Best Influencer Marketing Strategies For Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

Koba Molenaar
Last Updated:
13 min read
Influencer Marketing

Snapchat made waves in the creator economy by taking a bold step toward revolutionizing shoppable AR experiences. The social media giant opened up native commerce to its top creators, including the likes of Kylie Jenner, allowing them to go beyond simple “Shop Now” buttons in Stories and integrate AR Lenses with shopping features. One of the most talked-about moments came when Nicki Minaj partnered with Snapchat to promote her album Queen using an AR Lens with a "Shop" button that let fans purchase her exclusive $25 necklace directly within the app.

This seamless shopping experience made it easier than ever for fans to engage and buy without ever leaving the platform.

The strategic aim behind Snapchat's Shoppable AR initiative was clear: to enhance creator-driven commerce while making AR shopping an immersive, accessible, and engaging experience for users. By allowing creators to incorporate "Shop Now" buttons directly into their AR Lenses, Snapchat eliminated the friction that comes with redirecting users to external websites, making purchases faster and more integrated.

The campaign’s success was grounded in its ability to blend entertainment with commerce—over 70 million people use Snapchat’s AR Lenses daily, spending an average of 3 minutes engaging with them, making it the perfect platform to roll out native commerce. As a result, Snapchat not only positioned itself as a hub for creators but also as a direct competitor to Instagram, all while bolstering its e-commerce offerings through AR.

Now, let's pivot back to how this all ties into the broader picture of influencer marketing, especially in emerging sectors like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR).

Snapchat’s approach to integrating shopping with AR Lenses offers a glimpse into the future of influencer campaigns within VR/AR ecosystems. As VR and AR technologies become more prevalent, brands will need to adapt these strategies—leveraging immersive experiences, influencer partnerships, and seamless commerce integration to create unique, engaging shopping journeys.

Best Influencer Marketing Strategies for AR/VR Experiences

Influencer marketing has entered a new frontier with the rise of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), offering brands unprecedented opportunities to engage consumers in immersive and interactive ways. From virtual try-ons to gamified experiences, brands are finding creative ways to merge tech innovation with influencer storytelling to boost engagement, drive sales, and build lasting emotional connections. Let’s dive into some of the best strategies for leveraging VR and AR in influencer marketing and how real-world examples bring these strategies to life.

1. Scaling Global Engagement for AR/VR Brands with Always-On Influencer Strategies 

When it comes to AR/VR marketing, an always-on influencer strategy is a game-changer. Instead of fleeting campaigns, brands can establish a consistent presence by partnering with a diverse set of influencers across various regions and platforms. This approach builds momentum, ensuring that the brand stays relevant and top-of-mind.

The "Hero, Hub, Hygiene" content strategy is crucial here: Hero content garners attention with premium, high-budget productions like big reveals or event activations; Hub content keeps the brand in conversation with regular updates, livestreams, or video series; and Hygiene content ensures there's always something new, such as tutorials, community shout-outs, or product updates.

By mixing these content types, AR/VR brands can create a steady stream of content that captures both broad attention and deep engagement.

Oculus put this strategy into action with one of their global influencer campaigns. Partnering with 450+ creators, many of whom were gaming and YouTube creators like Markiplier, they distributed VR hardware, accessories, and game codes to influencers worldwide. The influencers were asked to review the Oculus Quest VR headset and explain the revolutionary technology that makes virtual reality accessible to everyone.

Oculus also used the branded hashtag #OculusPartner to score points on social media and hopefully drive user-generated content that they can repurpose and reuse as promotional content. The results were impressive: 295 million views and over $48 million in earned media value.

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They used relationship-building with creators to drive not just immediate views, but long-term brand loyalty, helping to solidify Oculus' presence in the expanding VR space. With real-time dashboards and KPIs, the team optimized the campaign’s performance at every stage, making sure they maximized their share of voice and kept the conversation around Oculus alive.

Pro Tip:

Focus on building long-term relationships with influencers, not just one-off collaborations. By working with creators on an ongoing basis, you can foster deeper brand loyalty and generate consistent, authentic content that resonates with your audience over time.

