New thinking on marketing in the Web3 era: token issuance, meme culture and developer community operation

The Web3 Frontiers program explores the differences between marketing in the crypto space and the traditional tech industry. The guests shared their practical experience in reputation building, developer community operation, talent recruitment, token issuance, and founder image building.

Main Points

• Crypto marketing faces the challenge of having a very small target audience and needs to redefine the way it grows
• The core of developer community operations is precise value resonance, rather than simple economic incentives.
• Token issuance needs to balance the dual attributes of marketing activities and financial products.
• Founders should be domain experts, not simply product salesmen
• Layer 2 projects need to balance their own differentiation with the binding of the Ethereum ecosystem
• Developer Relations ( DevRel ) should be deeply integrated into the marketing system.
• Crypto project marketing team building should follow the double standard of “all-round foundation + vertical specialization”.
• The core of global operations is to build a local trust network
• MEME culture is a special storytelling tool for crypto marketing, and a balancing mechanism needs to be established

Founder Brand Building

The key to brand building for founders in the crypto space:

• Step to the front and become the representative voice of executives.
• Build a personal IP that helps with talent acquisition and community influence
• Choose the most natural form of expression, such as a podcast, long article, or video.
• Start with the easiest entry point and create a few iconic moments
• Persist in producing original content, the team is responsible for optimizing packaging
• In-depth communication with the marketing team to convey the true original intention of entrepreneurship

Developer Community Operations

Core strategies for developer community operations:

• Focus on the three core needs of developers: technical, economic, and value
• Build a closed loop of “product-economy-community”.
• In-depth support to help developers succeed and form a model of “empowerment before voice”.
• Publicly build impact through expertise
• Actively engage in solving practical problems using platforms like GitHub and Twitter.
• Discover and cultivate core supporters of the community, incorporating them into the formal operational system.

Token issuance and community governance

Key points of token issuance and community governance:

• Balancing the dual attributes of marketing activities for Tokens and financial products.
• Choose an explosive or progressive issuance path based on project characteristics.
• Establish a sound post-market management mechanism
• Develop highly engaged early supporters during the testnet phase
• Establish structured operational mechanisms, such as regular community conference calls
• Learn to filter out community noise and focus on critical feedback

Operate globally

Key points for the global operation of cryptocurrency projects:

• Building a local trust network is core
• Introduce local partners through reliable channels
• Establish localized Discord channels to cultivate highly active community members
• Identify and nurture core constituencies to serve as a local resource network
• Focus on small, high-value boutique events rather than large exhibitions
• Directly observe developer feedback at offline events to identify potential users.

MEME Culture & Brand Communication

Application of MEME Culture in Crypto Marketing:

• As a tool to transform complex concepts and strengthen a sense of belonging to a community
• Establish a balancing mechanism: The core account remains professional, and the operating account gives creative space
• Make memes an integral part of your overall communication strategy
• Test and screen for expressions that resonate with the industry
• Maintain a positive tone of communication and avoid negative ridicule
• Adhere to the brand tonality in the entertainment atmosphere of the industry