Whilst many of the tools of social media - blogs, ugc, forums - are now increasingly brought into new web design and development, there are companies, from British Airways to Lego who view social media as the starting point - not the added feature. Others, such as ruumz.com, are already operating the 'next generation' of social networks with a new blend of online and offline activity.
That Meta's move has propelled the concept of the metaverse into the public consciousness, bringing with it no shortage of brands into the space, is no bad thing. Very few of us beyond niche communities were talking about 'the metaverse' two years ago. And now we are.