Metaverse marketing—what consumer gaming data can teach brands about digital worlds

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games have given marketers decades of lessons in building viable, appealing metaverse spaces. It might be fun to battle a 64-bit dragon with your friends in World of Warcraft or create a self-sufficient wheat farm in Minecraft—but it can still be a huge drag to be a billionaire in a virtual reality world if the systems in place offer underwhelming, lackluster experiences. Some companies have incorrectly assumed that their audience’s dream is to never remove their headsets. But the virtual ability to fly into outer space, give themselves washboard abs and purchase a digital house next to Snoop Dogg doesn’t mean they will care. Fortunately, we have years of data about what has truly worked in metaverse spaces and what users want when it comes to hanging out, shopping and even living in them: Communication If the metaverse is truly another world for us to live in, people need to feel as much of the nuanced connection and communication they would have standing next to a person in the real world. It’s not just about implementing good communication technology, it’s also about entering social discourse about real issues people are talking about. Web3 and metaverse marketing blog Catch up on the latest virtual experiences and more Click here Accessibility For the past 20 years, gamers have consistently logged into metaverse-type communities because they fit in so well with their regular lives; they didn’t need to jump through hoops to enter exclusive clubs or undergo complex access activities to talk with their friends and see the virtual world. The question for brands: How will you seamlessly fit into your customers’ virtual lives? Ultimately, we’re talking about human interaction. “Being a good neighbor” has been practiced by humans for thousands of years, defining cultures and creating inseparable bonds of friendship and community across the world. The metaverse should be no different. Marketing Kevin Hart points out how all his celebrity friends flock to a new restaurant each month. There always seems to be some trend everyone follows—one that changes every few weeks. Companies are not unlike restaurants in the metaverse; while they may serve products and services, the goal is still to improve customers’ experiences and lives. While real-world restaurant patrons rarely leave feedback or notes for owners, metaverse audiences can provide constant, in-depth feedback about what they want. The trick is utilizing their feedback so you don’t end up as the flavor of the month. The savviest marketing plans for Web3 users will be heavily informed by user activity, preference and desires. This will help brands enter a highly-profitable feedback loop of acquiring high-level customers and using their feedback to make informed, nuanced marketing decisions, Marketers can repeat this loop continuously until they’re highly knowledgeable about exactly what customers want and need—becoming known as the go-to source to address their problems and needs. This goes well beyond Web2 “targeted marketing.” Most of the data marketers have been using is general data taken without the user’s knowledge—or sometimes even consent. In the metaverse, the companies with the most in-depth customer knowledge will win. The only way to get that data is to give audiences a platform to speak and use that feedback to inform decisions. What strategies should be leveraged to create exceptional metaverse marketing and customer experience? Here are the do’s and don’ts: Do use human-centric communication techniques that have worked for thousands of years. Kindness and compassion are always recognized and appreciated in any form. Don’t assume anyone fully knows what will work in the metaverse. The most successful marketers in the metaverse will have a ton of research under their belts before their first marketing strategies emerge–and they will still be experimenting. Do learn from the past experiences of others. Gaming and VR companies have been experimenting with metaverse strategies for years. Learn from them to not make the same mistakes. Don’t rely on trends and fads to inform choices. NFT’s will probably evolve over time, but the initial bubble could completely burst almost overnight. Do give users a space to describe what they want—then give it to them. Companies that insist they already know everything about their audience might find they won’t have an audience much longer. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. We’re in a truly historical time with Web3, and all the cards haven’t fallen yet. What works next quarter might be totally obsolete a year later. Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here

Metaverse marketing—what consumer gaming data can teach brands about digital worlds

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