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Have you ever heard the saying “the future is now?” The future in digital marketing is indeed now and if companies want to propel themselves to the next level of success, a strategy for utilizing the metaverse should be a serious consideration for long-term marketing plans.

As technological capabilities make rapid-fire advancements with virtual and augmented reality environments you don’t want to play catch-up for market share even in the virtual realm. The Millennials and Gen-Z are leading the way with metaverse use as their purchasing power and ability to influence across industries is quite evident and significant. They are tech-savvy and easily adapt to innovations in how they experience the digital world. They are a captive audience for building brand awareness, so business owners and digital marketers take note- it is time to make your presence known in this digital world.

No company or brand wants to keep up; they want to be the voice that is heard and the brand that is seen in both the real world and virtual world. Digital marketing across one or multiple metaverses is an essential step in your next generation of digital campaign strategies. Your products and your brand need to appear in a metaverse platform to maintain a strong presence in front of this powerful audience.

What is a Metaverse?

A metaverse is an immersive, digital environment where the users create avatars- virtual representations of themselves- and experientially participate in a real-world meets virtual reality universe. Avatars live in this digital environment and may access it as an individual or may develop connections with other users. It is active, occurs in real-time, and players have control over how and with whom they participate. The purpose of entering and utilizing a metaverse is to provide participants with what seems like a real-life experience but in a virtual world. Just like our own expanding real-world universe, the metaverse can expand as well and is open-ended. There is a starting point, but no finish line.

You might think this is just a fancy definition for a video game, but the metaverse encompasses not only complexity and versatility in content, but also in applications that exceed just moving levels or accumulating a score. While the metaverse may still be in its beginning stages as a marketing platform, several high-profile sites have entered our lexicon, such as Fortnite and Minecraft. Facebook’s Metaverse is only the newest among dozens of online experiential platforms.

How Can a Metaverse Build Your Brand?

The marketing potential of placing your brand within a metaverse is enormous and iconic companies like Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Nike have already taken advantage of product placement. Many businesses have recognized that the metaverse is quite literally a space that may be virtual but can produce tangible results by influencing what participants see and what they can purchase.

As with crafting any marketing strategy, building your brand in a metaverse requires some research. While exciting as this domain may be, it is still in its infancy therefore any business must be practical and targeted with its brand and product placement.

What are the available metaverse options? The world of print, radio, and television advertising evolved into seemingly infinite platform possibilities for marketing online as the internet gained traction. Adding the metaverse to your digital marketing strategy is a powerful move, but you still need to know who the players are, just as you once knew which newspapers or radio stations gave you the most bang for your buck.

Know your target audience. This tried and true rule has not changed with the advent of metaverse advertising. Who is using the metaverse channel? You must know your audience demographics to align your products with the right consumers.

Determine your format. Will you place billboards or banner ads in your chosen metaverse? Or maybe you will incorporate a music video or specific product placement. What the user sees is important, but how they see it must factor into the positioning of your brand for the metaverse to be an effective marketing tool.

Give the Participants a Real-World Experience. The companies that have jumped on board with metaverse advertising have seen the potential beyond standard yet stagnant forms of advertising. Metaverse avatars are wearing Nike shoes and carrying Gucci handbags. Designers are creating clothing fashions that align specifically with a metaverse environment. Musicians are promoting their songs by inserting them within the platforms. All of these examples have the capability of connecting participants directly to a company’s or an artist’s products that are primed for purchase.

The time to evaluate your company’s advertising strategy is now because, as with anything innovative, the metaverse is experiencing its own Big Bang, and only those who realize its enormous potential for brand awareness and product placement will reap the financial benefits.  DevDigital has helped companies in a wide range of industries strategize, design, and launch great apps, custom software, and, of course, awesome websites. If your company needs a new app or site to stay competitive in the digital marketplace, contact us to schedule a time when we can talk about your project idea.