Last updated on March 31st, 2024 at 10:26 am
What is Web3 or Web 3.0?
If the internet has sequels, Web3, or Web 3.0 is probably the 3rd one in its evolution. This term was first introduced by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood in 2014, and describes a decentralised online ecosystem that operates on blockchain systems.
In simple language, we can think of Web3 as a new version of the current internet that facilitates the deployment of decentralised apps running on blockchain networks, or as a new internet where blockchains thrive, and where non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies are built into the platforms that we owe.
Content Creation in Web3 Explained
Web3 and Content Marketing Have the Same Objectives
The good news is, our marketing efforts thus far have not been in vain, as content marketing has become more crucial than ever. This is because the core purpose of content marketing is to develop a community with the content that you build, and the purpose of Web3 marketing is also the same, which is to build a community of millions or billions of people who is truly engaged with your brand.
Customers Control Their Own Data
In the future of Web3, individual users, or the customers will be the controllers of their data and brands will need to interact with them and reward them accordingly for their participation and engagement.
As Web3 advances, customers will be able to share access to the data that they control with any brand or business that they want, and also revoke that access without revealing the underlying data.
Hence, a company’s marketing database would then be made up of access to digital wallets and not just entries such as names, emails and addresses. This will enable brands to target content experiences based on the most recent and updated customer data because their audience would always keep their data current. However, to maintain this relationship, brands will need to put in more efforts, because customers would also have the right to revoke your access to their data at any time too.
Content Tokenisation
Web3 and blockchain-based technologies enable direct peer-to-peer transactions, eliminating the need for centralised service providers such as banks or cash register providers. Brands can now communicate the right message directly to their target audience at the right time by issuing “digital tokens” powered by a blockchain application or technology, which can facilitate any transaction involving digital assets such as downloadable content, ads or subscriptions.
One example of such tokens are NFTs, which are blockchained-based tokens that contain a unique identification code and metadata, distinguishing them from one another.
Web3, with the assistance of these digital tokens, has the potential to revolutionise the internet by shifting the ownership of networks from huge corporations such as Google and Amazon to a mesh of networks controlled by end-users who can manage these blockchain-based networks through cryptocurrency tokens like the NFTs.
Users will have greater control over their content and websites, and will no longer be at the mercy of just a few large companies or governing bodies. They will have the ability to own and even monetise their own content.
Web3 and the Metaverse
At the heart of Web3 is the metaverse, a collection of 3D virtual worlds where users, through digital personas called avatars, can interact, socialise and trade digital products and/or services in different virtual settings.
These worlds are made up of fixed acres of virtual lands, and users can buy these lands, build houses on them, sell advertisements and create games, shops and specific niche districts such as fashion streets. Users can also provide services or develop content for others in the same space for a fee. In essence, users can do whatever they wish within their owned metaverse. Any items created within the metaverse belong to the user as an NFT, which can be sold for cryptocurrencies.
Users can access different metaverses such as Decentraland, Sandbox and Second Life from the comfort of their homes using a laptop or desktop computer or even a mobile phone. This allows users worldwide to create and explore different virtual spaces and solutions, while brands can also engage with users in these spaces.
Types of Content that Brands Can Create with Web3
Web3, the decentralised web powered by blockchain technology, presents brands with numerous opportunities to craft unique and captivating content for their audiences.
The metaverse, for example, offers a three-dimensional virtual environment that enables brands to create immersive experiences for their customers. This means that they must continuously generate meaningful and interactive content to retain their audience and attract new prospects.
Apart from the metaverse, Web3 also provides content creators with technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). Natural language processing capabilities, for instance, can enable customers to have more immersive experiences with your brand’s products and services.
Many brands have already embraced Web3, and will likely join soon. Here are some examples of content types that brands can create with Web3.
1. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
Web3 provides brands with the opportunity to create unique digital assets, such as art, music, or collectibles, and issue them as NFTs that can be sold or traded on blockchain-powered marketplaces. This not only creates new revenue streams for brands but also allows them to engage with their audience in innovative ways, such as by offering limited-edition items or unique experiences.
