By Udit Joshi
Web3 social media has about 1% of the world’s population now, but the Mexican wave is getting stronger. The future of internet technology and human evolution has begun to unfold. For over 15 years social media brought people together, the Web3 social media is getting them close. Especially the ‘like-minded’ ones. Decentralised living is already in practice and vast communities are developing autonomous and sovereign platforms powered by Blockchain and Web3. With the evolution of social networks, a shift towards community-focused and designed spaces like Mastodon, Discord, Bluesky, DiamondApp and Minds is inevitable.
We shouldn’t expect an exodus though, the move to Web3 will be rather gradual. The entry will take its time because these Web3 social platforms are overwhelming. From the very beginning, you will experience the principles of decentralised philosophy. The UI and UX from the start disconnect you and hand over complete powers to you. You do not join a league rather have all the ammunition to create your own. The decentralised platforms empower the user with more control, privacy, and possibilities.
For marketers and communicators, the underlying thought is that we’re heading now toward a future in which it’s about reaching a much smaller group of people with whom you already share interests, beliefs, or affinity. Web3 will redefine how we socialise. It is designed to be community-driven, ad-free, and self-monetised. Web3 is backed by blockchain technology where, instead of having large corporations owning all of the content and acting as gatekeepers, it serves as a collective of decentralised networks. The tools for engagement are limitless as the platform design allows a variety of different kinds of communications across video, streaming, multiple message boards, one-to-one messaging, and communal spaces large and small in anonymity, or as avatars.
The marketing communications in essence should become ‘pull’ and not ‘push’. Web2 social media was about hoarding the user base, the Web3 is about letting go. It will defeat the purpose otherwise. These decentralised social media platforms make them so much more powerful in the Web3 world. Let’s get an understanding of what these platforms have to offer and where we find our TGs.
Mastodon
Mastodon is a popular open-source, free software that allows users to host their own social networking services. It is microblogging with an improved Twitter. Operating since 2016, its growth accelerated as users hunt for a decentralised Twitter substitute. Mastodon, in contrast to other social media platforms, was created by a nonprofit organisation.
Discord
Discord provides people with the freedom to find in life a sense of belonging. Users communicate via voice calls, video calls, text messages and media files. These conversations take place in private chats as well as through online groups known as servers. Adding to its popularity, Discord, with over a quarter of a billion members is among the most active platforms for online gaming conversations.
Bluesky
As a response to Twitter’s shortcomings, Bluesky was created. It came into the public light when social media platforms were being charged with exploiting user data, spreading fake and unverified information, and also interfering in national security issues such as rioting and elections. Bluesky aims to create a decentralised social network protocol and enables businesses and people to create apps, services, or recommendation engines.
DiamondApp.
By using Diamond, creators and their viewers may create a vibrant online community centred on content, incentives, and ownership (the decentralised social blockchain). The platform was created from the ground up as its own unique blockchain and is a new kind of social network that mixes social media with investments. Diamond is a concept that is entirely decentralised and open-source.
Minds
The open-source, decentralised cryptocurrency social network called Minds is committed to privacy, free speech online, and internet freedom. Users can receive cryptocurrency tokens in exchange for their network contributions on the networking site, which also supports blogs and video content. By utilising blockchain technology, Minds hopes to improve the community’s experience and advantages while rewarding interaction on creators’ channels and restoring peoples’ privacy.
As Web3 social media comes to act, the point of governance in the ESG comes forth. The most recent and biggest eye-opener is the FTX Crash. It is also a mindset tribulation both of the user and the marketer. The human race in the last few centuries has lived in a social fabric which has laid out societal rules. Assumably, they are mostly good intentions for everyone. But the question of trust, security and safety will always come up. We will see ourselves encounter more use case applications in routine lifestyles which are decentralised in foundation. Should it be trusted? As long as that itch remains to be answered, as brand communicators we will have a fulfilling job. The shift toward user augmentation, combined with privacy, security, and trust and safety, will lead us towards a new and better web.
The author of the article is account director – frontier technologies practice, Adfactors PR
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