As social media platforms look for new ways to engage users and differentiate their offerings, voice commands and augmented social reality are two trends that will likely see further integration in the coming years. By enhancing core functions and content with these technologies, platforms have an opportunity to create more interactive and immersive experiences for users.
Voice Commands
Many social apps already allow basic voice commands for tasks like searching and scrolling content. However, advancements that:
- Allow complex multi-step tasks entirely by voice like posting a status update, uploading a photo, or adding a filter.
- Provide more natural language processing so commands sound more like normal speech than programmed instructions.
- Integrate with virtual assistants to act as intermediaries for interacting with social platforms using voice.
These improvements can make platforms:
- More accessible for users with disabilities by providing an alternative to manual interaction.
- Easier to use while multitasking like driving or doing chores through hands-free commands.
- Seamlessly incorporate into users’ existing voice assistant ecosystems and smart home devices.
Augmented Reality
Today most AR features on social media are centered around visual effects and filters users can overlay on photos and videos. However:
- Applications of AR that actually augment users’ real environments with location-based overlays, graphics and animations are emerging.
- Platforms are experimenting with integrating AR-enabled shopping features that allow users to “try on” virtual products overlaid in the real world.
- Brands are utilizing AR to interactive, immersive and shoppable ad formats that seamlessly bridge the digital and physical worlds.
This next stage of AR implementation can make platforms:
- More engaging by overlaying the digital content and communities users follow directly into their real environments.
- Immersive by providing a unified experience that blurs the lines between online and offline user interactions.
In conclusion, as voice commands and augmented reality become more sophisticated and ubiquitous, social media platforms that successfully harness these technologies have the potential to transform how users interact with digitally mediated social experiences in the future.
