The current state of ICO and Crypto PR is a mess. As the SEC and major conglomerates put their foot down on crypto, stress and scope is starting to be pulled thin.
ICO and Crypto PR ads and articles have been targeted by the Top 10international social media sites. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are declaring their ban against crypto-related subjects across their channels. These are three of the biggest social databanks in the world.
Another blow to the PR world is that countries across the world are also tightening their restrictions on cryptocurrency and crypto related content. This makes it even harder for ICOs to outsource or produce their own Crypto PR.
However, there seems to be a growing number of PR firms by the day. Thats with more than 30+ companies to already choose from. So how in the world is a CEO or CMO supposed to figure out which crypto marketing company to choose from?
This is where we step in.
Not only do we understand the ICO and crypto PR world, we’re also a part of it. We’ve worked with most of these organizations, met them in person, or have extensively studied them. To us 30+ styles of ICO and crypto marketing are definitely something we can manage.
To find if the a certain ICO or crypto PR firm is right for you, you must pay attention to four main things:
How much resources do you have for your ICO marketing?
I am a realist at heart.
So to start, I will be incredibly candid and tell you what you don’t want to hear.
ICO and Crypto PR agencies are incredibly expensive. ICO and Crypto Marketing is also expensive.
You must consider how much money you are willing to pay for your service. There are a range of companies to choose from, especially with PR. The reason behind this is that there are simply way too many publications on the internet. With the range of publications, you also get a range in the quality of work.
It is without doubt that the more money you pay, the higher the quality of service will be. No one organization can promise you X amount of placements of Y company. The government and company crypto PR crackdowns have made this an impossibility.
However, ICO and crypto PR is a necessary social proof for companies that want to appear as legitimate as possible. Within the realm of ICO publications, there is a tier. The high quality, expensive placements can be offered by companies such as Waschman or Melrose PR.
Other ICO and Crypto PR firms target mid-tier publications such as TechBullion.com, Coinmarketnews, and Coinspeaker.com. These ICO PR agencies are just as legitimate. Alot of people within the community seek out these publications specifically to bet on new ICOs. Crowdcreate can easily guarantee these article placements. Blonde 2.0 is another company that can guarantee article placements at a number of high and mid tier publications.
If you wish to go the cheapest and most extensive route, you can simply run a bounty campaign for written publications. However, these articles are usually poorly written or simply not written at all.
A small boon for ICO and Crypto PR not available to many other marketing routes is that you can hire non-crypto related publications to place your works. There are third party companies completely outside of the cryptosphere that do incredible work. These companies are usually priced slightly higher but may be worth the price.
What is the Scope of Work for the ICO and Crypto PR Firm?
The second important thing you must consider is what you want the PR firm to actually do for you. This may sound like a silly question, but I can provide a multitude of questions you probably have not considered yet.
Who will write the article?Who will post the article?What will the article be about?How many times will your company be mention in said article?
Pricing isn’t everything. Relationships without clear boundaries end up becoming stressful and mutually destructive. What may seem like the perfect fit can become a nightmare if things like messaging, links, and length are not defined.
Different ICO PR firms also specialize in different thing. If you would like to blast out as many articles as possible in one sitting, maybe a larger ICO PR firm like Melrose Public Relations is right for you. They have a large reach of both high, mid, and low tier publications. If you are looking for sheer numbers for SEO rankings, this may be a good plan
However, if you are looking for something long lasting and organic, ICO PR companies like Crowdcreate may be right for you. We target mid tier publications for a reason. They are niche, grab a lot of traffic, and do not fall under as many regulations as top tier publications.
You can also write your own articles and ICO PR and post if on amazing websites like Hackernoon and Medium. They have options for crypto PR that are blockchain focused that provide incredible value. I write on Hackernoon for a reason. The team is disciplined, have an eye for amazing writing, and provide excellent feedback.
The point is that when you are interviewing these companies, you should already have defined the scope of the work. Work gets delayed and you end up paying more for a service if you are making the rules up as you go along. Communication is key between partnerships, especially when it comes to ICO and crypto PR.
How Close Are You To Your ICO Sale Date?
One huge problem ICO and crypto PR agencies run into is ICO companies that want service a week or two before their sale date.
This is a major problem for three main reasons.
- Not Enough Time
You can write the best article in the entire world today and you will still have to wait for views. Articles simply take time to get read. When you provide crypto PR firms with a week deadline, it simply isn’t enough time for it to get read. It takes time for people to come across your article.
A key growth method that I learned from Neil Patel is to optimize your articles. As you learn new things about a project, updating your articles will increase its chances of getting ranked on Google. No ICO PR firm can guarantee accurate, valuable updates within a week’s time.
- Dropped Quality of Work
In tandem with point 1, the less time you have, the lower the quality of work. It takes an investor a couple of days to get comfortable with an ICO company’s whitepaper. This rule applies to the average PR writer as well.
If you give an ICO PR professional a day or two to fully consume your whitepaper, you will see an increase in the length and quality of writing. With more to work with, the person has more material to create content out of. They may even sound like they know what they’re talking about for once.
- More Expensive
It is not an uncommon practice for businesses to charge for priority services. This practice applies to PR firms. They may have to push your article over companies that have been loyal customers for months. This means you essentially have to prove your dedication by networking or by paying.
Ideally, you want to be releasing PR a couple months prior to your main sale date. It helps you maintain relevance within your growing community as well as allows your ICO PR firm to create high quality content. You also want this content to be read. Time allows for that.
What type of messaging do you want in your ICO and Crypto PR?
My final advice is to define your messaging prior to engagement. It makes the process much easier for both parties when your ICO or Crypto marketing company knows exactly what to say.
This also allows your ICO PR agency to target the correct publication as well. If you are a fintech specific platform, you don’t need a placement in the biggest Green Energy publication in the world. Defining your messaging allows the ICO PR company to target the correct publications as fast as possible.
Defining your messaging gives your writers material as well. If they understand the messaging to be focused on the team, than the writer can create a piece featuring prior achievements of individual team members. Writers and Crypto PR firms work in tandem with the company. The more information, the more harmonious the interaction.
In Conclusion:
Please study up on the companies you hire. Understanding what each publication specializes in can help you save a ton of money, time, and stress.
If anything contact us here. We can walk you through what we’re good at and what else to be looking for. While we are biased, we’re also good friends with most of the blockchain companies out there, PR firms included. Where we cannot serve you, we can recommend one of our friendly rivals.
Please contact us at Crowdcreate.us You can catch more of our work there. Don’t be afraid to contact us to talk about ICO and Crypto PR, Telegram Management, and more!
Originally published at www.crowdcreate.us on May 1, 2018.