Three Dimensional photography sounds hyper-futuristic on the surface, but it's been around since the early 1900s. Back then, stereo photography was the closest representation of what we call three-dimensional today. By using two lenses (from the left and right eye) with slight variations, the overlapping of two images created a 3D moving effect. Now with smartphones, every consumer has a near professional-grade camera in their pocket, all of which have the capability to unlock 3D photography. When consumers share these images with brands, brands need to take advantage of this high-quality UGC.

How to Create 3D Images

Towards the end of 2018, Facebook released a 3D photo viewer and subsequently a 3D conversion option in 2020, however, despite the forward-looking initiative, the feature has its limitations starting from requiring a dual camera smartphone.

One great way to produce high-quality 3D images is with an app called LucidPix. The app uses an advanced AI system to transform 2D images into 3D, with the opportunity to do more than the Facebook 3D feature. This app allows users to capture new photos in 3D, convert existing 2D photos to 3D, and help the user customize their creation with frames, filters, and motion. There is a lot of opportunity for brands and consumers to create new content for social, and beyond.

Create Engaging Stories and Posts on Instagram and Facebook

Since 3D Photos are not yet mainstream, businesses and consumers can leverage 3D photos to drive unique content experiences.  

This is especially important with visual platforms like Instagram that rely on unique and engaging images to garner engagement. While Instagram is still catching up to Facebook in terms of supporting 3D images, you can upload your 3D content to Instagram as a video or GIF on both the newsfeed and stories.

Whilst the ease of scrolling through Facebook is great from a user’s perspective, it can be difficult for marketers to stand out. However, after the introduction of the 3D viewer on Facebook, 3D Photos now move as you scroll past or interact with them. This change has caused viewers to pause and engage more with 3D posts, making them more likely to hit the like or share button. Alongside an engaged audience, marketers need to ensure that their message is remembered. With 3D Photos, there is a greater chance of audience members recollecting a business’ message as a result of the immersive content marketing.

Engaging Content for the Future of Marketing

The enticing nature of 3D imaging has been adopted by larger companies that can see the potential future for 3D marketing. Disney released a Frozen 2 poster in RealD to promote their movie being shown in cinemas in 3D. This decision increased hype around the movie and supported the “magical” nature of the Disney brand image. But every brand can and should participate in the 3D content space. After all, brands need to continuously create engaging content for their audience – and when their fans are empowered to create dynamic and innovative content, brands can benefit by collecting that user-generated content. With these new adoptions of 3D images and user-generated content, brands can stand out and become even more engaging.

Alex Billington is a social media and marketing intern for Lucid and is currently based in the Bay Area.