What Is Facebook Metaverse?
Think of it as the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” you can go inside of — instead of just looking at on a screen. Essentially, it’s a world of endless, interconnected virtual communities where people can meet, work and play, using virtual reality
It also will incorporate other aspects of online life such as shopping and social media, according to Victoria Petrock, an analyst who follows emerging technologies.
“It’s the next evolution of connectivity where all of those things start to come together in a seamless, doppelganger universe, so you’re living your virtual life the same way you’re living your physical life,” she said.headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.
Is Facebook going all in on the metaverse?
Zuckerberg is going big on what he sees as the next generation of the internet because he thinks it’s going to be a big part of the digital economy.
Critics wonder if the potential pivot could be an effort to distract from the company’s crises, including antitrust crackdowns, testimony by whistleblowing former employees and concerns about its handling of misinformation.
Former employee Frances Haugen has accused Facebook’s platforms of harming children and inciting political violence after copying internal research documents and turning them over to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
They also were provided to a group of media outlets, including The Associated Press, which reported numerous stories about how Facebook prioritized profits over safety and hid its own research from investors and the public.
Advantages of the Facebook Metaverse
It’ll Help You Connect With Customers.
Removing the location barrier means you can interact more intimately with your customers. If you are a small community-led business, the Metaverse will allow you to meet up with your customers regardless of where you are in the world.
You’ll Get To Sell Digital Items.
The more people join the Metaverse, the more people will want to stick out, be themselves, and showcase their personality. One way they could do this is with items for their avatars, such as clothes or accessories.
Disadvantages of the Facebook Metaverse
The Cost of Entry for Businesses
For people to enter the Facebook Metaverse, they require a VR headset. A VR headset isn’t something you have lying around the house for most people. Unless you’re an early adopter, you probably don’t have one in your home.
The Cost of Entry for Businesses
Depending on what you want to get out of the Facebook Metaverse, you may have to invest. As mentioned before, if you’re creating digital merchandise, someone will have to make them. If you don’t have someone to do this on your team, you will have to outsource it.
IMPORTANT!How the Facebook Metaverse Impacts Your Small Business
The Metaverse is not just a new technology; it’s a societal shift. Much like the emergence of social media marketing over a decade ago, the rapidly expanding Metaverse could eventually change how everyone conducts business and engages with one another for work, play, and commerce.
It benefits all small businesses, even if they have no plans to venture into the Metaverse soon, to follow emerging news concerning the technology. To survive, modern businesses, large and small, need to be adaptable and open to change.
Keeping a finger on the pulse of what is happening with the Metaverse, especially within one’s niche industry, will help that business properly prepare for making necessary shifts to stay relevant.
If you are hesitant to consider the Metaverse as the next move for your business, perhaps consult the annals of recent history. Think about those businesses who were maybe around for decades who, when the internet was first making waves, refused to get a web page. They saw no problem sticking with the status quo, as it had always worked for them until it didn’t. Today, businesses that refuse to interact with social media or the internet as a whole are likely to go under. While there are always exceptions to the rule, they are few and far between. Businesses that want to thrive need to be, at the very least, educated about technological advancements happening around them. The Metaverse is, as stated, still in its infancy. Even with grand projections from some of the great minds in technology, it remains to be seen what kind of effect the Metaverse will have on business as a whole. Keeping proactive, flexible, and creative will ensure small businesses are ready when the opportunity to break into the Metaversal world presents itself.
