Busting those metaverse myths
What will it really mean for your B2B brand?
For B2B brands looking to the future, the metaverse could be game-changing. Brand-new opportunities, additional virtual activities, and better access to (even more) people – all possible through an engaging, immersive customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX). It’s the reason why it’s the hottest topic in tech right now.
There’s everything to play for with the metaverse, but there are many misconceptions about how it can play a part in B2B. Get a head start by dispelling the myths and separating the facts from fiction.
Separating metaverse fact from fiction
A: Gaming has blazed a trail in the metaverse. But… forward-thinking B2B brands will start to create interactive 3D product demos for customers and build immersive virtual community experiences for their employees’ avatars.
Is the metaverse exclusively for gaming?
Q
of people will spend at least one hour per day in the metaverse by 2026
0%
Gartner predicts
A: That’s like saying the internet is just your laptop. There’s no need for VR and AR (augmented reality) hardware to access the virtual worlds of the metaverse.
ABM (Account-based Marketing) strategy can employ 2D/3D across communications channels to make meaningful, memorable connections.
Isn’t the metaverse just another way of talking about virtual reality?
Q
Think of the metaverse as the internet of virtual reality – where people can come together from various corners of the universe to interact, trade, and do business.
“
Forbes
A: Because for many, it has already landed. Microsoft’s Mesh for Teams, and tools like EngageVR are just two examples of off-the-shelf, self-serve technologies that will make the metaverse as natural a part of our daily routine as scrolling on screens within the next 5 years.
Why is the metaverse such a talking point in B2B right now?
Q
of technology buyers want to self-serve for all or part of their journey.
0%
Almost
TrustRadius
Doesn’t the metaverse hold more value for the B2C sector than for B2B?
Q
A: What B2C can do, B2B can arguably do better. In the metaverse, rich customer journey experiences will mean unlimited access to untapped audiences.
Virtual event platforms will bridge the gap between in-person and remote interactions, with endless scope to take product demos, conferences, training and community-building to the next level.
…competing in this next decade will require… a truly competitive vision… technology points us in the right direction, but the rest is up to you.
“
Accenture
A. The same question was asked about the internet in the nineties. Tech giants like Microsoft and Google have already made their financial commitment a metaverse future.
Brand engagement is becoming increasingly consumer led and metaverse technology is becoming more affordable, accessible and accepted all the time. B2B brands can start meeting customer demand with immersive virtual engagement experiences now.
Will B2B brands really operate in the metaverse in the long term?
Q
0%
of global executives state that the metaverse will have a positive impact on their organizations,
with
Accenture
0%
believing it will be breakthrough or transformational.
The metaverse offers B2B the kind of engagement, innovations, and experiences that employees, customers and prospects need to move seamlessly between the physical and virtual worlds, from device to device, channel to channel.
The technology already exists. Let’s see what it can do for B2B.