How to create authentic Digital avatars to automate video production

Understanding Digital Avatars and AI Influencers

Digital avatars are having a major influence on the creator economy. Used as AI influencers or virtual personalities, avatar-generated content is the next big thing, bringing a whole new level of interaction and personalization to modern audiences.

Not only do these digital personas mimic human conversation and expression, but they can also create deeply engaging, personalized video content on-demand – videos that can cater to the specific demands of your industry, niche and platform of choice.

An AI avatar, powered by sophisticated machine learning and natural language processing, can be used for customer service, virtual meetings, marketing videos, personalized sales outreach and more.

This kind of artificial intelligence goes far beyond what a chatbot can offer. A digital avatar will speak and act as your AI clone, designed to replicate your tone, demeanor, body language and expressions. This is also known as a “digital twin”.

AI influencers are slightly different from digital twins or clones. Although they might be based on real people or characters (like the computer-generated Colonel Sanders back in 2019), AI influencers may also be completely fictional creations.

Lil Miquela, for example, is a fictional social media personality who promotes brands to her 3M+ Instagram and TikTok followers. Her digital persona was created using 3D rendering software and motion capture technologies. According to an interview in The Drum, her engagement rate is around three times higher than a human influencer – so it’s easy to see the appeal of an AI influencer from a business perspective.

Traditional video production is expensive and time-consuming, whereas an AI avatar can be created in a matter of minutes and used to deliver content again and again, with no need for a video camera or excessive editing tools.

UGC Platforms Comparison

UGC platforms are capitalizing on the success of avatar-generated content while addressing the need for small businesses and creators to build scaleable, personalized video content streams.

Still, reliability and authenticity are crucial in the creator economy, and the difference between computer-generated influencers like Colonel Sanders and Lil Miquela and digital avatars is key.

Digital avatars, as opposed to AI influencers, should appear lifelike and mimic human tones, expressions and speaking patterns. They’re usually trained on real people, such as founders and CEOs of small companies who want to create video content at scale.

Digital avatar platforms range in quality. With some, it’s impossible to tell you’re not watching a human speaking. With others, delivery is stiff and robotic, making the content feel cheap and badly made.

The best UGC platforms will depend on your platform and audience demographic. If you’re looking to create digital avatars or AI influencers, you might want to try one of these UGC platforms:

Ready Player Me

This tool allows you to create custom cross-platform avatars for virtual meetings, gaming, professional events and UGC video. RPM would work well for companies that host virtual events or who want to create branded content, and who are more focused on creativity and experimentation than hyper-realism. It integrates with platforms like Zoom.

Inworld AI

Similar to Ready Player Me, this UGC platform creates AI characters with advanced storytelling capabilities and realistic interactions. Inworld AI  would be a good option for corporate training or customer service videos, or for companies who want to include immersive storytelling into their marketing or sales strategies.

Tafi

Another popular avatar creation platform, Tafi provides lots of customization options for avatars that can be used for apps, games and professional settings. They are best used as branded avatars for marketing content or as virtual shopping assistants. Again, they are not designed to be lifelike, but there are plenty of creative personalization options.

Synthesia

Unlike the other UGC platforms mentioned here, creates hyper-realistic AI video avatars that can perform video scripts and presentations in multiple languages. This is a good option for corporate training content or video marketing, allowing businesses to create vast amounts of video content without a camera.

Argil

This is one of the best UGC platforms for companies who want ultra-realistic avatars that are indistinguishable from human actors, Argil is perfect for high-end corporate video content, sales videos, content marketing, video clips and digital advertising. There are more customization options than you get with other platforms, and it is more cost-effective overall.

Monetization Strategies for AI Influencers and Digital Avatars

Scalable Video Creation

Marketing and sales teams can easily generate a library of video content using AI avatars in a fraction of the time (and for a fraction of the cost!) involved in traditional video creation.

These videos can be used to drive leads, increase sales and influence new prospects. Tools like Argil can also repurpose existing content like blogs and newsletters, cutting ideation time significantly and helping content go further.

Sponsored UGC Content

Using digital avatars, you can partner with brands or promote products on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube through UGC videos. You could also collaborate with gaming platforms to host branded virtual events featuring your avatars.

Brand Collaboration

Using one of the best UGC platforms, you can develop AI influencers to endorse products and sell branded merchandise. You can also work with brands to create limited-edition avatars and monetize your collaboration.

Ad Revenue

You can use your AI influencers and avatars to create videos and share them on ad-supported platforms like YouTube to create ad revenue. You can also use avatars as spokespeople to drive traffic to affiliate products and earn money through affiliate links.

AI Influencer Success Stories

Lil Miquela: The Original AI Influencer

As we’ve already mentioned, Lil Miquela was a real AI influencer success story. Created by tech startup Brud in 2016, the digital avatar has over 3M Instagram followers and 274K YouTube subscribers, where her creators consistently post engaging content.

She has worked with huge brands like Prada, Calvin Klein and Samsung to model and sell products, resonating best with a Gen Z audience due to their interest in technology and her human-like relatability.

Lu do Magalu: The UGC Video Mogul

Created by Brazilian retail giants back in 2003, Lu do Magalu evolved from a simple brand mascot into a full-blown virtual influencer with over 7 million Instagram followers. She helps to drive sales for the brand Magazine Luiza, promoting products through YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Magazine Luiza have credited the AI influencer with boosting their e-commerce sales by 200%, proving that virtual salespeople can have a tangible impact on company revenue and build trusted relationships with customers.

Smaller creators are increasingly using AI avatars to share content and sell products, especially on UGC platforms like Roblox and VRchat – but we’re also seeing more digital avatars on social media platforms, such as Kwebbelkop on YouTube.

Why Did These AI Influencers Succeed?

These AI influencers are successful because their creators made them relatable and engaging on their platforms of choice. Their creators also post consistently, resulting in high levels of engagement and instilling trust in their audience.

The best UGC platforms like Argil help smaller companies and teams to replicate the success of larger brands through AI avatars and editing tools. Our avatars are much more expressive and dynamic than others on the market, and we offer a suite of editing tools so you can tweak your avatars – and videos – to suit your brand personality and aesthetic.

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