It may be hard to believe that it is now over a year since Zuckerburg set the business world alight with his metaverse announcement. But now, while it appears that his grand vision for the next iteration of the web may not be as desirable as once thought, the unquestionable reality is that life – be it the metaverse or another type of augmented reality – is going to become much more virtual or augmented. With this, it becomes imperative for businesses to begin to consider how they can use this important innovation leap to drive their business forward.
Out with the old
Though we may not yet know what shape the new ‘metaverse’ of kinds will take, we do know that it will require the creation of a new generation of 3D CMS solutions which enable brands to create, maintain and modify virtual, augmented and other immersive content. With this, it becomes even more important for brands to consider a clearing out of outdated legacy systems. Although it may be tempting, trying to bend existing systems to meet evolving needs can often prove overly-complicated, timely and costly. Instead, by investing in new infrastructure, such as the latest range of solutions available via APIS, brands can secure the flexibility to evolve their martech structure as their needs and the tech world evolves.
Rethink content
Gone are the days when a catchy email subject line or funny tweet would be enough to draw significant attention to your brand. Already, consumers expect the entire customer journey to be personalised, targeted and offer the best user experience. The next iteration of the web will take this one step further, curating a virtual reality where every product and marketing message is tailored to exact needs. Cue a new impetus for brands to rethink their content now. Is it personalised? Is it relevant? Does it cut through? Everything from delivering dynamic content on your website through to post-conversion follow up needs to happen.
Build expertise
It’s also important to build the expertise you need to maximise the impact of your content. This requires having a martech department that is multidisciplinary and cross-functional. They need to have data, development, commercial and marketing skills and, critically, the team cannot be isolated from the rest of the business. Information flow between marketing and other departments is both desirable and essential. For example, data gleaned from marketing can inform product development and data gathered from areas such as customer service are needed to enable a truly personal, tomorrow-ready experience.
Take small steps
If all of this sounds overwhelming, do not worry – Rome was not built in a day. Start small by auditing existing outputs and looking closely at the data to ascertain successes and pain points. From there you will be able to identify a pilot project where you can trial a new online approach. As this trial develops you’ll have a greater appreciation of the type of tech stack you’ll need, the content that converts and the skills you need to bring into your business. When this is completed you’ll be able to create a plan that can execute the points highlighted above which will help you remain primed for growth amid the emerging new online world.
