NFT stands for non-fungible tokens. They are digital assets that can be bought and sold, just like any other piece of property. Each NFT is “tokenized” which means it has a digital certificate of ownership that makes it unique. That ownership token is stored in a digital ledger, called the blockchain.

What Are NFTs?

NFTs aren’t just taking over the art world. Plenty of big brands are using this technology to drive their marketing strategies. Here’s six ways brands are using NFTs to drive brand awareness and profits.

How Can Marketers Use NFTs

Looking to take your brand awareness campaigns into the metaverse? NFTs can help brands expand awareness.Marriott is leveraging NFTs through its Marriott Bonvoy travel program. The brand partnered with three artists to create three different NFTs based on travel experiences. The NFTs were unveiled at an event during Art Basel, a premier modern art show. A drawing was held to raffle the NFTs off. Winners got their own NFT, along with 200,000 Bonvoy points.The event helped increase brand awareness by leveraging NFTs and built excitement around the brand and the experiences offered by Bonvoy.

Build Brand Awareness: Marriott

Looking to expand your audience and reach new markets? Facebook lookalike audiences aren’t your only option.Bicycle, one of the oldest card-making companies. Founded in the 1800s, the brand has been a staple in the card printing industry for more than a century.Bicycle wants to reach a younger audience, many of whom are interested in new technology like NFTs.They recently announced their first-ever NFT collection. In addition to purchasing NFTs designed by artist Adrian Valenzuela, owners will also gain access to exclusive events, presales, & access to a physical deck of NFTs.

Expand Audience Reach: Bicycle Cards

While smaller brands don’t have to worry much about knockoffs, legacy brands are leaning into NFTs as a way to protect their brand image.Robert Mondavi Winery has also jumped on the NFT bandwagon, but is leveraging it in a whole new way. Rather than using it to expand their audience or build their brand, this well-established brand uses NFTs to protect their wine’s providence.Worried about the growing marketing of knock off vintages, they partnered with artist Clay Heaton to create a collection of wines featuring porcelain bottles and NFTs to authenticate the wine.

Protect Brand Image: Robert Mondavi Winery

Consumers want to support companies that give back. In fact, 84 percent of millennials say they prefer to support brands that are transparent with values and a culture they can trust. They don’t want promises, they want action.Kinetic Sand, a popular brand of squeezable, moldable sand, is using NFTs to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), to expand their arts and creative experiences programs.The NFT collection was created in collaboration with artist Dan Lam.

Support a Good Cause: Kinetic Sand

Are you looking to promote in-person events? Take a page from AMC & consider offering NFTs to the first few attendees.When tickets for the new movie went on sale, they offered the first 86,000 AMC investors who bought or reserved a ticket the opportunity to receive a free NFT. If users purchased a ticket and did not attend the movie, they would no longer be eligible to receive an NFT.So not only did users have to be a member of the AMC rewards program, but they also had to actually show up to the theater in person to watch the movie.

Promote In-Person Events: AMC/Spider-Man

Gary Vaynerchuk is well known for his infatuation with NFTs. He loves them so much, he decided to use them to promote his newest book, titled Twelve & a Half.It’s worth noting this isn’t his 1st book—there is a good chance the book would have sold well even without the NFTs. Regardless, the book quickly racked up more than a million pre-orders in the first day—which is no small feat.Here’s how it worked: for every 12 copies buyers purchased in a 24-hour period, they’d earn 1 NFT. Based on the results, the NFTs definitely made some waves.

Drive Pre-Orders: Gary Vaynerchuk

You’ve likely heard of NFTs already. But did you know they can be used in marketing?NFTs are taking the art and technology world by storm. What, exactly, are NFTs and why should marketers care? Here’s what marketers need to know about NTFs, including how you can leverage them to grow your business.

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Comprehensive Guide to NFTs for Marketers

Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) is a free online tool by Google consisting of a series of dashboards showing you how your site is performing on Google.It allows you to access a wide range of important data about your website. For example, you can:<ul><li>see how your page is performing in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) for various keywords</li><li>find out if you have any problems with content appearing on Google (or indexing, to use the technical term)</li><li>check out what sites are linking to your content</li><li>see how your website is performing by the device used</li></ul>

What is Google Search Console?

Setting up Google Search Console is quite easy. Head over to its welcome page and log in with your Google credentials.After signing up, you will be asked to enter your web address in one of two boxes. The left-hand box is for a Domain Property and the right-hand box is for a URL Prefix Property.

Setup Google Search Console

Most people using Search Console select the domain property option. You’ll get the information on how your whole website is performing on Google. This includes all the URLs, subdomains and web protocols (http://, https://, www).In the past, you had to verify all the protocols separately but thanks to the domain property option, all you need is to enter your domain and all the variations will be included.

