There has been a profound shift in how brands are reaching their core customers. In 2024, having engagement means providing experiences and content that resonates with your core community.

When brands put something out into the world, they are hoping that the people who like what they have to say or offer keeps coming back to enjoy it and share it with others in their network. This means there is now a space for 3D artists to provide tremendous value to these brands by creating the kinds of content and experiences that their community enjoys🕺🏽.

The Metaverse 🌎 is tied to creative expression of one’s self in a digital space, hence giving birth to your digital twin. The platforms that enable that concept is where brands are going to look to more and more. Today, some standout players are Roblox, Zepeto, Sandbox, IMVU, Fortnite, Decentraland to name a few. 

You may notice that the list is not limited to whether they use blockchain. Though we do see benefits to using blockchain in a Metaverse platform, what we want to focus on is the ability for users to express themselves, for brands to reach their core community members and for 3D artists to be able to facilitate those two things. 

So what does it take to start participating in this UGC 3D economy? 

| Choosing a platform

First, as a creator you need to understand 🧐 the nuances of the platform you choose to join and put content out on. Each platform has specific requirements that you need to be aware of. You need to consider 📝:

• Does the platform have an official partner or creator program? What are the guidelines for applying and being accepted into the program? What do you need to be doing to stay in the program? 
• Are there any costs to being able to upload your assets and host your assets on the platform? 
• How does your work gain visibility on the platform? 
• What tools do they provide you? How does their platform integrate with your current tools and workflow? 
• What support does the platform have for you as a creator?
• How does the platform pay you out and in what cadence?

As you can see there is quite a bit of work that goes into being a UGC 3D artist hopefully we haven’t scared you out of pursuing it further 😆! There is more to consider that we will touch on in future articles, however, the end result is the ability for you to reach your core community and unlock a feedback loop that allows you to iterate and 👌🏽 perfect your craft. It allows you to become a conduit for creativity on these platforms where users are looking for more ways to show off their uniqueness👨‍🎤. You now give yourself the ability to make a living doing what you love, creating and creating on your own terms!

| UGC Creator Habits

What does it take to be successful as a UGC creator? There is no 🧚‍♀️ magic bullet answer to this question. Though we can give you some helpful tips for you to implement in your decision making. Firstly, always be creating! This one is probably oversimplifying a few concepts but it does the job of highlighting ✍️ the idea of increasing your own skills by practicing and putting out works. It allows you to see what resonates with your community which leads us into our next tip.

Listen to your community! No matter how skilled you are or how much you have flooded the market, you need folks to care. So take inventory of the feedback ☄️ you receive from those that keep coming back for more. 

Third of all, engage in the community at large! Attend events with folks who are interested in the same kinds of works you are. Also take the opportunities to contribute, you never know where those ties to others may lead you.

Finally, know your worth! This UGC, Metaverse, 3d economy is still new and no one has all the answers. That should give you comfort that you are doing something right if something you are doing resonates with your community and folks want more of what you provide. So don’t let your insecurities become the reason you give up while you are still on your journey 👏. 

| Learn the business

No matter what platform you choose, take the time to learn about how the business works. We are not suggesting you become a full time business analyst. What we mean is to stay up to date on the decisions the platforms are making. Follow 🔖 newsletters like TheHolodeck.io that distill information to you in a way that is concise and relevant. Hopefully the platform's creator program pairs you with an internal contact that can help answer your questions so you can understand how their decisions impact you as a creator. And if not, you may need to try to make those connections yourself. We know this can be a daunting task, so we suggest that you treat this as a goal you ⛏️ chip away at as you grow as a creator. Making it more manageable and feeding into the creator habits we talked about earlier.

| Looking to the Future

Ultimately, this space is another chance you will be taking that involves your time, discipline and persistence 🧗‍♀️. Despite all that, we can’t think of anything more cool than seeing our creations reach real (digital) people and having an impact on the culture. We have only begun to scratch the surface of what this means.

Isn't it mind-blowing how technology keeps pushing the boundaries of what's possible? Imagine strolling through virtual landscapes right from your living room! As our tech evolves, our experiences in the Metaverse will only get richer and more immersive. It's like stepping into a whole new dimension of possibility!