2. Leveraging Mid-Tier Influencers to Drive Engagement

When promoting AR/VR products, sometimes it’s not about reaching the biggest names—it’s about getting to the right audience. Mid-tier, micro-, and nano-influencers often offer more personalized, relatable content with higher engagement rates, making them ideal partners for tech companies targeting niche markets. By working with a range of influencers, brands can maximize their reach across different communities while fostering authentic connections with potential customers.

For PlayStation’s VR2 headset, the brand focused on smaller-scale influencers in Canada, leveraging their dedicated fanbases across Instagram and YouTube. The goal? Increase awareness of PlayStation VR and boost engagement with its regional Canadian audience. By partnering with influencers like Karl Conrad, Justin Tse, and Erin (aka The Girly Geek), PlayStation tapped into a mix of tech enthusiasts and gaming fans who had strong influence within their communities.

The influencers shared their personal experiences with the PlayStation VR, often incorporating personalized captions and gameplay reviews. With a mix of sponsored posts and authentic content, they were able to generate solid engagement, with some posts reaching up to a 5% engagement rate. This campaign proved that smaller influencers could drive big results, with the brand successfully cultivating genuine interest around their AR/VR tech.

Pro Tip:

Don’t underestimate the power of micro-influencers! Their more engaged, niche audiences can often provide higher return on investment and build more trust with your brand.

3. Using Influencer-Led Storytelling to Drive AR/VR Engagement and Acquisition

Influencer-driven campaigns thrive when they tap into authentic, relatable storytelling that resonates with a targeted audience. For AR/VR brands, crafting narratives that speak to the personal experiences of consumers is a powerful way to generate interest and engagement.

The key is to build content that feels personal, relatable, and shareable—especially when paired with influencers who embody the brand’s values and connect deeply with their followers.

Pokémon GO’s #CatchYours campaign used storytelling as the core element to drive user engagement and acquisition during the pandemic. By identifying Gen Z females as the target audience, the campaign leveraged influencers from across the globe—Australia, Brazil, Chile, and the US—who authentically connected with their communities. These influencers worked with local creators to capture their unique experiences with the game, showcasing the AR magic of Pokémon GO in relatable, culturally relevant ways.

The campaign was designed to make Pokémon GO feel personal to each viewer, using remote creative direction to safely orchestrate influencer collaborations during lockdown. The result? A music-driven anthem video and a massive 100M+ views across all channels, including YouTube and TikTok, where the brand capitalized on trending content to reach new audiences and grow its following.

The campaign’s success lay in its ability to create an aspirational lifestyle message that resonated deeply with the target demographic.

Pro Tip:

For AR/VR brands, focus on creating campaigns that allow influencers to share personal, relatable stories. This not only increases engagement but also fosters a deeper emotional connection with your audience.

4. Blurring the Lines Between Virtual and Real Through Influencer-Driven Immersive Experiences

For AR/VR brands looking to engage audiences on a deeper level, the key lies in seamlessly merging the virtual world with reality. Instead of simply showcasing the tech, the strategy involves crafting experiences that allow influencers to actively immerse their followers in these digital realms. It’s about creating narratives that unfold both virtually and physically, drawing people into a story they can experience firsthand.

By leveraging AR or VR tech in real-world environments, influencers can showcase the true potential of these immersive technologies, making the experience relatable and tangible. This approach taps into the power of experience-driven content, where influencers don’t just talk about the product—they live it, breathe it, and invite their audiences to do the same.

An innovative example of this strategy in action came from the RAID: Shadow Legends campaign. Instead of pulling players into a purely virtual world, the brand brought its adventure directly into the real world through an augmented reality experience. Players, armed with only their in-game IDs, could use their phones to open a portal into the game’s universe and embark on an AR quest to find a hidden dragon egg.

To amplify the experience, gaming influencers and bloggers were recruited to guide their audiences through the adventure, showcasing how the game’s blend of real and virtual worlds created a completely new, immersive experience.

The result? A global phenomenon where players embrace the game’s virtual treasure hunt, deepening their connection to the brand while having influencers directly engage with their communities through this cutting-edge AR experience.

Pro Tip:

When crafting immersive AR/VR experiences, make sure to partner with influencers who can fully embody the experience, not just promote it. Look for influencers who are naturally curious about technology and can communicate the magic of these worlds in a way that feels personal, engaging, and exciting for their followers.

