, ensuring a successful and memorable tournament season.
Ready to take your fan engagement to the next level? Contact us at Optic Sky to learn more about how we can help you create unforgettable AR experiences for your team.
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