The web3 world is growing faster than any digital revolution. Blockchain gaming, Decentralized finance, and NFTs are changing the way people interact online. As technology advances, many web3 startups that have built a DAO, a wallet, or a DeFi protocol often transition into traditional marketing.
Without realizing that web2 marketing doesn’t work for web3 startups, they invest a lump sum amount and wonder why their campaigns flop. Web2 marketing tools like standard SEO, fancy banner ads, generic promotions, and celebrity endorsements might work for typical products.
However, crypto is not just a product; you need to sell trust, transparency, and innovation. Without these, all your hard work will fade into the noise. Therefore, if you are a web3 startup founder, figuring out what went wrong, as a web3 marketing agency let me clear the air and point out what you are missing.
TRUST is the New Currency
Trust is the new currency, and the traditional ads don’t do it for you.
The foundation of Web3 was disbelief, suspicion, and distrust. With years of Ponzi schemes, rug pulls, the FTX collapse, and founders disappearing overnight, web3 users look for transparency rather than community engagement. Imagine a flashy ad on Google for a wallet. Will you open it?
That’s right! Your foundation on Web3 is built on distrust. Which is why traditional ads like influencer promotions or hype-filled ads won’t do it for you. What you need is open communication, audited smart contracts, advanced tokenomics, a demonstration of real-life utilization, and an authentic conversation with the users.
A great, inspiring YouTube video will not rebuild trust. Similarly, a huge, high-paid banner ad won’t deliver credibility. Crypto users demand proof, not just promises that are almost NEVER TRUE!
Treat Them as STAKEHOLDERS, not Consumers!
Web3 marketing is different from Web2.
In web2, businesses sell products. But in Web3, users don’t just buy products; they communicate, contribute, invest, vote, and build along with the founders. In Web3, the crypto community works like an ecosystem, not just a one-way channel where the businesses speak and the consumers listen.
Web3 users seek engagement through token incentives for participation, DAOs, beta testing, ambassador and moderator recruitment, and conversations via Telegram or Discord. Unlike web2 consumers supporting brands, web3 users support movements and missions.
Hence, always look for a community-first approach.
Try Niche Targeting Rather Than a Mass Audience
You don’t need to target a huge audience; you just need to find a thousand believers who are ready to invest and convert.
In traditional marketing, the businesses target a mass audience irrespective of their interests. What’s the point of targeting people who doesn’t have any idea about staking models, tokenomics, or whitepapers using Google Ads? Crypto users are typically NFT collectors, traders, developers, DAO contributors, blockchain gamers, and others.
As a Web3 startup founder, you need to target communities with real enthusiasts. Where can you find them? Well, Discord communities, Twitter crypto spaces, thought leader AMAs, podcasts, Reddit, and similar media platforms. Your web3 marketing needs depth, not volume.
Also Read: Top Blockchain Development Companies
Hype Marketing is DANGEROUS!
Traditional marketing plays with emotions.
All those high-fashion ads, celebrity endorsements, and the promises of big returns compel consumers to convert. However, with the crypto sector and all the scams that the industry has suffered, flashy ads are not something people would believe in.
Tokens collapse within months, the market plummets, founders declare bankruptcy, and there is always something going on. Experienced crypto users mostly avoid hyped ads and celebrity endorsements. Wondering what you could do differently?
Create a product roadmap for yourself, partner with real businesses, use actual usage metrics, and open-source your progress. If you have already managed to work out traditional marketing, it won’t take time for the users to step back. It’s just one plummet in the market, and you will lose the users.
Web3 Marketing is Faster Than Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing strategies—such as SEO—often take months, or even years, to deliver measurable results. They require long-term planning, gradual optimization, and sustained execution before organic visibility and conversions begin to grow.
Web3 marketing operates in a completely different environment. The crypto and blockchain ecosystem moves in real time—market sentiment can shift overnight, new narratives and token cycles can emerge suddenly, and prices can surge or crash within hours. Founders and teams must react quickly to stay relevant.
This is why waiting three months to launch or refine a marketing plan often leads to missed opportunities in Web3. Slow, rigid strategies simply can’t keep up with the pace of the ecosystem. Instead, projects need continuous communication, rapid experimentation, and agile campaign execution—something a specialized web3 marketing agency is built to deliver.
What Web3 Startups Should Do Instead?
- COMMUNICATION is the KEY!
Instead of focusing on advertising budgets, prioritize effective communication. You can run AMAs on Twitter Spaces, Reddit, and Telegram. Educate the users through workshops and seminars, and reward their participation through NFTs and tokens.
Most importantly, be vocal about your losses, not just wins. Share the lessons and what to avoid to not just survive but thrive in the crypto space.
- Don’t Just Promote, EDUCATE!
40% of the crypto users are new to the industry and invest in NFTs or tokens out of FOMO. With the vast area of blockchain concepts such as staking, consensus mechanisms, liquidity pools, government tokens, and more, education is crucial.
Promote knowledge by sharing litigations, whitepapers, long-form thought leadership posts, Twitter threads explaining complicated theories, case studies that show real results, guides, and explainer videos.
- Don’t just Put Words, Use DATA
Rather than making vague statements, it is best to provide proof that your product is great with numbers. Crypto users care about trading volume, token distribution, audits, security certificates, and more.
The concept is to show your receipts. Therefore, next time, instead of saying “Our product is a game-changer,” you can say “We onboard over 100 people daily.”
- Connect Building a COMMUNITY
The bug sharks in the crypto industry, such as Solana, Bitcoin, Shiba Inu, and Ethereum, were all built on community.
Here’s how they do it. Referrals, reward programs, hackathons, and co-creation events, airdrops to keep the users active, and so much more. When you give he users the freedom to shape your product, they become your loudest marketers.
- Transparency Saves You During Market Volatility
Market volatility is common in the crypto market. Tokens drop, and projects face delays, and experienced users know it’s normal.
However, as a new startup owner, what is not normal is SILENCE. The community loves transparency about setbacks, use of funds, roadmap delays, and market conditions. So, next time the market plummets, don’t ignore your losses; be vocal about it.
Final Thoughts
Traditional marketing is great for passive consumers. However, web3 users are just the opposite. They look for trust and transparency. Therefore, don’t just build a product, build it with the people who believe. Building a community is the best marketing engine for web3 users; stronger than any ad campaign.