Advertising in the Metaverse: The Future of Digital Marketing

When it arrived as a publicly available space a few years ago, the metaverse changed the digital marketing environment. Forward-thinking marketers are poised to take the virtual worlds by storm, while many remain uncertain about their promotional strategies.

The metaverse presents a critical opportunity for businesses, for instance, the US brands are projected to increase their metaverse ad spending to $1.93 billion between 2023 and 2028. The metaverse isn’t just another ad channel, though — it’s an entirely new dimension of marketing that’s reshaping how we connect with audiences and drive conversions.

Today, Yep Ads will accompany you down the rabbit hole of promoting real-world products within virtual realms.

A New Playground for Performance Marketing

The metaverse isn’t just changing the game — it’s creating an entirely new game for marketers. Here’s why this virtual frontier is becoming the next big thing in performance marketing.

Even traditional ad campaigns are already showing that blending several channels or adding interactive elements will boost the results manyfold. With the metaverse, brands are creating interactive experiences that blend the physical and digital worlds, though mostly focusing on promotion and growing brand recognition, rather than selling virtual goods.

In the case of the metaverse, early adoption remains key — even in 2025 we’re still in the early adopters era, as few marketers have ventured into this space. Securing a position now means tapping into a market projected to reach trillions. Companies that establish their presence now are positioned to capitalize on future opportunities as the landscape evolves.

The metaverse has become a magnet for Generation Z and millennials — demographics that traditional marketing often struggles to reach effectively. Even back in 2023, roughly 40% of users between the ages of 14 and 40 have engaged with VR in various forms, such as gaming, attending virtual events, or for educational and professional purposes. Similarly, about 40% of this demographic report owning a VR headset, whether standalone or smartphone-based. And this slice of tech-savvy consumers is only growing as we move further into 2025.

How to Advertise Using the Metaverse

Success in the metaverse requires more than just transferring traditional affiliate tactics and formats to virtual spaces. The virtual worlds can offer a unique approach to advertising.

Direct In-World Advertising

Virtual billboards and sponsored spaces are revolutionizing how affiliates reach their audience. Just like Gucci created a whole branded Gucci Garden within Roblox, where users could interact with Gucci products and learn the brand story. The Garden was later expanded into Gucci Town.

Another great example, Wendy’s and their in-game event that prompted Fortnite players to destroy freezers at virtual burger restaurants. That campaign gained 1.5 million minutes watched and a 119% increase in mentions on social media.

Gamified Marketing Campaigns

Incorporating gamification into your affiliate marketing strategy can boost user engagement and help you drive more conversions. One effective approach is to implement reward systems where users earn virtual currency or tokens upon fulfilling the target action (filling out a contact form, adding goods to cart, etc.). This not only incentivizes participation but also fosters a sense of achievement, encouraging deeper engagement with your content.

Designing challenge-based promotions that seamlessly integrate affiliate products into gameplay can also boost interaction. For instance, setting up competitions or leaderboards in simple mini-games creates healthy rivalry, motivating users to outperform each other or top their own results while interacting with the affiliate products. A good example of such mini-games is Google’s main page (aka Google Doodles) interactive designs. They do not promote any goods per se, but the approach has proved to be a veritable user magnet.

Virtual Goods and NFTs

The virtual goods market is also exploding, creating unique opportunities for affiliate marketers. To gain some experience in this field, you can connect with virtual fashion brands to promote wearable NFTs or even create NFTs of your own that offer special discounts or early access to specific products you drive traffic to. Partnering with brands that advertise exclusive virtual items is yet another opportunity to capitalize on the audiences’ keen interest in the metaverse.

Success Stories in the Metaverse

The metaverse is already producing impressive results for forward-thinking marketers and brands. Let’s explore some successful case studies that show the potential of promoting in the virtual world.

Uhive

Uhive is a creative social network integrated with a digital fantasy world. The platform uses an affiliate marketing program in which users earn rewards by inviting others to join. This program is designed to be a win-win, rewarding users for their loyalty and efforts in expanding the network. Affiliates earn a 25% commission on purchases made by their referrers and a 2% secondary commission on sub-referral purchases. Such a multi-tiered reward structure encourages long-term engagement and network building.

Nike x Fortnite

Fortnite has proven on several occasions that it’s possible to successfully and authentically integrate brands into the metaverse. In Nike’s case, this collaboration has become a long-term game. In 2019, Nike’s Jordan brand allowed players to wear virtual versions of its shoes within the game. Next up, an online gaming experience “Airphoria” launched in 2023: players could explore an Air Max-themed universe, participate in a sneaker hunt, and earn in-game rewards.

Later, the brand also released a limited real-world Airphoria-inspired merchandise line. And finally, in November 2024, Nike and Jordan Brand launched “Kicks” in Fortnite, allowing players to customize their in-game avatars with iconic sneakers like the Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” and Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined”.

Fiverr

Fiverr has adapted to the metaverse by creating a specialized marketplace for metaverse-related services — that’s the power of niche targeting 101. This approach allows affiliate marketers to promote 3D designers and avatar creators, capitalizing on the growing demand for virtual assets within the metaverse ecosystem.

Essential Tools and Platforms to Advertise in Metaverse

To succeed in metaverse marketing, you’ll need the right platforms and tools. The most popular metaverse platforms:

• Roblox: Ideal for reaching younger demographics with gamified promotions
• Decentraland: Perfect for virtual real estate and cryptocurrency-related offers
• The Sandbox: Great for creative campaigns and virtual events
• Meta’s Horizon Worlds: Suited for social marketing and community building
• Fortnite: Starting as a battle royale game, it now holds various activities beyond gaming, making it a significant player in the metaverse landscape
• Somnium Space: Emphasizes virtual reality experiences and real estate ownership within its immersive environment. Users can buy land and develop it as they see fit, contributing to a dynamic virtual economy.
• Upland: Focuses on virtual real estate transactions based on real-world locations.

Gamification and virtual event platforms that are worth testing:

• Zealy: Create quest-based marketing campaigns where users earn rewards for completing affiliate-related tasks
• Spatial: Create professional networking events with integrated affiliate promotions

Create unique digital assets (NFTs) to drive engagement:

• MintGate: Develop token-gated content for exclusive affiliate offers.
• Rarible: Launch NFT collections tied to affiliate products.
• NFT Loyalty Programs: Design reward systems using digital collectibles.

Track and optimize your metaverse affiliate campaigns:

• Dune Analytics: Monitor blockchain-based campaign performance.
• Galxe: Robust analytics for tracking user interactions and campaign effectiveness in the Web3 space.
• QuestN: Marketing toolbox designed for Web3 projects based on a “do-to-earn” model.
• TaskOn: A user-friendly platform that allows users to manage campaigns efficiently across multiple blockchain networks. Supports on-chain and off-chain activities.

The Future of Affiliate Marketing is in the Metaverse

The metaverse isn’t just another digital marketing trend — it’s the next step affiliate marketers must be prepared to take if they want to engage with younger audiences. Though not an all-pervasive presence, due to limited access to AR/VR devices among users, web3 platforms are getting more investment and attention from various businesses. And this makes for a trend that should not be ignored.

Whether through virtual billboards, NFT promotions, gamified campaigns, or immersive experiences, the metaverse offers marketers tools and spaces to create deeper, more meaningful connections with users.

Start small, experiment with different platforms, and build your presence in this evolving landscape step by step. Today’s metaverse pioneers will be tomorrow’s industry leaders. Ready to transform your affiliate marketing strategy? Dive into the metaverse and discover its potential together with Yep Ads.