Before you dive in, it helps to understand how the metaverse works for digital marketing. Our 12 tips for marketing inside the metaverse help you get started.

 Get Inside the Minds of the Consumer

 First things first. You need to get inside the minds of your target audience. If you were looking at the product or service you sell or provide, what would you expect from it? User experience (UX for short) is important when building a marketing plan. You need to know what they expect, what you’re possibly missing in your current marketing plan, and how you can make their experience even better than they’re expecting.

 If you sell a product, you need to look at feedback from consumers. What have they loved and what haven’t they enjoyed? Do you know what went wrong from their comments? For example, you have an online shopping tool that draws plenty of traffic, but carts are often abandoned. You need to look at why that is. Do they balk at your shipping costs? How about going into the metaverse and installing a virtual billboard or sign with a coupon code for free shipping?

 Think About the Ways Your Audience Can Immerse Themselves in Your World

 You’re entering the metaverse to connect with your target audience, but how will they immerse themselves in your world? When creating an experiential marketing campaign, you must think about what they can do.

 Suppose you’re marketing a new line of fruit-sweetened marinades. You’re targeting the people who don’t want extra sugar in their diet but also don’t want to use artificial sweeteners. You could create a metaverse kitchen where users can interact with your avatars or through VR headsets to see exactly what goes into the sauces you make.

 Carefully Consider Placement

 Once you’ve decided what to do, you need to be careful about placement. One of the harder aspects of a metaverse is that you don’t always have control over your neighbors or what others do around your virtual display, sign, or establishment. If you’re an environmentally-friendly brand, you might not want to find yourself neighboring a billboard promoting a gas-guzzling truck.

 Ensure Security and Privacy Protection

 In a virtual world, you need to take steps to ensure privacy and security. Before you invite people to join you on a metaverse platform, make sure you agree with the privacy policies. If you’re sending people to your website to purchase items, make sure that the path to your site is secure and not tampered with or altered. 

This is something you’ll need to check regularly. It’s not always likely, but, during 2020, the FBI did receive an average of just over 2,320 emails each day regarding internet crimes.

 Create Items That Everyone Wants

 The Metaverse works well for marketing if you have something everyone desires. Think about what your target audience wants. What are their habits in the real world?

 Limited-edition items can be a good way to market items, but your brand needs to have something that others want. If you think about your consumers, do they play games with trading cards?

 In May 2021, Gucci worked with Roblox for a two-week virtual Gucci Garden, in celebration of the company’s 100th birthday. This virtual world allowed Robloxers to walk around and view Gucci’s virtual rooms and try on digital items. If they liked them, they were welcome to purchase them.

 Breaking it down by the numbers, Roblox had 42 million users at the time, and Gucci’s items ranged in price from hidden free items to purchasable ones ranging from $1.20 to $9. Even more amazing, players resold these limited-edition Gucci items with one person buying a virtual bag for more than $4,100.

 Did it help Gucci? The company’s first-quarter earnings were up more than 20%. By the end of 2021, the company’s earnings had increased by more than 35%. This exceeded the 18% loss Gucci experienced in 2020.

 Mix Metaverse Marketing With Real-Life Events

 While the metaverse is a good place to reach your audience, pair it with real-life events. It enables you to reach a wider audience. In 2021, the beer company Stella Artois celebrated the popularity of the Kentucky Derby and virtual racing. Stella teamed up with Zed Run and auctioned 50 digital thoroughbreds that could be used to enter virtual races or breed to create a new generation of virtual champions.

 Through Zed Run, horses can be sold and raced, leading to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that could be turned into real cash. Some of the first line (Z1) horses through Zed Run have offers of almost $900.

 Use Existing Communities to Your Benefit

 Browse through existing communities that match your company’s or brand’s goals, beliefs, or products. Suppose your brand is very focused on donating a portion of your proceeds to early childhood education, you could look for communities that are focused on childhood education, teaching, and schools.

 By choosing the right community, word-of-mouth marketing spreads faster. Plus, you’re targeting the ideal audience.

 Make Sure You’re Not Alienating Anyone

 Circle back to getting to know your target audience. Stop and consider what you know about them. How old are they? Where do they live? Use this information to ensure you don’t alienate anyone.

 If your brand is on the West Coast and you’re holding a 10 p.m. PST event in the metaverse, have you stopped to think about the customers in EST who won’t necessarily be awake at 1 a.m.?

 Suppose you own a local bakery and are giving away a basket of local products. But, 40% of your audience is under the age of 21 and another 20% of your followers admit in surveys that they don’t drink. You’re alienating them if you don’t offer a non-alcoholic option or eliminate the wine.

 Remember That a One-Size Approach Isn’t Always Best

 A one-size approach isn’t the best. You might want to save money and decide it’s better for you to pick one marketing method and stick to it. You can combine methods and get a lot more from your marketing budget.

 For example, suppose you want to put up a poster about your brand during a Fortnite virtual concert. That’s one marketing method, but why not post about the upcoming concert on social media and invite your followers to join you at that event. Advertise your brand on a suitable podcast or host a virtual gathering before the concert where you offer giveaways and hold Q&As.

 Keep Checking In

 Even after you’ve built your marketing campaign and are drawing new traffic or customers, don’t move on and ignore it. Someone needs to keep monitoring social media and emails for feedback. Post new content to a social media marketing campaign regularly, and check in to the metaverse platforms you’re using. Stay active and engaged with your followers and supporters.

 Utilize the Expertise of an Expert in Digital Marketing

 The best marketing campaign doesn’t just take place in one area or another. Factory 360’s expertise in virtual events, UX/UI, and augmented/virtual/mixed reality are a huge asset for brands looking to reach a wide audience.

 Whether you want to tap into the metaverse to draw a new target audience or meet your user where they are on social media, gaming sites, and the metaverse, we can help. Email our marketing experts with your vision and we’ll help you build a solid marketing plan.