CEO and founder of UneeQ, a company dedicated to the creation and implementation of digital human technologies based on artificial intelligence.
You will be forgiven for being left behind in the race against the meta. Less than 12 months have passed since Facebook changed its name to Meta, effectively releasing a launch tool for brands to jump into the promotion cycle. According to Google Trends, in the same week, interest in Metavas increased from almost zero to extremely popular.
This does not mean that Metavas is all hype and empty content - quite the contrary. According to a recent Veriton report, one in three brands allocate 10-20% of their marketing and creative budget to Metaverse. Another 17% say Metaverse is a "priority investment." In a market that is expected to rapidly grow to $800 billion, the size of MetaVas is on the minds of many companies.
But the host should not be late for the party. We are not late; We are exactly where we need to be.
This means that Metavas is still in the testing, testing and learning phase. As far as Web 2.0 is concerned, we are living before the Myspace era. Tom from Myspace still signs the board and has almost no friends. By comparison, Facebook, which dominates the Web 2.0 generation, doesn't exist yet.
It doesn't create anything close to what Web3 looks like. The company that defined the era of the Metaverse may no longer exist. Nothing is ready, and that's okay.
To help with FOMO, let's say we're in "Web 2.5" at this point - the next step.
But we should not take this time for granted. Brands around the world can begin to prepare for the future of the Internet—the future of their businesses—in a more immersive and interactive digital world.
If you're not ready for metawas, that's fine. But it didn't last long. So let's take a look at how to be productive in Web 2.5 before Web3 becomes a reality.
1. Touch the reality of today's metaverse.
Perhaps the best way to prepare for Metawas is to study what has already happened.
Grab your controller, fire up your gaming console or PC of choice, and jump into Fortnite or Roblox. This is one of the first metaverses that allows us to understand how video games differ from each other.
If you're not ready for the competitive elements of the game, check out one of the scheduled events where musicians play virtual concerts or watch in-game esports. This is a great way to see what keeps hundreds of millions of people coming back every day.
Commercially, there are many big brands that have created Metaverse experiences in the browser or on mobile platforms such as Decentraland and The Sandbox. This includes everything from JPMorgan to Duolingo.
You might not be surprised by what's there, but it's a great way to see what's missing and not being used right now.
Hands-on research can also introduce you to the possibilities of Web 2.5—modern brands, technologies, and channels are pushing the definition of Web 2.0 to its limits.
2. Get better at interactive digital experiences.
What makes Metavas exciting and fun is its ability to make everyday digital tasks fun, interactive and engaging.
A recent McKinsey poll found that 47% of respondents found MetaVas to be "very clear", using the words "comprehensive and interactive".
But today's brands are very bad at wanting that. Over the past few decades, marketing teams have invested in social media, websites, podcasts, and other mediums that connect with their customers. Very few of their channels are able to communicate with their customers as expected from the opposite meta.
For example, filling out an online mortgage application form can no longer be a very annoying, cumbersome, and unappealing task. It can be highly informative, engaging and interactive in the metaverse, with AI-powered avatars and digital people providing personal assistance throughout the process.
Again, this is an opportunity to think about Web 2.5. Today, interactive digital experiences need to be streamlined as brands gear up for Metawaves.
3. Discover the Metaverse.
You can be forgiven for wanting to jump right into creating a metaverse strategy for your brand, allocating resources, and getting internal support from your team. But ask yourself if you are ready to begin this process.
When we surveyed one of our recent UneeQ members, 24% said they had a measurement strategy in place. Another 32% said they are actively working on it, while the remaining 44% are waiting to see what happens before starting or are not sure if Metavas is relevant to their business.
So do not rush to come up with a strategy. Instead, work on creating a metaverse mindset—a mindset that increases the likelihood of success for a future metaverse project.
First, think about this: what can your customers do for you with Metaverse that they can't do today?
For example, don't even think about copying your storefront with Metaverse. Imagine what your store would look like if you didn't have to follow the rules of physical reality. Don't think about hosting your chatbot on a Metaverse channel, but think about how great it would be if your celebrity ambassador provided a one-on-one interactive experience for your customers. Do not place billboards on Decentraland; Make your brand mascot a living, breathing billboard (like Duolingo).
Again, don't be afraid to start with Web 2.5 using modern technologies that go beyond Web 2.0. Because if the last 12 months have shown us anything about the Metaverse, it's that no one wins the race. We're just getting started.
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