5. Leverage Influencers for Authentic Product Demos that Drive Action

Forget dry tutorials—today’s AR/VR products shine brightest when influencers show their audiences how they actually work. The magic happens when these influencers put the product through its paces in real, everyday situations, providing genuine, on-the-ground demos that highlight the product’s true value.

A key strategy here is letting influencers demonstrate features naturally without the pressure of perfect, scripted performances. Whether it's testing the device in action or walking followers through how they use it daily, product demos should feel authentic, not like a sales pitch. It’s about letting their followers see the product come to life, giving them a real sense of what to expect when they try it themselves.

For AR/VR brands, these demos are an opportunity to break down the complex and make the tech feel accessible, easy, and—most importantly—worth investing in.

Take Apple Vision Pro, for instance. Influencers like Casey Neistat and Zac Alsop turned product demos into real-life content that resonated with their audiences. Casey hit the streets of Manhattan, electric skateboard in tow, giving his followers an up-close look at the Vision Pro's capabilities as he effortlessly used it in a dynamic environment.

Similarly, Zac posted a playful, relatable Instagram video of him walking his robodog, all while wearing the headset, making the technology feel natural and part of everyday life. These demos didn’t just show off the product—they brought it to life for millions of viewers, racking up 4 million views for Casey and 120K likes for Zac.

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Pro Tip:

Focus on real-world scenarios in your product demos. The more natural and organic the demo feels, the more likely it is to resonate with your audience and drive interest.

6. Crafting Authentic, Interactive “First-Impression” Experiences with Influencers

Creating authentic, interactive experiences is key when introducing AR/VR products to the market, especially in the early stages of launch. The first impression matters—it's not just about the product itself but about how you invite your audience to experience it. In this case, influencers are the perfect partners to guide consumers through that initial experience.

The strategy is to leverage influencers to create interactive, first-hand encounters with your product—whether it’s AR filters, product demos, or virtual worlds. The goal is to make the experience feel personal, immersive, and hands-on. This approach ensures the product is not just promoted, but actively experienced by the audience in a way that’s engaging, shareable, and memorable.

Instead of a simple demo or tutorial, you’re allowing your influencers to build interactive worlds that provide a deeper connection between their followers and the product. These worlds aren’t just fun—they give followers a taste of the product in a way that feels real and first-person. This could be through AR filters, VR worlds, or live virtual interactions.

Let’s break it down by looking at Garnier’s #GarnierVitC campaign to promote its new Vitamin C Glow Boost Night Serum. Instead of simply relying on influencers to promote the product through basic content, Garnier created a custom AR filter that allowed users to step into an immersive “Vitaverse”, a serene, futuristic spa-like world that brought the serum’s benefits to life.

This was not a traditional product demo. Influencers like @kristiinesloth and @jenniesofie didn’t just post static photos of the product; they led their audiences into this interactive world. By using the AR filter, followers could explore different aspects of the product, switching between night and day modes to visually understand how the serum works at different times of day.

This was a first-impression strategy in action—rather than just telling followers what the serum does, Garnier allowed them to experience it. The influencers became guides in this virtual space, helping followers connect with the product in a personal, dynamic way.

Pro Tip:

To craft truly authentic interactive experiences, don’t just create a product demonstration—make it an experience that fosters genuine exploration. Allow influencers to own the narrative, and ensure the experience feels personal and immersive for their audience.

Related Content:

The Future of Influencer Marketing is Immersive

As AR and VR technologies evolve, influencer marketing is positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of immersive shopping experiences. Snapchat's pioneering integration of AR Lenses with shoppable features set a new precedent for seamless commerce within social platforms, while brands like Oculus and PlayStation are pushing boundaries with continuous influencer engagement strategies.

Moving forward, AR/VR brands must focus on creating authentic, interactive first-impression experiences, leveraging influencers to guide audiences through immersive virtual worlds. By merging entertainment with commerce, brands can build deeper emotional connections and drive sustained engagement, ultimately making AR/VR technology feel both accessible and exciting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can AR and VR be used effectively for influencer marketing?

AR and VR can be leveraged in influencer marketing to create highly engaging, interactive, and immersive brand experiences. Here’s how:

  • Product Demos & Virtual Try-Ons: Consumers can engage with products through AR/VR, experiencing them in a digital space before purchasing. For instance, beauty influencers can demonstrate virtual makeup try-ons or fashion influencers can showcase clothing or accessories through AR filters.
  • Immersive Experiences: AR/VR allows brands to craft environments or experiences that are engaging and shareable, amplifying social media buzz. For example, VR events or virtual tours enable influencers to bring products to life in creative ways.

