After multiple data leaks and scandals, Facebook has finally become Meta. But what is this Metaverse everyone’s talking about? As you might have heard in the last month, a recent leak of documents put Facebook in a significant crisis. And then, in the middle of this mess, Zuckerberg announced an extensive rebranding strategy for Facebook. From now on, the company will be known as “Meta.”

While we waited to know more, the rebranding announcement brought up more questions: What is the goal of this rebranding action? Will Meta massively impact the Internet’s future? And above all, how could this crisis affect managers and marketers whose businesses depend on Zuckerberg platforms to produce their results?

Avoiding Chaos

It was unclear how this rebranding could help users; Mark was determined to create a positive technological image of this “new brand”. It will be more closely linked to AI, AR, and VR, which will lead to a new way of interaction between social technologies and humans.

The rebranding was done in record time; in the blink of an eye, there is already a new logo implemented in the Meta applications, including Instagram and Whatsapp. For the Metaverse, this also leads to the evolution of products towards an entirely new reality. Users will enter virtual reality and chat, create avatars, meet friends, buy virtual things with cryptocurrencies, etc.

What About Networks and Users?

When it comes to the future of social media and technology, Meta can undoubtedly lead the way towards an evolution. 

This can also potentially impact the future of marketing. Soon, the impact of social changes could be determined by the interactions that take place in the virtual world. Consumers will be able to spend more time in a different reality. Subsequently, behaviors, habits, and daily consumption will also be affected. 

Should Marketing Specialists Start Considering the Metaverse?

It is crucial to stay on top of these changes, mainly when the conversation constantly focuses on these matters. It is too soon to say what specific changes the Metaverse might bring. Also, how consumers and users will react in front of them. After reviewing the materials and what we know so far, we can form a forecast on the potential challenges for managers and Marketing specialists in the short to medium-term future:

• A universe of virtual possibilities. The Metaverse offers a new reality where users can act the way they want. But keep in mind that outside of it, they still exist.
• Changes in the behavior of the consumer. This constantly challenges marketing specialists, mainly if we consider that consumers will now be interacting in two realities.
• New challenges. A new network represents a whole new array of possibilities to engage new customers, requiring new metrics, analysis, and strategies.
• An evolution in content creation. Instead of posts, ebooks and whitepapers, in this new VR, we will be constantly connected to new interactive experiences. Whether through Amplified Reality, Virtual Reality, or another kind of online interactions.

Take Advantage of the Confusion

With all of these updates on Meta and Facebook, it is up to business owners and marketers to stay updated on the topics that could potentially affect the brands negatively or positively and make the best out of this whole situation. 

If there’s something certain it’s that social networks have proven to be unknown terrain for cultivating business projects. While having an engaged audience on social media that your buyer persona uses is a great strategy, you should be careful if your business is totally or partially based on Meta platforms or other social networks. Consider building an audience on your own platforms, diversify the content, and reach more people.

Sooner or later, the Metaverse will be introduced into our day-to-day routines, be it AR for the camera systems of smart devices or the glasses companies use to create interactive experiences. We are surrounded by that kind of technology, whether we are aware of it or not. The Metaverse was built in a market that’s still premature, but we can realize that a new trend has arrived and continues to grow, and marketing specialists know that they must be attentive to market trends.