There are a lot of exciting developments in the blockchain space, and some great teams around the world are working hard to build platforms that will make a real difference. At some point in their development, these projects are likely to run a token sale. Although billions have already been raised through ICOs in 2018, there’s now more competition for funding than ever. This means your project needs to get noticed — by the media, influencers, and potential contributors. It means building an engaged community, telling your story well, and standing out from all the others. So, your whitepaper is ready, you’ve had legal and other advice on your project, and you may even have an MVP (or better). You know you want to do an ICO in future and that putting a strategic and comprehensive marketing and PR programme in place is critical — but what do you need to get started? The earlier you start planning, the better Most blockchain projects understand they need to build profile, hype and credibility. The time needed to develop, implement and see the results of a campaign is, however, usually vastly underestimated. It takes a sustained effort over time to build substantial levels of awareness and a broad, engaged community. Traditional marketing campaigns usually take far longer than the few months allocated for token sales to plan and execute in order to successfully meet these objectives, and established companies already have brands, agency relationships, client and prospect lists — and products. Since startups often need to develop all of these, the earlier you can put the building blocks in place, the more successful your campaign is likely to be. Experienced marketers understand the requirements, and so can make this process faster and easier. They will also be best placed to develop and put in place all the other publicity elements that will support the project’s development, including specialist marketing, PR and community management teams and programmes. Prepare a compelling narrative and a unique brand Every founder has a unique story to tell, and it’s important to be able to tell it in a way that appeals to every relevant audience — clients, partners, the media and, not least, the crypto community. Each will be seeking to understand the vision, the technology, the team, why the whole thing matters, and how it’s different. It takes time, thought and discussion to develop cohesive messaging that will get your story across clearly, consistently and authentically so that it resonates with these varied audiences. This process is also a good starting point for developing your brand. It’s not just a logo and some other visual elements. A brand is a way of describing your business — it provides a framework for how it’s represented to your community and clients, by helping to create the right perception of your offering. Content is essential The next stage is getting the message out, and for this, you’ll need news and content. Ideally at least part of the content plan will be aligned with the project’s roadmap. This will provide regular opportunities to attract the interest of crypto and mainstream journalists. A regular flow of new information regarding partners, clients, technical development and so on will significantly improve the likelihood of achieving media coverage over time. A plentiful stream of content will also drive a project’s ability to build and engage with its community by informing it about relevant industry matters, demonstrating technical knowledge and providing visibility into the project and its team. These elements are, of course, just the start of the process. Getting these things right at the start will form a strong basis for the next phase of your publicity campaign. You can find me on Twitter here