Domain Property

You should use this option if you only want to cover an exact URL format. For example, if you enter https://www.website.com/blog into the required field, only this URL format will be tracked. This option is often used for targeting a specific language mutation on a multilingual website, e.g. https://en-gb.example.com

URL Prefix Property

There are three different permissions levels in the Search Console:Owners: This will probably be you. Owners can view all the site’s data and use all the tools. They can also give other people access to the Search Console. You can also create delegated owners, who have the same control over Search Console as you.Full Users: Can view all site data and use most of the Search Console tools. They can’t change permissions. Neither can they share access to other G-suite accounts or change the web address.Restricted Users: Can only view Search Console data and generate basic reports.

Users, owners and permissions

The Overview Report is the first page that loads when you access Search Console. The dashboard contains a snapshot of key information about your site.<ul><li>Site performance report: How many people have clicked on your website from Google</li><li>Coverage report: Information whether your pages are indexed properly on Google</li><li>Enhancements report: Provides information about enhancements (such as AMP) you’ve made on your site</li><li>Manual actions report: This will show you if Google has given you a manual penalty</li></ul>

Overview

There are 3 main sections you can adjust or click on to show the data you need:<ul><li>top filter</li><li>4 main metrics</li><li>data tabs</li></ul>The various variables you can add include:<ul><li>Search: Choose to filter the results by web, image, or video</li><li>Date: Filter the results by date range. You can also compare date ranges.</li><li>Query: Filter by specific keywords, or even exclude keywords</li><li>Page: Select a page that you want to focus on</li><li>Country: Filter search results by country</li><li>Device: Filter search results by the device used</li><li>Search appearance: Filter by looking at Rich Results and other variables</li></ul>

Performance report

There are four metrics above the graph:<ul><li>Clicks: number of people who visited your site from Google</li><li>Impressions: total number of times your content was seen on Google</li><li>CTR: what %age of impressions resulted in a click</li><li>Position: avg ranking your content has in Google SERP</li></ul>There are 5 tabs you can select:<ul><li>Queries: keywords your content is ranking for</li><li>Pages: how pages & blog posts on your site are performing on Google</li><li>Countries: how your website is performing by country</li><li>Devices: what device do people use to access your website</li><li>Search appearance: whether your structured data appear in the search results</li></ul>

Performance report (contd.)

The index report shows the total number of pages that appear in the search results. If everything is green then things are good.The red box is where problem pages are displayed. You want the number of problematic pages to be as low as possible, ideally zero.Under the details section, you can sort issues by status, type, validation, & pages. If you notice sudden spikes or drops in your indexed pages, there’s probably a technical problem.It’s important to keep on top of these problems and resolve them quickly. Issues with technical performance will affect your visibility on results pages.

Coverage report

A sitemap is an XML document that outlines how your website is structured. Your sitemap will help Google crawlers navigate your site. This helps Google find and index your content quickly.You can tell Search Console where your sitemap is located on your site by entering the URL.An extra benefit to providing a sitemap in Search Console is that you’ll be alerted of any issues. These include differences between the structure of your site and what Google sees.

Sitemaps

The Enhancements page allows you to view the enhancements you have made to the site.There are many reports you can find under Enhancements, and many of them will appear only if you have the specific feature implemented on your site.The 3 most basic reports:<ul><li>Mobile usability report: how your site works on mobile</li><li>The Accelerated Mobile Pages report: AMP are stripped-down versions of a page designed to load very quickly on mobile</li><li>Structured data report: Structured data allows you to present additional information in Google SERP</li></ul>

Enhancements

Hopefully, you will never have to view this report. By default, it will show No issues detected. If a manual penalty has been applied to your site by a Google employee, then the penalty will appear in this tab.Google will apply manual penalties to your site if they think you have been doing anything shady. For instance, you might get a manual penalty as a result of buying backlinks.A penalty from Google can harm your search rankings or result in your site being de-indexed. It is crucial to resolve any manual link penalty if you want to avoid SEO problems.

Manual actions report

You can view the backlinks pointing to your website. From the table, you can see the pages that have the most internal and external links.You can see the top linking sites and anchor texts.The report is a great starting point to find:<ul><li>which pages of your website have the most links</li><li>what websites link to you the most</li><li>what are the most common anchor texts</li><li>what pages have the most internal links</li></ul>In the Top linked pages report, you can click on a specific page to see who links to it.

Links report

These are some features from the old Search Console. They are not available for domain property so we won’t go into much detail here.The legacy tools include:<ul><li>International targeting – you can set a specific target country (used for hreflang)</li><li>Removals – you can remove URLs from the search results</li><li>Crawl stats – you can view and regulate the frequency of crawls by Google</li><li>Messages – messages from Google</li><li>URL parameters – you can let Google know about various parameters you use</li><li>Web Tools – access to other tools</li></ul>

Legacy tools and reports

Google Search Console is an essential SEO tool. Yet, some people find it a little bit scary and complicated at first sight. Here's everything you need to know about Google Search Console.

