Alright, settle in, because today we’re diving deep into the murky waters of influencer marketing for token launches. I’m not talking about the surface-level, ‘buy a tweet’ kind of stuff. We’re talking about building genuine, long-term communities fueled by influencers who actually believe in your project. To get the inside scoop, I recently sat down with Mohammad, a guy who’s seen it all in the crypto space. He’s launched multiple successful tokens and knows a thing or two about making influencers work for you, and not just off you.
“So, Mohammad,” I started, leaning back in my chair, “most founders just look at follower count. What’s wrong with that approach?”
He chuckled. “Mate, followers are vanity metrics. You could buy a million followers, but are they going to buy your token? Are they even remotely interested in what you’re doing? Absolutely not. You need to deconstruct the influencer’s persona. Go beyond the surface.” This was gold.
He explained his framework, which I’ve adapted below, for finding the right influencers:
1. Engagement Quality is King: Forget how many people follow them. Look at how many people interact with their content. Are they getting meaningful comments? Are people sharing their posts? High engagement indicates a loyal and responsive audience.
Actionable Tip: Manually browse their recent posts. Read the comments. Look for genuine discussions and not just generic ‘great post!’ replies.
2. Audience Demographics: Are They Your People? Who actually listens to this influencer? If you’re launching a DeFi protocol aimed at experienced crypto traders, an influencer whose audience is primarily interested in meme coins isn’t going to be a good fit. Tools like social media analytics platforms (many free options exist) can give you a rough idea of an influencer’s audience demographics.
Actionable Tip: Ask the influencer for their audience demographics data. A transparent influencer will be happy to share this.
3. Past Collaborations: The Ghost of Campaigns Past: Look at their previous partnerships. Did those campaigns perform well? Did they align with the influencer’s brand? Were there any controversies or red flags? A string of failed collaborations is a major warning sign.
Actionable Tip: Use tools like BuzzSumo or Ahrefs to track the performance of the influencer’s past collaborations. Look for social shares, backlinks, and overall sentiment.
4. Brand Consistency: Do They Walk the Talk? This is huge. Does the influencer’s personal brand align with your token’s ethos? If your token is focused on sustainability, you don’t want an influencer who’s constantly promoting fast fashion or luxury cars. Authenticity is key.
Actionable Tip: Scrutinise their past content. Does it align with your values? Are they consistent in their messaging?
5. Creating the Influencer Persona Profile: Mohammad stressed the importance of building a detailed profile for each potential influencer. “Think of it like you’re hiring someone. You wouldn’t just hire someone based on their CV alone, would you?”
This profile should include everything: audience demographics, engagement metrics, past collaborations, brand consistency, even their potential conflicts of interest. Use a simple spreadsheet or a CRM system to keep track of everything.
6. Assessing Risk/Reward: Every influencer comes with a certain level of risk. Maybe they’ve been involved in controversies in the past. Maybe their audience isn’t as engaged as you thought. Weigh the potential risks against the potential rewards before making a decision. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal if something doesn’t feel right.
Actionable Tip: Create a simple risk assessment matrix: Low, Medium, High risk for various categories (brand alignment, audience quality, past performance). This helps you visualise the overall risk profile.
“It’s about finding the right people,” Mohammad concluded. “People who genuinely believe in your project and whose audience trusts them. That’s how you build a real community, not just a pump and dump scheme.”
So, to sum up, ditch the vanity metrics and embrace deep research. Unearth influencers who resonate with your token’s core values and target demographic. Analyse their engagement quality, dissect their audience demographics, and scrutinise their past collaborations. Only then can you build an influencer-led community that stands the test of time.