Our world is evolving so fast — and sometimes, the rapid changes can feel like whiplash.
Right now, it’s this trend. Next, it’s another.
As a marketer, it’s your job to stay up to date in order to grab attention.
So, what do you know about attention in the web3 economy?
We’re here to help, and to take the mystery out of web3 marketing. Here we go.
3 ways web3 marketing differs from traditional (web2) marketing
1. Centralized vs. decentralized platforms
In the web2 world, you mostly rely on centralized platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter to reach your audience, right?
Web3 is all about decentralization, which means blockchain technology is going to be your best friend. Here’s your quick explanation.
- Understanding the role of blockchain technology in web3: Built on a distributed database or ledger shared across computers around the world, a blockchain offers more transparency and trust than traditional technologies. Understand this important fact as we enter a digital world dominated by decentralized applications, not just a few big players at the top.
- Trust, transparency, and community-driven campaigns: Consumers value transparency and trust more than ever. In fact, 60% say they’re the most important traits a company can have. Luckily, web3 is inherently built on trust, transparency, and community, which gives brands an opportunity to launch a program with transparency, shared ownership, and community at its core. You can then foster a community that actively supports and advocates for your brand. Boom!
2. Tokenization & NFTs
Digital assets are the new black, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are the rage. Let's dive into how these unique digital assets can level up your marketing game.
- Creating unique digital assets for audience engagement: NFTs allow you to create rare, one-of-a-kind digital assets your audience can collect, trade, and even use within virtual environments. These tools can 1) enhance brand value by offering an extension of your brand, 2) drive loyalty by rewarding return customers and 3) boost customer engagement with awards and prizes. Gamification is the way.
- How NFTs can incentivize action: By offering exclusive NFTs as rewards, your customers or fans have a sense of ownership and attachment to your brand. That’s something companies would die for! Plus, NFTs can appreciate in value over time (just like stocks), further increasing their appeal to consumers.
3. Smart contracts
Say goodbye to tedious manual processes. Smart contracts are here.
Smart contracts are self-executing agreements that run on the blockchain.
Sound complex? You don’t need to know all the details. But know this —they can automate tasks, verify transactions, and enforce contract terms, making your marketing operations cheaper and more efficient. Not only that, but these contracts are transparent and completely governed by the smart contract code, meaning anyone can look into the code and see exactly what is happening with your smart contract. This is just another example of the transparency that exists by default in web3.
Be careful, though. Once you launch a smart contract, there is no turning back or hot-fixes to your code. Your contract is immutable and will live on the blockchain forever. Some projects have learned this the hard way.
How to build a web3 marketing team
So you're ready to assemble your web3 marketing dream team? Scottie Pippen and MJ are ready.
Here are the key skills you'll need on board:
- Blockchain and cryptocurrency literacy: It’s important for your new teammates to understand the basics of blockchain tech and cryptocurrencies. They don't need to be experts, but a solid foundation is a must.
- NFT creation and management: From ideation to minting to marketing, your team should be comfortable with the entire NFT lifecycle. We cover this at length in our library.
- Community-building: Most NFT projects and web3 programs start with a community. Whether that’s on Twitter, in Discord, or on some other platform, you will want a depth of community-building expertise on your team.
- Understanding of web3 culture and communities: Decentralization is here. What does that mean for you? Your team needs to know how to leverage this technology, and (even more importantly) understand the culture and ethos behind web3. Embrace the existing platforms and community. Read the room and understand the web3 cultural zeitgeist.
Tools & resources
Equip your team with the best tools of the trade to set them up for success:
- NFT marketplaces and minting platforms: This is like getting to know Amazon in the early 2000s. You’ll be way ahead if you learn the tools of the trade before your competitors. Familiarize your team with popular NFT marketplaces like OpenSea or Blur and user-friendly minting platforms like thirdweb, Crossmint, and OpenSea Drops.
- Blockchain analytics and data platforms: What’s marketing without the data? Leverage blockchain analytics platforms like Holder or Dune to track your campaign performance and gather valuable insights.
- Web3 marketing platforms: Choose a platform like Holder to manage your web3 marketing campaigns and collaborate effectively with your team. Collect, organize, and segment your customers’ information just like in a traditional CRM. Send messages via wallet messaging, email, or text messaging and personalize the customer experience even more than in web2.
How to adapt your marketing for the web3 era
So you know web3 is coming. You’ve built the team to ride the wave. But now what?
Identify opportunities for NFT and blockchain integration
Take a good, hard look at your current marketing strategy. Where can you leverage NFTs or blockchain technology to get more attention from your audience?
Leverage web3 communities
Explore decentralized platforms and web3 communities relevant to your brand. Keep learning because this industry will continue to shift faster than you would expect.
Monitor, analyze, and optimize
What gets measured, gets managed. Keep a close eye on your web3 marketing campaigns once you launch them. Use data and analytics, just as you would in web2 marketing. Continuously tweak your tactics to really optimize your ROI.
Test and learn
The web3 world is still new. We are in the frontier stages. So, adopt a test-and-learn mindset. Experiment with different approaches. Learn from successes and failures. And iterate, iterate, iterate.
New technology, new rules
If you didn’t know what all that web3 talk was before reading this article, now you do. It’s here. And it’s here to stay.
The faster you adapt the tools of the trade and onboard your customers (who are expecting you to do so), the more likely you are to win.
Looking for a web3 CRM to manage your customer data? Don't forget to book a demo with Holder, the first and leading tool for web3 marketers.