Every SEO should use Google Search Console. Read this simple beginner's guide to learn about all the features of this tool.

Google Search Console: A Beginner’s Guide (+Tips) | Mangools

The metaverse is “an expansive network of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds and simulations.” The metaverse is a currently hypothetical version of the internet that supports online 3-D virtual environments. This is done through personal computing (Second Life game), VR & AR headsets. Users have virtual avatars who can interact with their virtual environment and other players.Games like Roblox & Fortnite form the basis of what many consider the future of metaverse. Users can purchase merchandise & accessories, to personalize the experience.

What Is the Metaverse?

An NFT, or non-fungible token, is anything digital that cannot be replaced as it doesn’t have a tangible value. The most common forms of NFT today are digital art like animations. However, within the metaverse, an NFT can become so much more. With the increase in virtual avatars, the demand for virtual fashion will skyrocket. The need to personalize oneself within the digital space is undeniable and fashion is one of the easiest ways to do so. Just look at the success of markets found on Fortnite and Roblox, virtual games with an avatar.

Metaverse and NFT: How Are They Related?

If you haven’t considered how the metaverse will impact marketing, then you’re already behind the curve. The metaverse isn’t an “if” but a “when.” That is, it’s an inevitability. The metaverse will impact marketing in many ways, some of which you can begin to implement now.

How Will the Metaverse Impact Marketing?

From product development to the sale of existing products or services, virtual reality enables you to bring your customers into the fold. They can play an active role in all stages of the process. Who says “no” to free product research? Even more, many customers will seek out such opportunities as opposed to hiding from them like they do with online advertisements. The generations coming of age now and in the next 15 years, largely Generations Z and Alpha, will feel more at home within these environments than any other generation before them.

Virtual Reality

Unlike virtual reality which takes over your vision, augmented reality just adds elements to it. Think of “smart glasses” or the popular AR games. These devices take note of your surrounding environment & then enhance it by adding images, animations, or data over the top of it.From trying on a pair of glasses or a dress to test driving a new car, augmented reality brings the shopping experience to another level. In an augmented environment, customers can interact with products without leaving their homes.

Augmented Reality

In-store experiences can benefit from the metaverse. Since augmented reality is an overlay on the real-life environment, you can use it in stores to share in-depth information, display additional features and use cases, etc. Think of it as a parallel marketing experience.

Augmented Reality (contd.)

As the metaverse grows, so too will branding and advertising opportunities. Including virtual message boards, billboards, merchandise, and even the virtual clothing avatars wear.NFTs will play a big role, too. With the ability to personalize avatars and spaces like “homes” and storefronts, you can create branded virtual content for your customers. This enables you to break into merchandising spaces you don’t currently work in, such as virtual apparel and digital art.

Branding in The Metaverse

Whether it’s products or services you’re selling, a virtual popup gives you the opportunity to share your brand on a larger scale. It is a chance to network, advertise, & sell your products & services. While popups in a physical location may limit attendance, a virtual popup helps you to reach a larger audience. The virtual location will not only benefit attendance numbers, but it will also have less impact on the bottom line. With no need for employee travel & lodgings, & no need to rent out physical space, you can cut costs & perhaps even decrease the end price for users.

Virtual Popups

With so many live streaming & pre-recorded video platforms, virtual training & classes are already a big part of the corporate world. While many virtual trainings & classes will likely continue in their current form, metaverse creates a space for them to expand. E.g.:<ul><li>training course on your product</li><li>use case walkthrough for your services</li><li>product demonstrations with potential customers</li><li>troubleshooting sessions with your current clientele. </li><li> in-house onboarding & training, emergency preparedness, diversity & inclusion, employee orientation, etc.</li></ul>

Virtual Training or Classes

In this post-COVID world, it’s easy to imagine the continued need for virtual meeting spaces. From family get-togethers to concerts to non-profit galas, the metaverse has no limits on who you can meet up with and when.With events like this becoming more popular, especially with Generations Z and Alpha, metaverse events won’t just be a tool you can use but a necessity. As your target audience changes, so too will your marketing efforts.

Metaverse Events

Technology is ever-changing and, because of that, so is marketing. The evolution of the metaverse is just one recent development in the world of technology, but one that will have a huge impact on the human experience as we know it. While digital marketing has seen many advances over the last few decades, the metaverse is one that has stumped many companies and marketers. How can they use the metaverse to their advantage so they aren’t stuck in the dark ages?

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Comprehensive Guide to NFTs for Marketers

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A Marketer’s Guide to the Metaverse

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Comprehensive Guide to NFTs for Marketers

Google Search Console: A Beginner’s Guide (+Tips) | Mangools

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A Marketer’s Guide to the Metaverse

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