Fellow marketers, let’s dive into the Web3 Buzz!
As B2B marketers, we’re always on the lookout for the next big thing that can give us a competitive edge. That’s why I was thrilled to discuss the ‘Future of Marketing’ as a guest speaker at the National University of Singapore. During the talk, one topic kept cropping up: Web3 (or Web 3.0). From the disruptive power of blockchain to the metaverse, Web3 is generating a lot of buzz. But what does it all mean for B2B marketing?
In this blog post, we’ll dive into the hype and explore the real opportunities for B2B Marketers . Because I love to prioritize taking action and seeing results quickly, this piece will focus on actionable Web3 B2B marketing tactics.
What is Web3?
Building on the social connectivity of Web2 and the static sites of Web1, Web3 promises to create a virtual world that’s more interactive, personalized, and secure than ever before.
With the help of semantic web technology and artificial intelligence, Web3 will enable users to buy products, share information, and interact with each other in new ways.
Imagine a world where you have more control over your online privacy and the ability to seamlessly share information with others. While Web3 does pose some challenges, it promises exciting new possibilities.
The Influence of Web3 on Marketing
The influence of Web3 on marketing is no longer a matter of speculation – it’s already happening right now. As B2B marketers, let’s keep pace with the latest advancements in and stay ahead of the game! From the power of blockchain and cryptocurrency to the metaverse, Web3 is set to transform the buyer’s decision-making process in never before seen ways.
With complete transparency and traceability provided by blockchain technology, businesses can gain unique insights into audience spending habits, enabling sophisticated targeting strategies based on real data. Imagine being able to identify wallet addresses and transaction histories to understand what motivates your customers. With Web3, this kind of targeting is becoming a reality. As B2B marketers, we need to be ready to adapt and innovate based on these exciting advancements.
Here are just a few of the groundbreaking tactics that we can potentially implement with Web3 technology to achieve our B2B marketing goals.
13 Web3 B2B Marketing Tactics
Web3 Tactics to Drive Customer Loyalty
Create Your Unique Digital Currency
B2B companies can create their own digital currency to reward loyal customers which can be used for different purposes such as investing in future projects or collaborating with clients.
Use creator coins to reward customers and advocates by offering flexible and valuable loyalty points. Creator coins like Rally.io’s $TILT, $RISE, and $WORD can allow members to share in the success of the community.
Reddit is reportedly considering converting karma points into Ethereum-based tokens to onboard 500 million new crypto users. Companies like Attrace use tokens to incentivize people to refer products to others and track every click on the blockchain. These early plays can help to tip the world into 3.0.
Use NFTs as a Customer Reward
NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) can be used as a loyalty program to reward customers for using a company’s services, as well as a way to access exclusive content and build a community. NFTs can be used as VIP access tokens for events, early product releases, and more. Gary Vee is already using this with his Vee Friends.
Web3 Tactics that Bring Your Content Plays to the Next Level
Use NFT for Exclusive Content
Instead of creating an ebook that anyone can own, create a limited edition NFT version of that content with extra bonuses, such as videos or podcasts. People can collect them, trade them, or sell them. And those who collect a whole series can get additional rewards.
Replace web forms with NFT ownership.
NFT owners can instantly access more valuable content and vice versa.
Pay people to consume your content
Reward them with cryptocurrency, your brand coin, NFTs, or other tokens for downloading or finishing your content.
Commission Digital Artists
Commission digital artists to create limited-edition digital art that relates to your brand. Give them to VIP customers, sell them for a good cause, or raffle them at events to celebrate your brand beliefs and have fun with it.
Web3 Tactics that Deliver Next-Level Online Events
In order to add some excitement to your online events, consider holding them in a virtual world, where attendees can wander around, meet others, and earn creative rewards. By holding events in a metaverse, attendees can earn virtual rewards that persist in future events, incentivizing them to keep coming back. You could either wait for current virtual event spaces to improve or choose a world like Decentraland to host your event
B2B marketers can use virtual reality platforms like Meta’s “Horizon Worlds” or Unity’s “Unreal Engine” to create immersive experiences that showcase their products or services, in unimaginable ways
Introduce new virtual products with Web3
Offer branded virtual fan merchandise for sale with Web3
Another tactic is to sell virtual branded merchandise, such as furry mascots or limited edition profile pics, with proceeds going to charity. Many B2C companies such as Nike are already doing this!
Develop dapps
Dapps are apps that are not controlled by any one person or company and instead live on a blockchain as smart contracts. There are some good reasons to make your next app a dapp. Firstly, users can trust that the software is secure and cannot be changed. Secondly, it’s easy to buy, use, and even re-sell. Additionally, you could give it to your community to develop together as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). It might not be suitable for your main product, but could be a great freebie to offer.
Offer Virtual Services
B2B Marketers can virtual services that use blockchain technology to create more trustworthy compensation and transparency for users. One way to do this is by using smart contracts to back up Service Level Agreements.
Use it as a Decentralized alternative to any existing exchange or hub
Another idea is to create a decentralized alternative to existing exchanges or hubs. This can help eliminate the need for intermediaries and provide a more direct way for users to interact with each other
Explore opportunities within the Web3 ecosystem
To explore opportunities in the Web3 ecosystem, consider allowing developers to sell their apps as NFTs on your marketplace. Instead of just listing their apps in a regular app store, by using NFTs, new possibilities can arise. These NFTs can be resold, with the original developer receiving a royalty, and even free apps can earn tips from grateful users. By using NFTs, everyone can see who bought the app, which can help facilitate communication between developers and users. This unique opportunity can help encourage developers to build on your platform, especially if you are not yet a major player. Additionally, the apps themselves could be dapps, which opens up another layer of possibility
Simply Ride on the 3.0 Hype!
I do suggest taking advantage of the current interest in Web3 technology by incorporating it into your products or services. But, it’s important to be genuine and not just use it as a marketing tactic. One way to do this is to pre-announce something and add Web3 to it. For example, you could add the term “3” or “3.0” to your products or services to make them seem more cutting-edge and relevant. This can be done through press releases, job postings, or trademark filings. However, it’s crucial to actually be trying to stay ahead of the curve and preparing for the future impact of Web3 technology. Talk to your tech team and make sure there is substance behind your use of Web3.
Conclusion
To get started with Web3 technology in B2B marketing, it’s important to be open and agile:
- Test out small ideas and build upon successful ones while keeping in mind that the industry is rapidly evolving. Be mindful that things change so fast, some of the ideas discussed may seem silly in the near future. The point is not to run with any of them today necessarily, but to be open to learning and exploring the exciting possibilities.
- Sharing knowledge and insights with peers can be helpful.
- Understanding clients’ needs and creating new customer experiences and innovative promotional strategies that arise from Web3.
- Take the time to try out the technology yourself by buying a cheap non-fungible token or some Ethereum and exploring the transactions on the blockchain.
The possibilities are truly exciting and endless. Keep learning and exploring, guys! It is really fun!
For those who – like me – love to prioritize taking action and seeing results quickly, check out my recently published book that has received rave reviews: “The Ultimate B2B Marketing List: 200+ Innovative Tactics You Need to Try.” This comprehensive guide offers a wide range of actionable tactics you can implement TODAY to drive results across various areas in B2B Marketing from content marketing, search engine optimization, social media, digital ads, and so much more.