What it takes to be a successful creator in the metaverse

The popularity of the metaverse is undeniable. Today, over 99% of C-suite executives think that they will hire new roles, such as chief metaverse officer, in the next decade, according to a Qlik study titled "Data Literacy: The Upskilling Evolution." Brands today are taking active actions to solidify their presence in the space.

In recent months, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reported on the likes of Gucci, Casetify, Armani Beauty and My Little Pony all making their mark in this new virtual world. This has also given rise to whether or not brands need to hire experts such as “chief metaverse officers”. In fact, Gucci recently decided to hire a head of metaverse professional marking its seriousness in making this new world work for its brand.

As the space continues to grow, a majority of non-professional creators (68%) also expect it to bring new job opportunities. Concurrently, 77% of creators have explored the space at least once, and 34% of these creators say that they are already participating weekly through early metaverse experiences including gaming, socialising and shopping, according to an Adobe study titled "Monetisation in the Creator Economy."

On the other hand, 52% of creators who participate in the metaverse on a weekly basis say they are already moving towards the goal of owning their own creative businesses. According to Daisy Enggina, director of global brands solutions, Gushcloud International the metaverse and Web3 opens the opportunity for self-acclaimed artists to be able to express their arts independently without tied to any institutions.

Gushcloud has been actively exploring the metaverse space, and works with creators and influencers to develop their NFT projects in the metaverse. It is also also working with key government agencies globally to figure out how to have their imprint in the metaverse.

How this is different from establishment from social media, lies in the transparency factor where the metaverse and blockchain technology allows artists to directly develop a relationship with their fans and audiences.  Transactions are never forgotten and are locked in. And with that, artists can receive their royalties in a transparent manner.

“Given the nature of the metaverse, even though we have seen many content creators are interested in this new space, only those from music, modern art, gaming and finance/business verticals have worked, planned to work or independently delved into the Web3 space actively," said Enggina.

Gushcloud has been actively exploring the metaverse space, and works with creators and influencers to develop their NFT projects in the metaverse. It is also also working with key government agencies globally to figure out how to have their imprint in the metaverse.

How to stand out

Meanwhile, Prakash Somosundram, co-founder and CEO of Enjinstarter, said that one of the areas his company is looking at is the intersection of the metaverse and subcultures. “Avatars can be customised in a near-infinite number of ways through wearable NFTs, making them perfect vehicles for self-expression,” he said. One brand that he is working with, Swallow, is capitalising on the demand for wearable tattoos in the metaverse by onboarding physical tattoo artists. Somosundram added that his team sees the metaverse as a new frontier for consumers and businesses but also for companies like his firm that provides the support services.

However standing out requires consistent innovation and great work. The metaverse space moves quickly, so it’s not enough to use the same strategy again and again. “Metaverses are open public spaces, so great work will be seen. At the same time, especially for brands, it remains important to leverage existing marketing channels to promote metaverse initiatives,” he explained.

 Somosundram added that to truly standout, those involved in the space must adopt a community-first mentality. The thinking goes that if you can build a community around your metaverse creativity and initiatives, you will have a solid foundation on which to adapt and grow. If you rely on a hype-driven profit-centric campaign, it comes at the cost of sustainability.

According to Gushcloud's Enggina, creators can stand out by following the 3Cs: community, collaboration and connections.

• Community - to have authentic meaningful relationships with the community and being able to bring the community into the space
• Collaboration - to want to develop authentic collaborations with other creators in the space
• Connections - to think about how to connect with the community both in real life and

What’s holding back growth?

However, what is holding clients back from investing in the space is the lack of familiarity, which is common with new technologies. “We saw it with search engine marketing and social media. The metaverse (and Web3) has a steep learning curve also doesn’t help,” he said.

Meanwhile, there are also skepticism around the sustainability of the metaverse and other Web3 solutions. As such, in terms of business models, many creators tend to opt for the agency or freelancer model, where they work directly with clients on metaverse projects. However, as Web3 enables possibilities for scale, we will likely see creators, particularly in the gaming sector, move towards the product model, Somosundram explained.

Somosundram added that his team sees the metaverse as a new frontier for consumers and businesses but also for companies like his firm that provides the support services.

Tips for content creators moving into the space 

There is a lot of information out there to help creators understand the basics of engaging Web3 communities. Brands and creators must get their feet wet by participating as a user in the community. If you don’t nderstand the culture yet, the best advice is to listen and do research.

“If a creator wants to create his/her NFT, join a similar NFT project community and purchase one NFT to understand the framework,” said Enggina. Content creators must also keep their audience profile in mind -whether it is their education level on the Web 3, or their financial situation (which depends on a specific creator's audience demographic and behaviour) or even their technological behaviour.

Familiarising with the space will also result in brands knowing where to identify gaps and knowing the type of services to provide.

"Another tip is to understand the philosophy of Web3. Things like transparency, digital property rights and community are core pillars of the space. Abiding by these pillars is critical to building trust and credibility," Somosundram shared. 

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