There really is no single definition of an avatar owing to the fact that avatars are different and play different roles in different industries. That said, avatars generally work around the same idea – their job is to be a representation of you in a virtual world. These avatars mostly are AI-generated but could be self-made as well.
Avatars in Different Fields
As earlier mentioned, avatars have different applications in different fields as discussed below;
Gaming
Perhaps the most well-known use of avatars is in the gaming industry. Being a virtual representation of yourself in that virtual world that is your favorite game, avatars give you a feeling of being right in the thick of the action yourself.
These avatars, sometimes a replica of yourself, sometimes not so realistic, allow you to step into this make-believe world in your favorite creative reality game, taking gaming to a whole new level.
Marketing
Running a good marketing campaign or strategy is key to a good business. Where the video avatar is concerned, it is used in videos for marketing, which leads me to a side note of why you should use said avatars;
Generally improve your customer service
Imagine one of or some of your products are kind of tricky to use or have complex packaging and customers keep damaging the product when trying to rip open the packaging. How do you solve this?
Make a video with video avatars explaining and illustrating just how to go about this seemingly impossible task.
Maybe you have a store and it is shaped like a maze or it is way too large to figure out. Customers may have a hard time finding their way through, right? You could make a video where avatars give a layout of the place and explain to the customers just how to maneuver through.
Capture customers’ interest more
Videos are certainly more ocularly pleasing than plain text or plain audio. Have fun and get creative with the avatars in your videos to grasp your customers’ interests more. It is a sure way to keep customers interested, not to mention it is more effective.
It helps customize the experience
Depending on what campaign you are running, you could customize the avatars to best put your message across. For instance, you could use a talking car avatar to run an ad on engine oil or something car-related. Customers will certainly find this more interesting – cars as well.
Websites
Websites use website avatars as virtual agents that work 24-7 to provide customer service to browsers on the website. By definition, they are self-service software applications that may appear either as animated characters or real people. Their best qualities when it comes to customer service is that they are highly intelligent and interactive.
Why use website avatars?
Website avatars are more cost efficient as they aren’t hired by the resource manager or anything. They ask for no wages or vacations – bar regular maintenance.
They are much faster than live chat agents with the ability to handle unlimited queries at a time which even the best live chat agent cannot.
Social Media
In social media, 3d avatars are a representation of yourself for use in the digital world. These avatars are usually AI generated. They serve as alternatives for that boring-old selfie you have had on for God knows how long. You take up the role of creative reality yourself and make the 3D avatar yourself.
Avatars in social media could also refer to your profile picture but that’s beside the point. As a company, a logo as your avatar is highly advised.
Why a Company Should Use Avatars
Storytelling
Using avatars to tell your company’s or brand’s story can definitely bring out the emotional side of your brand which wouldn’t be the case otherwise. Creating such video content with brand avatars will allow brand avatars to be the face of the business.
Alternative to a Logo
Logos go a long way in identifying your brand. They however don’t fully do it when it comes to highlighting what your brand stands for, its beliefs and values.
Logos are more often than not static and unfaltering, which may render them outdated eventually. Brand avatars on the other hand are able to convey an array of emotions starting by changing facial expressions.
It Humanizes Your Brand
Making sure your brand avatar is as human as possible, it is easier to connect with your audience. You do this by developing your brand avatar to target the correct and target audience.