ICO Marketing 101: How to Get it Right

• ICO stands for initial coin offering. Contrary to IPOs (initial public offerings), ICOs have nothing to do with companies selling shares to the public; ICOs are also not regulated like IPOs.

An ICO is simply a crowdfunding campaign for a project in the cryptocurrency space.

Here's a basic look at how an ICO works:

1. A cryptocurrency project needs funding for everything from development to public adoption
2. The project team launches an ICO
3. Users purchase coins (usually at a very low price) for the project in hopes that the coin price eventually rises for a profit
4. It's also common for early users to receive free tokens through airdrops, promotions, or after performing micro tasks

Throughout the ICO process, money flows to the project team. This is where it gets similar to an IPO. Although users have no actual shares in the team, each coin purchase acts as a stake in the project. Therefore, the user wants the coin to thrive, and increase its adoption rate, so that the cryptocurrency's price rises. They can then sell the coin for a profit. The user doesn't have a formal role or ownership of the project, but they do have an invested financial interest.

Without the right marketing plan, however, an ICO launch and cryptocurrency project can fall flat. As a result, the project doesn't get the funding it needs, and any early buyers sell at a loss or hold coins with no value.

Use our ICO marketing tips below to stand out in the crowded marketplace and avoid all common pitfalls that come along the way.

• You're able to launch an ICO on your own, but success often relies on having a dedicated team of ICO consultants who can focus all their efforts on ICO marketing while you interact with the community and develop the project.

Whether you go with a consultant or try it out yourself, here are the steps you'll walk through for an effective ICO marketing campaign:

1. Establish Your Target Market

The stereotypical target market for any ICO is:

• Tech-savvy individuals
• Younger (think Gen Z or millennials)
• Predominantly male

But no cryptocurrency project is the same. It's up to you to write out a true user profile based on what your crypto project hopes to achieve.

Think about:

• The locations of your users
• Industries they work in
• Hobbies
• Income brackets

For instance, some cryptocurrencies cater to specific industries like medicine or gaming. To run a successful ICO marketing campaign, you must hone your message to meet expectations of those professionals.

2. Create a Modern, Understandable, and Interactive Website

One thing that plagues the cryptocurrency world is the onslaught of poorly made and rarely managed websites. It's also rather common to see a wonderful website, but the content is so convoluted and technical that no one can understand what the token is meant to do.

That's why you must spend a significant amount of time building a website that's made for your target market.

From the start, you should include these on your site (and they should be easily accessible, not hidden away):

• Thorough documentation with a search bar for easy navigation
• Understandable examples of the project in the real world, with imagery to guide users
• Demos or real products that users can try out (screenshots are helpful if you're lacking a prototype)
• An easily accessible, direct link to register and buy tokens, complete with directions and information about the sale
• A whitepaper that has gone through analysis and numerous edits; there should be a button right on the homepage that leads users to the white paper before anything else

3. Add a Roadmap With Clear Goals and Interactive Elements

A roadmap functions as a community building opportunity, as well as a way to show the world your progress.

Have someone on your team update the roadmap regularly to show the community you're moving in the right direction.

It's also wise to include an interactive element to the roadmap, where users can vote on their favorite subprojects or make comments.

4. Establish a Visible Communication System

Making your team visible and approachable is essential to the success of an ICO marketing campaign. You must engage with users, investors, your team, and any other stakeholder for them to gain confidence in your progress.

It's best to use a collection of communication tools. Here are some common channels:

• Social media (with regular AMAs (ask me anythings)
• User forums
• Chatbots on your website
• An email ticketing system
• An internal chat for the team
• An updated project roadmap with interactivity

5. Tap into Social Media

This ties into communications, but it's also about creating additional platforms for users and investors to find your project.

Consider establishing pages on the following:

• Twitter
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Discord
• Telegram
• Facebook

Besides your website, these social channels enable you to connect where people are spending most of their time online. Social channels are where you'll distribute announcements on things like airdrops, investor opportunities, project updates, and benchmarks.

6. Engage Influencers for an Extended Reach

There are influencers with millions of followers who talk about topics like DeFi, cryptocurrency, ICOs, Bitcoin, and the entire world of coin trading and development.

Influencers make their money from advertisements, subscriptions, and sponsored content, meaning that you're able to reach out to them for a mention about your ICO.

Find influencers on places like YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok. Ensure they align with the route of your project, and that their audience will find your ICO appealing.

7. Plan a PR Schedule Right Before the ICO Launch

Along with social media management and PR scheduling, ICO marketing consultants are ideal for handling every aspect of the ICO launch. The PR schedule is, perhaps, the most delicate part of your campaign; that's why we recommend a consultant.

Here's what you'll need for a successful PR campaign:

• Scheduled AMAs
• Regular press releases
• Planned project successes
• Scheduled and automated social media posts
• Videos on YouTube
• A regularly updated website and roadmap

Every ICO has its roadblocks, but with a well-thought-out plan, and maybe an ICO marketing team like ICO Service to guide you, there's no telling how far you can go with your crypto project.