In the world of searching for the next big thing, the metaverse looms large. Fueled by “what if” dreams and outlined by fiction, the concept has been around for decades — look back at the first in-print appearance in a , for example. With advances in technology, what once seemed impossible is quickly becoming a true reality. Platforms like is proof of this. 1992 novel The Sandbox As with anything that impacts society via the world wide web, the metaverse puts business owners and startup launchers on notice. So what, exactly, does the onset of the metaverse mean for you and your venture? Defining the Metaverse The meaning of “metaverse” has grown and expanded since it was first suggested with the advent of internet socialization. At the core, it’s about connections — connections between people, and connections with tech that facilitate what we do, who we talk to, and how we live. Add to that how we make purchasing decisions, interact with brands, and run our businesses. From both the business side and the consumer side, the metaverse offers some unique opportunities for anyone willing to take advantage of them. Dipping our toes into the metaverse could mean something as simple as including — and as complex and unique as using a virtual reality setting to communicate with clients or market new features. The full use of the metaverse is limited only by the type of startup. automated AI chatbots for customer service So how can you ensure that your startup is completely ready for the full integration of the metaverse? Leveraging the Turn The scope of functionality for the metaverse is huge, but it boils down to a few key elements: identity and connectivity. Leveraging these two elements can set your startup on the path to metaverse success. In my own experience with numerous startups, I can personally attest to the importance of both, even before the most recent iteration of the metaverse. With the popular emphasis on virtual reality, augmented reality, and other ways to boost our workaday world into something more special, I would certainly recommend any startup entrepreneur to put their attention on these two aspects. Identifying Your Startup in the Megaverse Okay, branding isn’t new - but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important just because it’s one of the most commonly recommended areas of focus for a startup. Branding is how you identify your company, and with the advent of the metaverse, there are simply more arenas in which you must be clearly identified — and more ways to do so. And more meaning behind it, too. Take something basic and fundamental, like designing a logo. Pre-metaverse, logo design was more about putting a label on your company. Messaging should be a key player in design — making sure that your logo appeals to your target audience, for example — but the metaverse itself stems from connectivity, the purpose of bringing people together. Acknowledging that basis could lead a graphic designer to create a logo with a more community-minded meaning that translates well across all platforms used by your startup. For example, the great Saul Bass designed some of the for brands such as AT&T and Kleenex. most famous and iconic logos Reaching out to any new platform requires an understanding of the nuances that caused the construction of that platform — at least, in order to leverage the platform to its highest extent. Feeding that information into your branding enables you to design branding that appeals to your wider audience by demonstrating your understanding of where they come from, and why they’re there. I definitely recommend any startup entrepreneur to review their branding initiatives before launching into the metaverse. Excellent branding is imperative for building loyalty among your customer base, but it can be even more important as we head into an expanded online universe that utilizes metaverse principles as our new reality. Connecting With Your Audience Okay, here’s a big one that you’ve never heard before: utilize social media for your startup. Yeah, that was a sarcastic. You’ve almost certainly heard branding expert after branding expert sing the praises of using social media — more than half of consumers turn to social media to learn about new brands, and nearly and interact with brands. little 70% use social media to communicate Right from the beginning, the metaverse was all about connectivity. Today, it hasn’t really changed. Reaching out, starting conversations, and allowing your audience to touch base with your brand and get to know your startup as a personality is all part of interacting in the metaverse. My suggestion here would be to make your brand a real personality and leverage the metaverse to facilitate interactions. This can be done in a variety of ways — one suggestion is using the chatbot AI on your website as the brand “personality” and writing scripts that fit in with how your brand would interact if it was a real person. As a serial entrepreneur, facilitating connections with my customer base is one of my absolute favorite features of starting and running my businesses. The metaverse gives me and other entrepreneurs an even wider range of possibilities to initiate and grow those connections. Is Your Startup Metaverse-Ready? Most discussion about the metaverse centers on the use of individual methodologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and virtual conversations. I love the use of these as facilitators to make connections between brands and audiences, and between humans and other humans. For your startup, it’s definitely important to be ready to utilize these specific aspects, especially as your audience increasingly turns to AI, videos, and varying levels of reality. But the most important thing to remember is that the metaverse sprang from a desire to connect more deeply, more broadly, with others. If you remember that principle as you design your startup launch, you’ll be ready for the world of the metaverse.

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