If you’re like us, the Meta Keynote left us feeling excited, optimistic for the future, but also curious about how the influencer ecosystem will shift with the rise of Meta. While Meta is here, it doesn’t seem like it will become a full part of our lives right away -- Meta’s goal is to achieve saturation in the next decade. Great! We have a head start. So, how do we stay ahead of the curve?

Our biggest takeaway from the Meta Keynote was that content will remain king in the Metaverse. However, content won’t be as passive or as ephemeral as it is now. Rather, content creators (read: influencers, brands, etc.) will be held to a higher standard.

Influencers will be pushed to go beyond just static posts (images, 15 sec videos, blog posts) bringing deeper value into the Metaverse through interactive content moments such as:

• Design. Spaces will need design elements from interior designers, park planners, etc.
• Virtual merchandise. Avatars will need clothes, virtual spaces will need furniture, etc.
• Tutorials/Classes. Users will expect highly interactive content
• Events. Users will crave entertainment, especially opportunities not available in the real world. 
  

These are just a few of the ways we can think of off the top of our head, but already it’s poised to revolutionize the way content is consumed and valued. It’s not that influencers won’t be needed, it’s that they’ll be needed more than ever before, but in a different capacity.

With that in mind, here are some tips to stay relevant as we prepare to step into the Metaverse:

• Improve AR/VR Literacy. If you’re not literate in the world of AR/VR, hire someone who is or get learning yourself. Whether you’re an influencer, a brand, or a technology solution, you’ll need to understand the ecosystem to make valuable contributions that keep you relevant and top of mind.‍
• Prioritize Creative Thinking. If you take nothing else from Mark Zuckerbergs’s Keynote it’s that the sky’s the limit and Meta (the company formerly known as Facebook) is simply a vessel for dreamers to create.‍
• Get Good with Vulnerability. Embracing vulnerability will be the price of admission  to driving meaningful impact in uncharted territory. Make sure you’re hiring staff, influencers, etc. who can roll with the punches and glom on to an overarching theme without too much hand-holding. ‍
• Jump in. Sure, watch others flounder a bit first, but be sure you’re among the first to jump into Meta and give it a fair shot. If it’s anything like Facebook or Instagram, it won’t be a flash in the pan. Rather, it will be a consuming part of consumer lives; so, you’ll want to get in, make your mistakes early on and be seen as a thought leader in the space. 
  

If you’re like us, this period before Meta officially becomes part of our lives feels like the onset of social media. A time when we’ll need to look to the younger generation, who will likely adopt this into their lives more fluidly, and to the techies who live and breathe for these kinds of advancements. We, for the record, are excited. Excited to be part of the future and eager to drive meaningful impact within it.