The 3 Key B2B Marketing Use Cases for the Metaverse

The Metaverse will represent a $13 trillion opportunity by 2030, according to a recent report by Research and Markets. This is a huge market that attracts both enterprise tech companies and investors alike.

B2B marketers can no longer overlook virtual worlds and immersive technology as tactics devoted solely to consumer campaigns. Enterprise marketers must embrace these technologies and successfully, strategically implement them to achieve their KPIs.

1. Events, events, events

Events have been a pillar of the B2B team marketing mix. Post-COVID events need to be hybrid and include both in-person and online options to suit participants with varying levels of comfort when traveling. Corporate travel budgets have never been tighter and justifying an in-person conference experience has become more challenging. Alongside the need to provide a hybrid experience, those choosing to stay home require something more engaging than the typical 2D conference experience. This new dynamic creates many challenges for event marketers that immersive technology can help address.

Many new immersive event platforms and enterprise-ready technologies have been developed, with new players entering the field almost daily. One promising start-up, TouchCast, has created an interactive 2.5D enterprise event solution that integrates with Microsoft Teams. According to Ricky Houck, Senior Business Strategist at TouchCast:

“There is already so much technology underutilized by companies. We can leverage the innovation of 3D world creation for gaming and entertainment, expanding their use cases into virtual events, sales, training, and many other B2B scenarios.”

2. Learning, education, and training

Training must be included in most B2B campaigns. Potential buying committees need to fully understand extremely complex products and services. After purchasing, they need to know how to use the product. Customer success and sales enablement teams rely heavily on training materials for upsell opportunities.

Research has shown that immersive technology can help improve learning and retention outcomes. A study by the University of Maryland concluded that people remember information better if it is presented in a virtual environment. Global IT company Accenture has tapped into this trend by creating an immersive office space they’ve dubbed The Nth Floor.

One of the early examples of the promise of Microsoft Mesh, The Nth Floor integrates with Microsoft Teams to allow Accenture employees to seamlessly create avatars, visit 3D virtual locations, and collaborate in a virtual environment. The company has successfully used the virtual office for onboarding over 150,000 employees and is excited about the results. Jason Warnke, Senior Managing Director, Global IT and Digital Experiences Lead at Accenture, shared in a recent blog post:

“We found that most trainees (70%) forgot the content of the training within 24 hours and virtually all (90%) forgot after one month. Interestingly, a study also found that immersive VR instruction offered a path to achieving 33% higher learning retention compared to video.”

Currently, The Nth Floor is reserved for Accenture.

employees only.

With fewer job prospects on the road, relationship building becomes practically essential. Connecting at an emotional level through standard video conferencing is truly difficult. There are those awkward silences, moments of talking over each other, and that terrible feeling of watching yourself on video. Immersive technology can save the day by providing tools that help foster connection, such as a shared 3D environment, avatars that facilitate self-expression, and opportunities to have fun!

Source: Market.org, Top 3 marketing use cases for the B2B metaverse