Right, let’s talk influencers. Not the flash-in-the-pan, pump-and-dump brigade, but the real deal – those who can genuinely help a token launch succeed long after the initial buzz dies down. I’ve been diving deep into how token founders can move beyond short-term hype and build sustainable influencer strategies. To get some real-world insight, I recently chatted with Kayleigh, a marketing strategist who’s seen it all in the crypto space.
“So Kayleigh,” I started, leaning back in my chair (we were doing this over Zoom, naturally), “Everyone bangs on about influencer marketing, but how do you actually make it sustainable? It feels like a lot of tokens just throw money at anyone with a blue tick and hope for the best.”
Kayleigh laughed. “That’s exactly the problem! It’s a short-sighted view. Think about it – you’re essentially renting their audience. As soon as the promotion ends, so does the interest. A sustainable strategy is about creating partnerships, not transactions.”
Finding Your Tribe: Beyond Crypto Echo Chambers
Okay, so partnerships, not transactions. But where do you even start? “The first step,” Kayleigh explained, “is identifying influencers who genuinely align with your token’s values and use case. Don’t just focus on crypto influencers. Think broader. Is your token related to gaming? Target gaming influencers. Is it focused on renewable energy? Look for influencers passionate about sustainability. The key is to find audiences who would genuinely benefit from what your token offers.”
This made total sense. I’ve seen so many tokens flop because they only target the same small pool of crypto enthusiasts. By branching out, you tap into completely new, potentially much larger, audiences. This process can be replicated by searching for common keywords and themes in your token’s description and finding influencers based on their content that has similar keywords or themes.
Crafting a Pitch That Resonates
But how do you approach these non-crypto influencers? They might be wary of the whole thing. “The key is transparency and education,” Kayleigh said. “Don’t just send them a generic pitch about your token. Take the time to understand their audience and explain how your token can benefit them. Focus on the underlying technology, the real-world applications, and the long-term vision. Avoid the hype. Think of it as starting a conversation, not making a sale.”
Kayleigh emphasised the importance of tailoring the pitch. A tech influencer will likely be interested in the technical details, while a lifestyle influencer might be more interested in how the token can improve their followers’ lives. This requires some serious research into the influencer’s content, their audience demographics, and what resonates with them.
Building Genuine Relationships: More Than Just a Paycheck
So, you’ve found your influencers and crafted a killer pitch. What next? “This is where the real work begins,” Kayleigh grinned. “You need to foster genuine relationships. Get them involved in your community. Invite them to AMAs. Ask for their feedback on your project. Provide them with exclusive content and opportunities. The goal is to make them feel like they’re part of the team, not just a paid advertiser.”
This is crucial. Influencers who are genuinely invested in a project are much more likely to create authentic and engaging content. They become advocates, not just promoters. This can be achieved by offering early access to projects, involving the influencers in the community governance or giving them access to developers to enable them to answer difficult or unique questions.
Empowering Influencers: Content is King
Finally, Kayleigh stressed the importance of empowering influencers to create valuable content. “Give them the tools and resources they need to educate and inform their audience. Provide them with detailed information about your token, its use cases, and its long-term vision. Encourage them to create content that resonates with their audience, whether it’s videos, articles, or social media posts.”
Content that is transparent, informative and easy to understand will resonate with the audiences of the influencers. It helps to make the crypto token concept less intimidating and easier for a new user to buy in to.
“Ultimately, building a sustainable influencer strategy is about creating a win-win situation,” Kayleigh concluded. “The token founder gets access to a wider audience and builds a loyal community. The influencer gets to partner with a promising project and provide valuable content to their followers. And the followers get to learn about a new technology that could potentially improve their lives.”
So, to summarise the chat with Kayleigh, we’ve established that moving away from the standard influencer hype is key. By carefully selecting influencers, crafting pitches and focusing on genuine relationships over short term goals, Token founders can create a long lasting community that promotes the longevity of their token.