By Kelsey McGuire, Chief Growth Officer, Shardeum
With the conclusion of the 15th annual Web Summit this week, there were some interesting insights from the Web3 and Marketing beats. Sometimes wary of the Web3 space, Web Summit had several panels that catered to the burgeoning industry, including talks titled “Web3 Horizon” and “Web3: Learning Secrets from Web2”. They also held a panel discussing The Creator Economy and its current trajectory. These conversations prompted the question: How will Web3 reshape the marketing industry?
Unlike Web2 marketing’s reliance on paid ads and top-down communication, Web3 revolves around decentralization, with a focus on community-driven growth, transparent practices, and innovative engagement strategies. In this evolving ecosystem, conventional marketing tactics can often fall short, or even be banned in some cases when it comes to paid ads, creating a need for more tailored approaches that resonate within Web3 communities.
From Centralization to Decentralization: A Marketing Shift
Social media marketing has reigned as the dominant form of both earned and paid exposure to the masses for well over a decade now. While it still plays a major role in Web3 marketing and engagement, there are some nuances compared to the tactics used in more traditional industries.
Web2 marketing often depends heavily on centralized platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and occasionally, Facebook—where companies have significant control over audience reach and data metrics.
In Web3, this control is diminished due to its core values of decentralization, transparency, privacy, and sovereignty. Building value within decentralized networks, where user data and platform decisions aren’t held by a single entity but distributed across the network, is a challenge, but also a necessity. This shift brings Web3 marketers to platforms like Telegram, Discord, Reddit and Twitter, where they can engage users directly, generate dialogue and foster a more organic brand connection.
Building Community and Trust in Web3
In Web3, community is everything. Community driven marketing relies on transparency and shared purpose, with brands often incentivizing participation through monetary rewards or shared governance. Unlike Web2, where followers, likes and shares are the core metric of success, Web3 community members are active participants who contribute to the brand’s growth and direction.
They are keen to gather in digital spaces to share their ideas, and they are encouraged to voice their opinions, collaborate on projects and engage in deep and insightful discussions about the ecosystems they exist in. More often than not, companies use their communities as a sounding board for in-progress projects, and in turn, this builds trust between the two entities. Transparency into decision-making, frequent updates fed into community spaces, and in some cases, the visibility into activities via Q&As in public spheres not only holds businesses accountable but also closes the gap between them and the communities they serve.
Influencer Marketing in Web3: A New Paradigm
Some may say that influencer marketing, specifically in the context of more traditional and lifestyle industries, is past its prime. We have reached the pinnacle of feigned authenticity and people aren’t buying (literally and figuratively) into the not-so-discreet product placement in Instagram posts.
That being said, influencer marketing has transformed in the Web3 space. While Web2 influencer strategies focus on broad reach and impression counts, Web3 influencers tend to be more entrenched in the communities and ecosystems they are promoting.
For example, some of the leading influencers in the Web3 space are Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum, Punk6529, an anonymous NFT collector and advocate for an open metaverse, and Anthony Pompliano, Founder and CEO of Professional Capital Management and serial entrepreneur. Although this is far from an exhaustive list, these figures bring diverse backgrounds and expertise to the industry. They are highly influential, continuously engaging with their communities and shaping the Web3 landscape.
These collaborations are also more community-relevant, with influencers often selected based on their alignment with the project’s values and long-term vision. This approach contrasts sharply with Web2’s frequent reliance on influencers as short-term engagement tools, aiming instead to cultivate long-term advocates who genuinely believe in the project’s mission.
For example, influencers in Web3 may hold community “AMAs” (Ask Me Anything) sessions on Telegram or Discord, helping brands forge more authentic relationships with audiences. Rather than simply endorsing a product, these influencers are often active community members, participating in discussions and engaging in project updates.
Social Media Engagement and Content Strategy
The core of Web2 marketing is increased revenue. Content often serves a transactional purpose, directing followers to make purchases or enticing new customers.
Marketing strategies in Web3 often aim to educate and activate community participation, and the content is intended to inform, engage, and empower community members, creating a shared understanding of the project or organization’s goals and values.
On platforms like Discord, Reddit and Telegram, brands build community channels or pages tailored to specific topics or sub-projects. These channels foster deeper engagement by giving users a voice within the community. The discussions facilitated by these platforms allow members to explore project updates, technical discussions, and community-led initiatives, establishing a continuous, collaborative dialogue.
Transparency also plays a pivotal role in Web3 content strategy. Frequent and honest updates on the aforementioned platforms as well as Twitter facilitate healthy communication between brands and their communities. Brands also often encourage user-generated content and incentivized participation within the ecosystem. This not only builds credibility but also encourages others to contribute, adding a community perspective to the brand’s operations and image.
The Future of Web3 Marketing
As the internet and the expectations of users evolve, several trends are likely to reshape its marketing landscape.
First and foremost, the community is king. With greater transparency and collaboration between organizations and their communities, we will see the development of shared values, and a sense of trust, which will completely change how we see organization/user relationships in the future.
We will also likely see a greater shift to platforms that actually operate on a decentralized network, rather than the centralized platforms we use today. This may pose further challenges in terms of targeted campaigns, but Web3 natives are ready for the challenge, knowing very well that the communities will remain strong if the values and mission of organizations continue to align with audience needs and wants.
Web3 marketing requires a shift from the traditional, centralized methods of Web2 toward strategies that prioritize community, transparency, and meaningful interaction. Success in Web3 will depend on brands’ abilities to engage audiences in genuinely participative ways, empowering them to co-create the brand journey.
FAQs
1. How does Web3 marketing differ from Web2 marketing?
Web3 marketing emphasizes decentralization, community participation, and transparency, unlike Web2, which relies on centralized platforms and top-down communication. In Web3, marketers focus on engaging directly with users on platforms like Discord, Telegram, and Reddit, fostering collaboration and trust. Content in Web3 is less transactional and more about educating and empowering users to contribute to the brand’s mission.
2. What platforms are most effective for Web3 marketing?
Discord, Telegram, Twitter, and Reddit are the dominant platforms in Web3 marketing. These spaces allow for community-driven discussions, AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions), and active engagement with audiences. Unlike centralized platforms like Instagram or TikTok, these platforms align with Web3’s values of decentralization, enabling brands to create deeper and more authentic connections with their users.
3. How can brands build trust with communities in the Web3 space?
Trust in Web3 is built through transparency, consistent communication, and shared purpose. Brands should regularly update their communities on projects, host public discussions or Q&A sessions, and encourage user-generated content. Incentivizing participation through rewards or shared governance opportunities also fosters stronger, trust-based relationships with community members.
These FAQs were researched by MadTech Magazine and are not provided by the original article’s author.
The convergence of tech and brands 