By now you’ve most likely heard about the metaverse. More than buzzworthy technology that continues to make headlines, the metaverse is forcing many brands to reconsider their content marketing strategy and how to meet new consumer demands.
Learn why the metaverse is the newest paradigm shift for the internet and how marketers can leverage it for content marketing. With over 43 million people using metaverse features in 2021 alone, brands must start interacting with consumers in new ways to reach their audience where they are.
Ready to learn from powerhouse brands like Google, Snapchat, Facebook, Roblox, and Epic Games who are already active in the metaverse? Let’s dive in!
Key takeaways:
- The metaverse is a virtual universe that allows brands to leverage VR and AR technology.
- While you must think creatively, the metaverse is a unique way to target millennial and Gen Z audiences.
- Brands can provide an immersive content experience that drives engagement and conversions.
What is the Metaverse?
The metaverse is a digital universe and shared space where people use virtual avatars to build connections and entertain themselves. However, it’s not like an app or a simple game for children; it’s an entire universe that merges with reality and has no end.
Here are a few key characteristics of the metaverse to help put it into perspective:
- Active: It’s never “off” or ends; it just continues with the real world.
- Real-time: The timeline syncs with present-day timing.
- Fully functioning: Users can create, invest, own, sell, and work.
- Individuality: Players can interact with each other or do separate activities, and you can create an avatar that looks just like you.
- Integrations: Multiple platforms interact in the metaverse together.
- User-generated content: Users can develop content and share it with others.
Brands like Sony, Epic Games, Microsoft, and more are already taking advantage of the metaverse. For example, now rebranded as Meta, Facebook is investing $10 billion in the industry and plans on creating 10,000 new jobs for the metaverse. Some predictions show that the industry will reach $800 billion by 2024, proving that the metaverse is here to stay.
Should Brands Advertise in the Metaverse?
Beyond gaming, professionals expect the metaverse will impact office work, education, training, real estate, and more. Savvy digital and content marketers need to understand that the metaverse isn’t a trend but an internet evolution that will transform the way consumers interact with brands.
Because of the pandemic, metaverse trends like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have transformed the way consumers use technology, socialize, and explore. To break into the metaverse, you need to leverage this technology to expose your target audience to your products with content creation.
The metaverse offers several potential benefits for brands, including:
- An opportunity for marketers to break into an emerging technology to deliver better content
- The creation of more visual content using animations and simulations
- More unique consumer experiences and interactions with your brand
Top Ways to Start Content Marketing in the Metaverse
The metaverse isn’t some far-off universe. There are already plenty of ways brands can leverage content marketing in it. For now, it’s still at a relatively low campaign cost compared to pay-per-click or paid social avenues.
Traditional content formats won’t work in the metaverse. Instead, you need to develop creative ads that drive audience engagement and conversions in a more visual world. However, with a driven marketing team and a target audience already spending time in the metaverse, here are a few ways you can leverage it:
Optimize Content for Visual Search and Localized SEO
Most of us are used to developing optimized content for search. So, you’ll want to first rethink how consumers will find your brand in the metaverse. Since AR/VR content overlays traditional digital content and puts prospective consumers in the space with you, you won’t be able to leverage the traditional on and off-page SEO tactics. Instead, focus on visuals.
When it comes to visual search, you still need to develop content that suits your target audience’s needs and piques their interest. Since images are a high-quality feature for Google rankings, the key is to create content that parallels your brand’s reality and showcases it through an AR, VR, and 3D experience. For example, you can leverage Google’s new metaverse features to develop 3D experiences for consumers to view straight from your local listing.
Join the Excitement for Virtual Reality
In 2021, the number of people in the US who used VR was 17.7%. Since Facebook rebranded as Meta, the company is preparing for substantial future growth in the metaverse. With the Oculus hardware, Horizon Worlds, and VR messaging, Meta will most likely launch 3D soon.
How does this benefit marketing teams? Horizon Worlds will allow brands to develop training classes, community groups, and build connections through avatars. This gives your company endless content opportunities.
Here are a few ways you can implement virtual reality in content marketing:
- Provide an immersive brand experience
- Enhance content personalization and customizations to the end-user
- Showcase a visual experience to help drive more conversions
- Add a fun, interactive gaming element to your brand
- Educate users on how your product functions or take them on a virtual tour
Deliver an Immersive Experience with Augmented Reality
51% of consumers plan on using AR technology to make purchase decisions in the future. AR technology augments the real world by adding multiple digital layers to change what users see. Commonly used on platforms like Snapchat, AR allows brands to increase engagement and attract new customers.
Here are a few ways you can start creating AR content marketing:
- Develop branded filters to showcase a new product or encourage users to use a hashtag
- Allow consumers to preview your product virtually before making a purchase
- Encourage buyers to digitally “try on” your products before buying the wrong color, size, etc.
Growing Your Business in the Digital Age
If you’re ready to embrace emerging technology, the metaverse presents your brand with a massive opportunity to interact with your target audience in new and exciting ways. However, to be successful in the metaverse, your content needs to stand out and engage with your target audience in new ways. As a content marketer, you need to think big if you want to connect with users in a meaningful way. After all, there are no limitations in the metaverse.
Ready to start developing impactful content? Click the link to contact us and get started with Contrend.