2. Interactive Experiences
With Web3, brands can create immersive experiences such as games or virtual reality environments. The metaverse presents a massive opportunity for brands to create content such as a stimulating digital game on existing metaverses like Roblox and Nakamoto, to promote their products and/or services. Brands can also create NFTs and digital real estate for purchase, as seen in the metaverse marketing strategies implemented by B2C brands such as Fiat and Royal Carribean Cruises.
E-commerce brands have the opportunity to leverage the metaverse by building virtual storefronts, offering product demonstrations, and providing interactive customer service experiences.
Although B2B brands are less active in the Web3 arena, they can leverage decentralised platforms to host digital trainings, virtual events such as seminars or conferences that provides network participants with an engaging experience, one that allows them to connect and network with other professionals in a fun and secured way.
3. Cryptocurrency-Based Campaigns
By leveraging cryptocurrencies, brands can launch innovative marketing campaigns that incentivise user engagement and loyalty. Such campaigns could involve offering rewards to users who interact with their content or accomplish certain tasks, which can help foster a strong sense of community around the brand and drive long-term customer engagement.
4. Decentralised Applications (DApps)
Decentralised applications, also known as “dapps,” are digital applications that operate on a blockchain or peer-to-peer network of computers, offering enhanced security and transparency to users.
Brands can leverage this technology to create unique dapps that provide users with novel services or utilities. For instance, a fashion brand could develop a dapp that enables customers to design and order custom-made clothing using blockchain-based tools, streamlining the purchasing process and enhancing the overall user experience.
5. Branded Social Tokens
Social tokens are a form of cryptocurrency that individuals, brands, or companies can use to monetise their services or experiences, while also providing digital ownership that can appreciate in value over time.
Brands can leverage social tokens to create exclusive branded experiences, products, or content that are accessible only to token holders within their community. Moreover, brands can incentivise engagement in campaigns and reward their most loyal customers by offering social tokens that can be used for a variety of purposes within the brand ecosystem.
6. 3D Models and 3D Infographics
In Web3 or the metaverse, content will predominantly take the form of 3D objects, ranging from entire virtual environments to characters, avatars, products, logos, and beyond.
As such, 3D infographics will become increasingly ubiquitous. However, it’s crucial to ensure that these infographics are designed with VR, AR, or MR environments in mind and are sufficiently interactive and engaging to capture the attention of your target audience.
7. AR, VR and MR Experiences
Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) are poised to play a significant role in the Web3 or metaverse landscape. What sets these technologies apart from one another?
AR involves augmenting the physical environment with digital visual elements, sounds, and other sensory stimuli, creating an interactive rendition of the physical world through holographic technology. AR features three key components: a blend of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and three-dimensional registration of virtual and physical objects.
VR involves the creation of computer-generated environments that simulate realistic scenes, objects, buildings, and people, providing users with an immersive experience of a virtual world. Typically, users interact with this environment through a pair of VR goggles or headset.
MR takes things a step further by fully immersing users in an experience that blends physical and digital elements, allowing them to interact in real time. This can involve digital objects being integrated into the physical world through holograms, enabling users to interact with virtual objects in the real world.
To summarise, AR users are absorbed in the real world, VR users are immersed in a totally fictional world while MR is a mixture of the two.
As brands seek to leverage these technologies to create engaging experiences for their audiences in the metaverse, they will need to hire specialists with expertise in tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, or 3D-CAD software. These experts will be responsible for creating interactive virtual environments and content using AR, VR, or MR technologies.
Examples of such experiences could include virtual tours of showrooms or factories, or interactive product demonstrations. AR, for instance, can be used to enable customers to visualise how a piece of furniture such as an armchair would look in their home before they make a purchase, while MR can allow users to see themselves driving a car before committing to a purchase.
8. User-Generated Content (UGC)
In the Web3 or metaverse world, user-generated content is set to become even more crucial. Content experiences will largely be driven by members of the community, and brands will need to adjust and tailor their content based on the landscape in which their community operates.
