The Metaverse is more than a trend or buzzword—it’s positioned to be the next step in the evolution of the internet. Chances are you’re already plotting how your marketing strategy needs to adjust to work within this new immersive digital environment and partnering with a strategic media agency (like LEAP Amp) can help your business prepare to evolve alongside this emerging technology. If you’re looking to join and operate competitively within the Metaverse, you need a thoughtful media strategy that takes advantage of all the Metaverse has to offer.

The foundation of the Metaverse is virtual connection. Mark Zuckerberg recently rebranded Facebook as “Meta” and considers the Metaverse to be the "holy grail of online social experiences." At its core, the Metaverse will be an augmented and virtual reality space where people from around the globe can create avatars, interact in simulated experiences and make NFT purchases to enhance their virtual, 3D worlds—and these purchases will be influenced by virtual advertising.

What Will Metaverse Marketing Look Like?

Advertising must always engage with consumers in the spaces they often occupy. Following global Covid-19 lockdowns, consumers flocked by the millions to TikTok and Instagram Reels, and many brands took notice. Companies quickly began developing media strategies and paid advertising content that allowed them to promote their products and services on these high-engagement social platforms. Brands learned that promoting themselves in spaces their target consumers frequently visited was the best use of their advertising resources, and the same logic holds true for the Metaverse.

To engage with consumers within this new digital universe, your company will need a media strategy that understands how the Metaverse economy and advertising will function.

  • Some believe that the first iterations of Metaverse advertising will mirror real-life advertising roots. As consumers’ avatars interact and participate in the Metaverse, they will be exposed to branded paid advertising in the form of virtual billboards, digital influencer recommendations and even avatar fashion.
  • Consumers can then use NFTs to make digital purchases because Metaverse items can be carried, used, and worn by avatars throughout the connected Metaverse world.
  • Some online gaming platforms in the Metaverse, like Roblox, offer turn-key paid media placements like sponsored ads to promote branded experiences. These platforms are able generate performance data like impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, conversion rate, and attributed plays (or how many people visited your experience after seeing or clicking on the ad).

Introducing Media Strategies for the Metaverse

As consumers increasingly turn to social media technology that generates digital experiences to inform their buying decisions, it is critical that your brand match consumer expectations through up-to-date advertising technology.

This means building a solid Metaverse media strategy that accomplishes two key factors: (1) promoting your brand through Metaverse-friendly paid advertising and product placements and (2) designing content that feels authentic to virtual consumers.

To get your Metaverse media strategy started, consider the following:

  • Consumers will interact with your brand via avatars in a 3D digital world. How can you create opportunities for product placement that feel genuine and natural when your target avatars encounter them? How can you provide consumers with “tangible” ways to see, touch or experience your products in the Metaverse?
  • Imagine how consumer avatars would enjoy interacting with your brand, and design paid advertising around this concept. For example, if your target audience likes to attend large gatherings like concerts or sporting events, you may choose to place paid ads at virtual concerts or soccer games.
  • If it aligns with your target audience’s wants and behavior, plan to develop an immersive branded experience customized to your audience and Metaverse platform of choice, and consider using promotion both inside the metaverse (like traditional display ad placements, virtual billboards, etc.) to increase usage and foster community.
  • Consider your Metaverse SEO and organic reach: including “Metaverse” in your branded keywords, content headlines, product descriptions and social media posts is a budget-friendly way to expand Metaverse brand awareness.

The Metaverse is not just the digital wave of the future coming up on the horizon—it's becoming a marketing reality. And as advertising technology continues to evolve, LEAP Amp understands how to elevate your brand while keeping your target audience the star of the show. Let us partner with you to create effective paid advertisements and product placements within the immersive digital environment of the Metaverse.