Yes, we are almost into the second quarter of the year, and it may seem a little late for a 2021 hitlist. That is only because we have been watching and waiting to see the trends that emerge as the year progresses.
Marketing for the blockchain and crypto audience is slightly different than mainstream marketing, so as we get our teeth into the year, we are starting to see what our clients need and how some of our latest tactics pan out.
Of course, the hitlist below is over and above what we do as standard practice, which is exceptional community management, excellent PR, omnichannel marketing, social media and blog content writing, and general PPC.
Without further ado, herewith what is yielding great success in digital marketing for us.
- Lucky in Live Streaming
One thing not unique to mainstream audiences is the growth of live-streamed events, conversations, interactions. COVID-19 and online, homebound work has, of course, escalated the use of live streaming activities. Before, the blockchain community used to meet at various conferences, expos, and networking events. Needless to say, as with most blockchain and crypto activity, that has moved online.
From a marketing perspective, we have seen that target audiences are online more, of course, and that the type of push, branded content that is stagnant and not interactive, is working less. It is taking more to capture your audience that has been stuck at home online all day.
Any content that puts followers or the community in contact with the project or organization is vital. It helps to put faces to names and gain insight into the people driving the project and their objectives. It grows overall trust in the project by being open and transparent - an essential factor when developing a community. We have several articles about community growth and engagement.
Interactive Content
If your project can’t run live-streamed events, then many other ways have cropped up this year that you can engage your audience and show off your project.
There is a definite shift away from the standard social posting of content. Gone are the days of a standard: Text, pic, URL, and hashtag post. That sort of post formula needs to be incorporated into other more engaging content that offers users an immersive experience.
Social platforms are social - never forget that!
They are not just a place for you to push your agenda; you need to add value and build your community. For example, we have been running more quizzes and polls, and other exciting interactive could include:
Embedded calculators
Augmented reality ads
360-degree videos
91% of people search for more interactive content not because it’s new and different, but interactive content makes people feel involved and connected to brands.
Va Va Voom for Video!
As with live streaming content, video content typically gains more traction. We have seen this with the explosion of TikTok and its impact on the digital and social media marketing landscape. It is time for brands to up their game and starts using moving images or creating videos, whether they be tutorials or a “behind-the-scenes” of building a blockchain project. Again, this helps with insight into the project and can be highly informative and educational for your community and crypto or DeFi newcomers.
Within the realm of video, we foresee the growth of User Generated Content (UGC) as a means to engage audiences and at the same time mitigate the costs associated with creating videos, especially if you are a start-up watching every penny.
Careful and Clever Content Marketing
In November 2019, Google rolled the BERT algorithm update designed to understand the natural language that people use in their search queries. Since then, content marketing has taken center stage, and that does not look like it will change as it continues to dominate Search Engine Optimization. Content marketing is essential for ensuring blockchain and crypto audiences view their organization projects as credible and trusted resources. So, there is good old-fashioned well researched, better and relevant content despite all the paid marketing options.
Here are some stats from Content Marketing Institute:
Content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing and generates 3x as many leads
Content marketing costs less and grows long term brand loyalty
Ad blockers don't count with content marketing
Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads than those without blogs, and their conversion rates are 6x higher.
At AmaZix, we say clever and careful because content marketing needs to be authentic. We have found that content that is not purpose-driven and does not have a bigger, more inclusive picture in mind is better.
What we mean by this is that the blockchain or crypto audience are typically Millennials and Xillennials. These generations are driven by sustainability, freedom, equality, and ensuring the environment is considered and that the projects or brands they support to align with these values.
Social Listening
AmaZix was founded upon community management for blockchain projects, so our ecosystem’s heart is based upon listening and learning to our client’s audiences. From this, we can assist these communities and help our clients grow and tailor their products and services accordingly. We do the same now for our clients for their social channels as an expansion of our services.
It is crucial to engage with your community, and it is also important to understand what conversations are being had in the broader industry or about your project. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to get predictive analytics helps our clients to identify patterns regarding their product, industry, or brand and predict where to take their marketing activity or business strategy next.
So, if you are looking for something different to grow your typical or general marketing strategy, let us know!