“Why don’t my users understand?!” 😡

As a marketer, it’s your job to communicate your product’s value proposition in a way that anyone can understand. But that’s easier said than done. Finding the right message is hard in any industry. In web3 is 10x more difficult. In this blog, I'll give you 5 ways to build successful marketing campaigns that drive adoption and delight users. 

Why is web3 marketing so hard?

Web3 is not just a small technological change, it’s a seismic shift that's reshaping the internet as we know it. As a new and innovative technology, it's inherently complicated to understand. Creating a wallet, signing transactions, and gas fees are just a few of the hurdles facing your users.

So how do you build and bring a product to market to attract first-time web3 users?

That’s the challenge we faced when starting, building, and marketing DropChain, a web3 development platform that helps you create, launch, and monetize web3 applications.

We're incredibly proud of the product we've built. It solves a unique problem for web3 developers and end users. But it's not always easy to explain to people unfamiliar with web3.

Since the beginning, we've tested dozens of marketing and product strategies. In this blog post, we'll explore 5 strategies that will help you market your web3 product in a way that attracts, retains, and delights users, regardless of their web3 experience.

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#1: Invest in empathetic design

Web3 products are already hard to use and understand. Don't make them harder by having a poor design. Product designers have the critical role of communicating with customers to understand their pain points while using your product. Designers need to be highly intentional about building products that are both beautiful and functional. 

Using web3 products is already hard. Don't drive customers away from your product with unappealing or confusing designs. Invest in your marketing team's design capabilities to make beautiful and usable web3 products.

Simplifying your onboarding process is the best way to get users into your app quickly. Connecting or creating a wallet can be a huge challenge for the uninitiated. That's no way to onboard the masses.

Use the DropChain Single Sign-on to simplify your user onboarding. The DropChain SOO allows users to sign in with a single click and a Google account. Users don't have to install any confusing browser extensions or clunky wallets. DropChain handles everything behind the scenes so your users can enjoy a seamless web3 experience.

By investing in empathetic design, you'll attract and delight users, regardless of their web3 experience.

#2: Simplify your unique value proposition

If you've ever watched a video from Y Combinator, you know the importance of concisely explaining what your product does.

Unfortunately, it seems most web3 founders forgot this advice. For web3 founders, clearly communicating the problem your product solves, is doubly importanty.

Your users don't care about what blockchain your product is built on. Most people don't even know what a blockchain is! 

Regardless of their technical expertise, all consumers care about one thing and one thing only: Does your product solve their problem? 

Take a page from Steve Jobs' handbook for building a trillion-dollar company. In 2001, Apple had already cemented itself as a technological leader. But in that year, the company would expand into a new era of innovation.

The iPod was a technological masterpiece, just like your web3 app. But did Steve get on stage to talk about the iPod's speed or memory? No. Instead, he spoke a language everyone could understand - "1000 songs in your pocket" - the message was crystal clear. The value proposition is obvious. No jargon. No BS. 

By focusing on your value proposition, without getting into technical jargon, you'll be well on your way to onboarding the masses. By creating distance between your product and "blockchain," you'll create a bear-market-proof business.

What is your product value proposition? What problem does it solve for users?

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#3: Test your messaging

It's a common misconception that marketers can instantly create messaging and campaigns that attract the masses. In reality, marketing is all about setting aside your ego and allowing the data to guide your decision-making.

Even the world's best marketers take time to test, iterate, and adjust their messaging - in fact, that's what makes them so successful.

To collect useful data, we recommend using paid ads on one or two social media platforms. You can start with a small budget. Create two ad sets with unique messaging about your product or solution. After a week or two, you can determine which ad performed better. Replace the underperforming ad by creating a new one and repeat the process.

After a few rounds, you'll be shocked at what resonates with your audience and what misses entirely. Start today!

#4: Create engaging and educational content

"Content is King."

If you've worked in marketing for any amount of time, odds are you've heard that phrase. It might be overused but it's true! No matter the industry, creating high-quality content is the most consistent way of building a scaleable brand and business. 

Web3 is full of rebels, sometimes to a fault. The data suggest that a large portion of web3 businesses are ignoring longstanding conventional wisdom. Many have abandoned content! ‍

"36% of the top 1,000 crypto projects went silent on blogging this year"‍

Where everyone else is failing, lays your opportunity. With web3 brands abandoning traditional marketing channels, you can cement yourself as a trusted thought leader with little competition. 

The opportunity in content marketing is another reason why building in a bear market is a blessing in disguise. 

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#5: Focus on community

Marketing is more than just getting people to the top of your sales funnel. It's your responsibility to nurture the relationships with your users and build trust around your team and brand. If your communications strategy ends at the sale or download, you're selling yourself short. 

Some web2 businesses can survive without a strong community, but it's not negotiable for web3 companies. You must be available to your users and create experiences that make them proud of your brand. They will reward you with loyalty and will evangelize your product.

There are many platforms where you can create a community. Twitter, Discord, Telegram, and Reddit are all good choices. Pick the platform that suits your product and your audience best.

It's important to choose a platform where communication between your team and your users is frictionless. Stay close to your users. You'll learn more about your product through conversations with them than any internal meeting

If it's not already obvious, here are a few other reasons to start building your community now: 

• Build trust and loyalty among your users
• Increase user engagement and retention
• Gather feedback and insights from your users
• Generate user-generated content and referrals
• Create a sense of belonging and identity for your users
  

DropChain creates a community using Twitter to funnel users and advocates to our Discord channel. We use these platforms to communicate with users, share updates and news, answer questions, provide support, and celebrate the achievements of DropDevs.

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TLDR;

Web3 is the future of the internet, but it’s not easy to market. You need to understand your users, communicate your value proposition, educate them on web3, leverage social proof, and optimize your funnel. These are the 5 strategies that helped us grow DropChain, a web3 development platform that simplifies web3 app creation and monetization. If you’re looking for a way to build and launch your own web3 app, check out DropChain today and join the web3 revolution.