The Social and Communication Aspect of the Metaverse

Source: Metaverse Hub – Roche

Remember when owning a computer or sending messages digitally was only possible in sci-fi movies and communicating instantly with someone across the country was only a fantasy – The only means of communication were postal services and letters.

Back in the 1940s, the first mobile phone was created. They weighed a ton, looked like a brick and there were only a few who owned one. Fast forward to now where every adult, teenager, OAP and child has one to communicate with from anywhere in the world.

A throwback for everyone around in the 80s… Do you remember the character limit on your SMS message? The struggle to try and fit your text into the measly 160-character limit was painfully irritating, but now in 2022, you can send an essay to friends, family members or anyone for that matter.

Now, that’s the past. But what opportunities are there for us in 2022 that the metaverse can help us with? Well, if you continue reading, we are going to take a deeper look into the social and communication impact the metaverse can have on multiple industries.

Education

Looking Back

College and university open days have been around for decades but when the coronavirus outbreak hit prospects couldn’t visit campuses. Instead, the only alternative was for students to visit websites to gain information about their course, but was this the most engaging method for students? Was there enough information and support provided to them?

In addition to this, many students cannot attend in-person events. This could be due to several factors such as limited transport, anxiety, parents and guardians unable to attend with students, high-stress levels, and the timing/date of the open day.

The Future with Metaverse

Consider the following scenario: rather than hosting course information on a 2D website, you could host a hybrid open day. This way, students can choose between attending an in-person event and a 3D virtual replica of the open day. Allowing all prospects, the option of attending an in-person or virtual event. This could eliminate all potential barriers to attendance, resulting in more attendees and higher engagement.

Also, allow your prospects to communicate and engage with stand holders, college tutors, and graduates to gather as much information as possible.

Corporate

Looking Back

Many employees enjoy working from home, while others dislike it because it makes them feel isolated. Working completely remote can also result in the loss of the company culture that keeps many businesses afloat. According to a recent study, two-thirds of people who work from home report feeling isolated or lonely “sometimes,” and 17% report feeling this way “all the time.”

The Future with Metaverse

Create a replica of your office in a virtual environment for your colleagues to work and interact as they would in a physical office space. Share ideas and information in real-time, boosting productivity, engagement, and motivation.

Webinars

Looking Back

Hosting live webinars is popular as it allows people to come together to share their knowledge and experience on different topics within their industry. However, the issue is many people cannot attend live webinars due to work/life commitments. Not only this but, webinars are all similar. They’re hosted on Zoom or Teams, but how will that set you apart from your competition and make people want to attend?

The Future with Metaverse

Host your virtual webinars within a customised hall to create a unique and engaging experience for your attendees. Allow visitors to watch live and on-demand webinars for more accessibility and flexibility.

Events

Looking Back

Many businesses are financially struggling and with the recession most likely on its way it can result in job losses, a decline in consumer spending and an overall loss in profit. Businesses should be looking at cheaper alternatives to continue with marketing and sales techniques to help keep their business afloat.

The Future with Metaverse

Virtual events can significantly reduce costs, materials, and time by replacing in-person events. You can, however, retain all the aspects and interactions that an in-person event would provide to attendees.

Visitors to your virtual event can communicate with one another using the system’s chat and video call features. You can keep your event live for multiple days for the attendees to relive the experience and download information.

Retail

Looking Back

Customers are used to the same 2D website that every other company has. Shoppers often have a short attention span so being able to wow them in a matter of seconds with something new and exciting is a huge problem retailers are trying to overcome.

The Future with Metaverse

Create your own branded metaverse in conjunction with your company’s brand guidelines. Allow your visitors to experience products in their surroundings using AR, collect product information and have real-time interactions with your team and other users.

You could be the first in your field to adopt this new technology.

Onboarding

Looking Back

Many new employees must go through the same tedious process when joining companies. It’s either a long word document or you have to sit through a mundane training program.

From a new starter’s point of view, when a company has an onboarding process that doesn’t include adequate training and opportunities to get to know the team it can make them feel unimportant and not a valued member of staff. This can be a major issue as joining a company can be nerve-racking enough, especially without significant assistance.

The Future with Metaverse

Create a unique and engaging onboarding experience for your new employees. Reduce the onboarding time, enhance user experience and increase participation. Not only making it easier for onboarding staff but an easier and seamless transition for employees to settle into their new company with new colleagues.

What does the future look like?

Well, it looks bright. I mean look how far we have come. From limited SMS messages to virtual experiences that can mimic real-life events, offices, stores and open days.

When it comes to the metaverse, the possibilities are endless, with the ability to create a completely insane idea or a replica of a real-life building or event.

Our team at Metaverse Hub have over 25 years of combined experience in creating immersive 3D virtual experiences. We have worked with a wide range of organisations from multi-national brands to individual companies. Working in collaboration with our clients we create a uniquely branded experience for their customers, visitors and employees. We listen to what you need and create a metaverse that aligns with your brand and your objectives.

Author: Charlotte Lock

Published: 26^th August 2022