They say the Coca-Cola marketers were genius for making us feel we weren't sold bottled sugar water; we were being brought into a dream, a cultural movement. The Web3 pros are the Coca-Cola marketers of today. Armed with vision, a mission, and innovative tech and a compelling white paper, these Web3 marketers are not merely promoting a product—they are crafting a global community of engaged shareholders, each empowered with a stake in a collective, decentralized future.
Web3's revolutionary approach to community building starts with its foundation: the tribe. Much like the fervent followers of any major cultural movement, Web3 enthusiasts are not mere consumers; they are advocates, evangelists, and most importantly, stakeholders. The world “user” disappears altogether. The ethos here is simple yet profound: transform every user into a shareholder, every follower into an advocate. This isn't just about creating utility or functionality within a digital space—it's about forging a new societal structure in the digital realm.
Web3’s Tribe emerged in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Some cypher punks realized the time was ripe for the appeal of decentralization and hope of economic prosperity. So they tapped into the millions of disillusioned, digital native Millennials and who were ready to hand over this task to algorithms and cryptographic functions. Some macroeconomists followed suit. The first crypto tribe was born. Next, early believers were transformed into evangelists. And they were loud. The Web2 social media had given them the tools to expand their voice. And they were educated, and digitally mavericks.
And they started to create ripples and draw the next tens of millions in their community. Their genius resided not only in the technology, but also in their approach to community building. It recognized early on that for the movement to thrive, every participant needed to be more than just a user. They needed to be stakeholders, architects, and advocates. And it needed an army of those. As it expanded its horizons, three significant adoption and engagement practices stood out: incentives, influencer marketing, and DAOs.
Coins, incentives and Rewards - the Stake in the New World : in Web3, incentives play a critical role not just in attracting a crowd but in keeping that crowd committed and active. Tokens and cryptocurrencies are the tools of this trade, offering more than monetary value—they symbolize a stake in the platform's future. These incentives are crafted not just to reward but to integrate users into the ecosystem as stakeholders who have a real impact on the project's direction and success.
Influencers to Amplify your Gospel: The new gatekeepers of today’s businesses are the Influencers. Not just content creators, in Web3 they are educators, curators, community builders and Chiefs of Adoption. Lastly, they are the Insiders, Key Opinion Leaders (aka KOLs) who truly understand the mechanics, technology, utility, or sometimes all of these aspects.
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (aka DAOs) to Empower communities to govern themselves through voting on proposals and shaping the platform's future. entities where decisions are made by code or by people through votes, ensuring clarity and automation. Smart contracts on blockchain platforms are central to the functioning of DAOs. They democratize decision-making, leverage network effects and capitalize on the collective wisdom of their community. Now apply this to marketing. The NEAR blockchain foundation embraced its community's collective wisdom, including in marketing. Diverging from traditional top-down strategies, NEAR’s DAO for Marketing puts power in its community's hands. Members propose marketing strategies, campaign ideas, and branding concepts. These proposals are then subjected to community analysis, discussion, and voting. This inclusive process ensures that the platform's marketing aligns with the core user base's desires. The approach has proven successful; in under three years, the community has grown to over 2 million members and consistently ranks among the top 100 Web3 projects.
From Followers to Founders: Fostering a Culture of Ownership
A true republic empowers its citizens. In Web3 communities, this translates to fostering a sense of ownership among our members.
A Shared Stake in the Future
Recognition and Reward
Building Together
The Web3 community is not merely a collection of individuals; it's a republic built on shared values and a commitment to a brighter digital future. By embracing transparency, education, and empowerment, web3 communities are paving the way for a more equitable and user-centric internet.
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