The metaverse has been a trending topic since Facebook (now Meta) and Microsoft announced their plans to launch their own metaverses respectively. The promise of a fully immersive virtual reality has many sitting at the edge of their seat. With all the buzz, it’s more important than ever for digital marketers to learn how to get into the metaverse marketing game ahead of the curve. So let’s dive into what the metaverse is and how you can take advantage of it as a digital marketer.
What is the Metaverse?
Before we can actually figure out how to get into the metaverse marketing landscape, we have to understand what it actually is. This is actually a pretty tricky subject considering the fact that the metaverse has yet to fully materialize as a concept.
The easiest way to give the metaverse meaning is to look at Second Life, the incredibly popular online multimedia platform created by Linden Lab in 2003. The game shares UI similarities with The Sims, allowing users to create avatars that may or may not portray them realistically in order to move through the virtual world.
Second Life offers users an alternative reality in which they can interact with others outside of real-life restrictions. But it wasn’t long before the real world began to intertwine with Second Life in a variety of ways. Lindens, the in-game currency, became something you could exchange for dollars – creating real implications for decisions made in the game. Meanwhile, different companies began to advertise within the game and users were exchanging cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin.
While Second Life is missing key elements of the Facebook metaverse such as augmented reality and the use of virtual reality goggles, the game still provides a great foundation for a metaverse in which the digital and the physical collide and interlace. So in short, the metaverse is conceptually a digital space in which people can shop, play, socialize, and more without the restrictions of time and space.
How to Get into the Metaverse as a Marketer
It’s easy to think of the metaverse as just a video game upgrade or space to enjoy a vacation simulator. But the new terrain will hold a wealth of potential for digital marketers who are savvy enough to jump in at the start. There are a variety of metaverse-esque books and movies that paint a picture of what the space might look like for everyday users, but what about the companies providing experiences inside? Here are some potential avenues to consider using to position your marketing strategy’s entry into the metaverse.
Brand Awareness and Advertising
Any new platform (even an intangible one) offers the opportunity to reach a new or wider audience. The metaverse is no different! Just as a digital marketing firm wouldn’t hesitate to create an advertising campaign strategy for a social media platform, neither should it neglect the advertising potential within the metaverse. This will be especially key when it comes to reaching young, up-and-coming audiences because they will have essentially grown up with the metaverse and be most likely to spend time in it.
Communication with Customers
Customer communication has evolved significantly over the years. There was a time when the only option was to pick up the phone and wait for an available representative. Now, customers have the option of live-chats to answer their questions or resolve any problems. And soon, they may have the option to do the very same thing “face to face” in the metaverse. Companies at the forefront of this new form of communication can put themselves at a great advantage by providing consumers with the benefits of real-time communication without the inconvenience of having to travel. And marketers who are able to guide companies to this new approach are sure to be recognized as breakers of the mold.
Create Metaverse-Specific Products to Elevate Your Brand Experience for Customers
Imagine putting on a VR headset and visiting a Coca-Cola factory pop up where you can visit the factory and see Original, Cherry, and Vanilla coke being made side by side. Or jumping into a virtual closet filled with the clothes you packed away in storage. The metaverse offers the possibility of untethering experiences from physical locations – making those experiences ubiquitous for consumers around the globe. Mobile app marketers will have a new way to show audiences exactly how the apps can offer solutions and elevate their quality of life.
There are a wealth of possibilities when it comes to finding angles to enter the metaverse and make use of it as a marketing tool. It may seem premature to be trying to figure out how to get into the metaverse when the metaverse itself is still very much a concept in flux. But doing so now will pay off in the long run when you are able to spearhead the movement to a new space for people to communicate with one another and interact with technology.