What are the benefits of using VR and AR in influencer campaigns?

There are several key advantages to incorporating AR and VR into influencer campaigns, both in terms of consumer engagement and overall brand impact:

Benefit Description
Increased Interaction Users interact with products or content in an engaging, hands-on way.
Authentic Brand Experiences AR/VR creates memorable moments that align with brand narratives, fostering stronger emotional connections.
Wider Reach and Shares AR/VR experiences are highly shareable, generating social media buzz and increasing visibility.

How can AR/VR enhance customer engagement in influencer marketing?

AR and VR boost customer engagement by making interactions more personal, dynamic, and immersive. Through influencer collaborations, brands can:

  • Offer Interactive Experiences: By using AR filters or VR try-ons, influencers can lead their audience through a unique experience, offering a fun and personalized journey.
  • Foster Real-Time Engagement: Live-streaming AR/VR events with influencers can directly connect brands with their audience in real-time, making consumers feel involved and valued.

Are virtual influencers effective in AR/VR campaigns?

Virtual influencers can be highly effective in AR/VR campaigns, especially when targeting younger, tech-savvy audiences. They offer brands full creative control and the ability to craft tailored, futuristic narratives. Here are a few reasons why they work well in AR/VR:

  • Consistency and Precision: Virtual influencers can convey specific brand messaging without the unpredictability that comes with human influencers.
  • Appealing to Digital Natives: They resonate well with younger audiences who are already immersed in digital and AR/VR spaces.

Can AR/VR campaigns drive conversions for luxury brands?

AR and VR are powerful tools for luxury brands looking to create unique, high-end experiences that resonate with consumers. By using these technologies, luxury brands can:

Strategy How It Drives Conversions
Immersive Product Demos Allows customers to engage with products in an exclusive, detailed setting, boosting confidence.
Virtual Showrooms Creates an exclusive, high-end shopping experience, increasing the likelihood of purchase.
Personalized AR Filters Enables customers to see products in real life, helping them visualize ownership and driving decision-making.

How do influencers create AR/VR content for brands?

Influencers can create AR/VR content by collaborating with brands to design experiences that align with their style and audience. Typically, this involves:

  • Using AR/VR Platforms: Influencers work with brands and developers to create custom filters or VR experiences on platforms like Instagram or Snapchat.
  • Guiding Audiences: Influencers create walkthrough videos, tutorials, or live streams that showcase the AR/VR features, encouraging audience participation.

Which platforms are best for AR/VR influencer marketing?

When it comes to AR and VR influencer marketing, certain platforms stand out for their immersive capabilities and wide reach.

Platform AR/VR Capabilities
Instagram AR filters, interactive Stories, and IGTV for live-streaming VR events.
TikTok AR filters, viral challenges, and short-form AR-based influencer content.
Snapchat Innovative AR lenses and interactive branded AR filters.

How can AR/VR improve brand storytelling in influencer campaigns?

AR/VR can revolutionize brand storytelling by immersing audiences in interactive, experiential narratives. Influencers can use these technologies to bring a brand's message to life in a way that static posts and traditional ads simply can’t.

  • Creating Immersive Worlds: Brands can transport audiences into a story with virtual reality, allowing influencers to guide them through an engaging narrative.
  • Interactive Product Storylines: AR allows consumers to explore a product's backstory or key features through a digital layer, providing more context and fostering deeper connections.

Can AR and VR increase brand awareness for niche products?

Yes, AR and VR can significantly boost brand awareness for niche products by offering unique, memorable experiences that encourage social sharing. These technologies allow smaller or niche brands to stand out by delivering high-impact, interactive campaigns that captivate their target audience and generate buzz across platforms.

About the Author
Koba Molenaar
Koba Molenaar
Writer
Koba Molenaar brings nearly a decade of rich experience in content writing, specializing in digital marketing, branding, SaaS, and eCommerce. Her passion for helping brands, from solopreneurs to established companies, connect with their audiences shines through her work. As a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, Koba’s commitment to excellence is evident in her work, showcasing her as a relatable and knowledgeable voice in the industry.

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