To this end, it’s important for brands to incentivise customers and prospects to create Web3 content about their businesses. This can be achieved through initiatives such as contests, giveaways, or rewards programmes that encourage the community to create content about their brand.
9. Avatars
An avatar represents your digital identity in a virtual environment. Similar to how you hand out business cards in the physical world to new business associates, digital avatars serve the same purpose – you’ll need to have your own avatar to participate in Web3 applications like the metaverse, which will also enable user interactions.
Digital avatars are set to become an increasingly important aspect of the Web3 world. There is already a significant group of users interested in dressing up their avatars in designer clothes and showcasing themselves to the world. The fashion industry is excited about the opportunities that the new technology offers, with some modeling agencies even launching a separate avatar department which provides new opportunities for models and brands.
10. Partnerships Content
Collaborating with other businesses or individuals to curate unique experiences in Web3 will be critical for the success of brands. For instance, fashion brands could partner with video game companies to create content that appeals to a new audience, as Balenciaga did with Fortnite.
In summary, Web3 offers brands a new frontier for creating innovative and engaging content, powered by the latest blockchain technology. It can also help brands foster a sense of community and engagement around their products or services, thus strengthening customer-brand relationships.
Web3 Social Media Platforms
You can promote your Web3 content on various media networks, including Web2, or traditional social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can also explore the new Web3 or blockchain-based social networks.
So, what makes the Web3 social network different from a Web2 social network? Web3 social networks are mainly decentralised. Unlike traditional social media platforms, which often limit the content that you can link to or create to keep users on their platforms, decentralised social media usually has no such restrictions. It democratises content distribution and eliminates the need for anyone to grant you access to the platforms. Some huge Web3 platforms that you can explore include Diamond App, Lens Protocol, Damus, Audius, Chingari, Taki, Steem, Minds and Plai Labs.
What’s the Future for Web3?
Web3 is an evolving technology, and it will take many more years before it reaches its full potential. Whether it will become the future of how we engage with the web and each other, or just an overhyped platform for trading cryptocurrencies, remains to be seen.
The decentralised nature of Web3 means that more virtual communities will be created, with users building their content and infrastructure digitally. Brands will be able to create elements such as social tokens and digital contracts that will empower their audience and enable them to connect with one another. With new tools and AI-powered personalisation, Web3 has the potential to facilitate this flow and create a more engaging experience for users.
As users are able to take control of their own data and choose which companies they want to connect with, brands should realise that to survive in a Web3 environment, they need to focus their marketing strategies on actively engaging, nurturing and maintaining a solid relationship with these communities. Collaboration with creators and other businesses to curate unique experiences will also be critical for success.
While the future of Web3 is uncertain, external factors such as politics, economics, environment, and the society may impact its development, along with the core technologies and tools that power it, such as blockchain-based technologies, NFTs and crypto tokens.
However, one thing is clear: Web3 will focus on the creators that inhabit it. Brands need to work together with these creators cum customers, help them create something better for themselves, and create ownership for them to develop a sense of fulfillment and experience surrounding the brand. This will ultimately benefit brands as everyone works towards a single goal. Brands that plan, create, and optimise these elements now will develop a solid foundation and stay ahead of the competition for long-term benefits.
This journey with Web3 is just the beginning, and it promises to be an exciting one, perhaps even more so than Web1 or Web2, the earlier versions of the web.
Get Started Here!
With a passion for Metaverse gaming, I can help you design an unforgettable quest in the Metaverse that will fully immerse users in a world of challenges. By integrating your products and/or services into the storyline and gameplay, you can achieve greater engagement and build brand awareness. Let’s work together to bring your vision to life in Web3 and/or the metaverse! Contact me at +65-9622-8824 or bei@beithoven.com. You can also follow my journey through the metaverse here, where I’ve documented the various virtual spaces I’ve explored.
Bei, a bilingual (English/Chinese) Singapore content strategist, has over 20 years of experience in marketing for small businesses. She mostly writes about China marketing (Chinese market marketing), content marketing, SEO, GenAI, metaverses, and social media.