Your beginner's guide to Digital Avatars in Social Media
Digital avatars are a great way to engage with your followers on social media and build a connection between you and your audience. Digital avatars have become an essential part of our lives and allow us to express ourselves through our personalities in the digital world.
What is a digital avatar?
A digital avatar is a digital representation of a person, sometimes in the form of an animated character or 3-D model. They're very common in gaming, where they are often used as player characters and avatars who speak with users during games.
Digital avatars have become increasingly popular over the past few years because they allow companies to connect more directly with their customers through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. In addition, they provide an opportunity for brands to interact with fans while also building trust through authentic engagement—a key goal when trying to build brand loyalty!
Famous Digital Avatars on Social Media:
Lil Miquela @lilmiquela
Miquela debuted in 2016 and presented herself as a 19-year-old influencer. She is supposedly half-Brazilian and half-Spanish, living in Los Angeles to pursue her music career. She has 2.9 Million followers on Instagram. She was listed among the 25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2018 by TIME magazine.
Kyra @kyraonig
Kyra is India's first digital influencer with 190K followers on Instagram. She presents herself as a 22-year-old woman from Delhi. She loves traveling and modeling. She had the opportunity to attend MVFS or MetaVerse Fashion Week last March 2022.
Shudu @shudu.gram
Shudu is "The world's first digital Supermodel" She presents herself as a South African model with 237K followers on Instagram. She has worked with brands such as Fenty Beauty, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, and other luxury brands.
Brands that have used Digital Avatars
If you've been on social media for some time, you'll know that companies use digital avatars to represent themselves in the virtual world. Here are some brands that have used the power of digital avatars;
Samsung has created Neon, an AI-powered virtual avatar. Neon is capable of conversing and sympathizing like real humans. They are programmed to behave like us.
Calvin Klein partnered with Lil Miquela and Bella Hadid for a campaign back in 2018.
Gucci has integrated avatars into its apps to attract younger audiences.
Ralph Lauren partnered with Snapchat to create a branded wardrobe design with Bitmoji. Snapchat users can purchase Ralph Lauren Wardrobe that their avatars can wear.
How can you use a digital avatar effectively for your brand?
Digital avatars are an excellent way to reach new audiences and create a more personal connection with your audience. They also help you stand out from the crowd, making it easier for people to find you on social media.
Here are some ways that digital avatars can help:
Dehumanizing the brand. Create your avatars as humanly as possible. Give them a story, a personality, and a name that people can feel connected to.
Alternative to a logo. Digital avatars can become the face of your brand. They are also the personification of your ideal customers. This will help you attract the right people into your business.
Connect with the right audience. Most brands create digital avatars to connect with Gen Z. There are 61.1 million Gen Z right now in the US who are using social media.
Should Bragi create a digital avatar?
Yes. Definitely. Digital avatars are the future. In social media, you have to be ahead of the curve. It is best to pioneer a trend rather than follow it. Brands that can set the trends are what people follow.
Digital avatars are a great way to make your brand stand out from the crowd and reach more people. Right now, it's mostly used for communication but its future is unpredictable. We don't know where digital avatars can take us 20 years from now. There are endless possibilities, some we can't even think of yet. We're all excited for the face of the future to evolve.