Web 3.0 & How it Could Impact Your Digital Marketing Strategy
Over the last few years, cryptocurrency and NFTs have become huge topics of interest. A heavy sign that Web 3.0 (Web3) is not far away. For many businesses in NZ, digital marketing is a large priority, but how will Web3 affect this? We discuss how the internet evolved, what to expect with Web 3.0, and how it could impact your digital marketing strategy.
The Evolution of the Internet
Web 1.0
A few decades ago, the internet was but a one-sided directory. In the early 90s, the Web allowed nothing more than for users to view simple HTML sites through a browser – WorldWideWeb being the first Web client. This phase of the internet is referred to as the ‘read only’ era of the Web. In this first iteration of the internet, information could be published and distributed on a larger scale; however, it was a one-way flow of content.
Web 2.0
The next step of the internet, the current phase, is where user-created content on the Web began its rise. The late 90s saw the internet become an interactive, collaborative place. Chat forums were everywhere, and from the start of Web 2.0, people were more connected than ever.
Blogs and user-uploaded content became increasingly popular, leading to the eventual creation of social media websites. The interactive Web changed forever when Facebook and Twitter launched in the mid-2000s, and the internet grew increasingly further into our lives.
Current times see the Web in a strange state of limbo. A more immersive internet is not far away, but as of now, Web 2.0 is utilised daily by individuals and businesses globally.
What to Expect from Web 3.0?
It’s unclear what the future of the internet holds, but as of 2022, the signs point toward a decentralised internet. Made possible with blockchain technology, a term you have likely heard if you know any Crypto fan, a decentralised internet may be coming.
We don’t know how much virtual reality (VR) will play into the online sphere, but more tech companies are embracing and developing the technology. Meta (formally FaceBook) famously announced their Metaverse project in 2021.
To provide an immersive internet space, VR will be more common; however, you probably won’t be attending all your concerts alongside international pals within a virtual world. Despite the murky insight into Web 3.0, there seems to be a consensus that blockchain will play a significant role.
How Web 3.0 Could Impact Your Digital Marketing Strategy
As the internet continues to shapeshift, digital marketing strategies will do the same. The driving force behind Web 3.0 is blockchain technology. It works similar to a receipt, displaying open-source, transactional information. Although that is merely a basic outline of more complicated technology, blockchain is poised to help create a decentralised internet.
While the internet is changing, it’s nothing the industry hasn’t experienced. We are forever living in an evolving space where technologies are becoming more integrated into our lives by the day. Copy-based print ads have evolved into social media ads and infomercials into influencer marketing; we evolve with the times.
As better internet reaches more corners of the world and more people join the Metaverse, we will see the digital marketing industry work its way into the equation. After all, there was a time when Instagram did not run ads.
If consumers want products, businesses and brands need to put themselves out there, and there will be a demand for digital marketing, no matter how the industry evolves. Though we can only speculate how digital marketing strategies will develop, we are already seeing SEO becoming better suited for the future of the Web.
Voice Search-Focused SEO
With a more immersive internet, it will further integrate into our day-to-day lives. We are already seeing this with Smart speakers from all the leading tech companies: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s HomePod seen in homes globally.
Voice search has quickly changed from the early, unreliable, and often amusing responses from virtual assistants like Siri. Nowadays, a simple request, as if you were ordering from a restaurant, will have your lights turned on or your favourite song playing instantly. Say the word, and your favourite AI will answer any question you could imagine.
We are becoming more reliant on voice search. With the rise of Web3, it will more than likely be a big player in SEO. In recent years, there has been more of a push for content to be optimised for long-tail phrases that people aren’t simply typing into Google but asking their Smart Assistants.
Is Digital Marketing Future-Proof?
AI will only become more intuitive and better understand contextual and situational information. It’s only natural that industries that rely on the internet will adjust to fit these new platforms. Web3 will likely enable marketers to deliver their messages, streamlined for a specific person and situation, based on their Web-use. As long as people are searching the internet and brands or businesses that want to reach people, there will be demand for digital marketing.
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