The Uncomfortable Truth of Web3 Marketing

Let's face it: many Web3 projects are on the brink of failure, and it's not because the tech is terrible, but because the marketing sucks. How desperate do you have to be to resort to bots, hoping they'll magically transform into real users one day? It's nothing short of a farce!

I know I might sound harsh, but I can't help it. It's infuriating. Projects that should be focusing on ways to genuinely engage users, build confidence in their products, and attract organic word-of-mouth recommendations, are often fixated on trivial metrics like hitting 100k followers on Twitter. It's always the same scenario: they still need to pay influencers for the 100k followers announcement tweet to get any decent engagement.

Don't get me wrong; numbers matter. But the obsession with superficial numbers can lead to overlooking the real question: Are you truly connecting with an audience, and more importantly, are you building a vibrant and engaged community?

The key differentiator between successful Web3 projects and those that fail is the strength of their community. Bots can't believe in your vision, stand by your side, or collaborate with you to build something meaningful. It's high time we cut through the bullshit and focus on authenticity because having 150k "people" on a platform is meaningless if it's devoid of genuine human interaction.

To truly improve your marketing strategy, it's important to look beyond Twitter. There are countless potential users out there eager to be a part of the Web3 ecosystem, with genuine questions and desires. I witnessed this firsthand at my most recent speaking engagement at a Google DevFest event. Surprisingly, in a room full of young minds, less than 1% had heard of blockchain or crypto, and only a handful knew about Bitcoin. After my session on 'Blockchain: The Future of Trust,' I got so many questions, with many attendees eager to learn more and curious about how to get involved.

Regardless of the industry, effective marketing boils down to understanding your audience, establishing a genuine connection, and meeting them where they are. Many projects assume that only crypto-savvy individuals are their target audience, even though their goal is to onboard Web2 users to Web3. Yes, the Web3 community can be demanding and driven by incentives, but there are countless legitimate ways to onboard real-world users without falsifying your community numbers.

Take, for instance, the wealth of educational resources that platforms like Binance offer, both offline and online, to educate beginners. Also, consider the numerous hackathons organized by Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon. Each project's approach effectively connects with their target audience. These projects underscore the importance of a holistic approach, combining offline and online marketing efforts to achieve substantial results.

In a nutshell, there are no quick fixes in marketing. You must diversify your strategies to engage with different demographics and shift your focus from mere numbers to building a genuine community. A community with 1,000 genuine followers interested in your project holds far more value than a ghost town of 100,000 followers.

The sad part? Founders never listen.

If you are building something amazing and would love to talk, my DM is open. I have amazing ideas I would love to share with builders who see things from my perspective and believe in doing marketing the right way.

That's all for today. Talk to you tomorrow.