“Data-Driven Thinking” is written by members of the media community and contains fresh ideas on the digital revolution in media.
Today’s column is written by Mitch Ratcliffe, partner at Metaforce.
Technologies have come to define the communities they support. For more than a decade, the “mobile-first” experience defined app and site development – and rightly so. Smartphones have become second nature for 6.5 billion users. But the customer relationship doesn’t stop at the smartphone screen. Digital experience must bridge the phone, tablet, TV, OOH and online communities using a combination of chat, VR and other tools to forge a brand voice.
That’s why, in 2023, we’ll see a Great Meta-reversal, a shift toward rich content and experiences that build enduring, engaged communities.
Web 3.0 is all about interoperability. That promise alone should make marketers rethink how they approach community-building experiences in all forms of media.
Rather than building a separate experience for each mode of interaction, brands now have the tools to integrate the consumer relationship across many digital touch points. But fostering those connections to create an integrated brand experience is an ongoing challenge.
Use the metaverse – don’t let it use you
Unfortunately, building isolated, one-off promotions in the metaverse doesn’t catalyze communities.
The revelation that several metaverse destinations fail to attract viable audiences was the most important lesson of 2022. These isolated virtual stores, clubs, and challenges are more like a dying shopping mall than a vibrant meeting place.
However, metaverse-like gaming platforms, such as Roblox, Second Life and Minecraft, attract crowds every day. They drive viable active participation rates because they do not constrain users to the rules of one place or challenge.
After trying to build Disneyland in the metaverse, it’s time for brands to think in terms of selling Disney gear and collectibles that travel with customers across virtual worlds.
In 2023, brands should focus on community members rather than digital destinations. Instead of creating a virtual store or club, distribute virtual gear, custom avatar skins, and other movable assets that consumers can share as they roam the metaverse.
Lean on influential connections
On today’s web, influencers are your new sales staff. Work with them.
But remember: these brand advocates come in all sizes, hues, and attitudes. Although there are a few people who can move millions with a word, we also need to engage the millions of people who can change market dynamics simply by talking to their friends.
And Gen Z is not the only target for influencer marketing. Gen Z just happens to be the generation that came of age when mass media evaporated into a mist of connectivity where audiences of just a few thousand can make a brand hot or not. And even non-digital natives follow the trends set by their online communities.
More than 15 years ago, Technorati founder Dave Sifry called this world the “magic middle,” where brands can make influencers out of everyday people and support growing communities of shared interest.
The question for marketers is: How can you find and engage these people?
As technology continues to evolve and transform in 2023, the rules of the game will remain the same. Marketers shouldn’t just opt for the next shiny object. They should select platforms and curate experiences that will enable them to meet the interests and needs of their customers – in the metaverse and beyond.
Follow Metaforce on LinkedIn and AdExchanger (@adexchanger) on Twitter.
