1. Understand the Web3 Mindset

Before running campaigns or building funnels, marketers must first understand the Web3 user psyche:

• Web3 users value ownership over access
• They’re skeptical of centralized control and corporate branding
• They care about community and transparency
• Many are tech-savvy, but not all — UX still matters

Successful marketing in Web3 starts with empathy. You’re not selling a product — you’re inviting users into an ecosystem.

2. Rethink Your Funnel: Community Comes First

Forget the old-school funnel of awareness → interest → conversion. In Web3, community is the funnel.

The journey often looks more like this

• Find the project on Twitter or Discord
• Lurk to get a feel for the vibe
• Join the community, engage in chats
• Mint an NFT, stake tokens, or vote in governance
• Become an advocate or contributor

This means marketers should focus on building and nurturing communities before pushing for product adoption. Channels like Discord, Telegram, and Lens are more powerful than ads or landing pages.

3. Content = Currency

In a permissionless world, content does the heavy lifting. It educates, attracts, and activates.
High-impact content includes:

• Onboarding guides (e.g., how to connect a wallet, how to mint)
• Explainer threads and videos that simplify your value proposition
• Tutorials and walkthroughs for using your dApp
• Transparency reports that build trust
• Memes that help you go viral in the right circles

Educating = onboarding. The more friction you remove with clear, empathetic content, the faster you’ll grow.

4. Collaborate, Don’t Compete

Web3 is compositional. Projects build on each other, not against each other. Smart marketers:

• Partner with other protocols for co-marketing
• Cross-pollinate communities via Discord collabs or NFT drops
• List their dApps on curated platforms and wallets
• Create integrations that benefit both ecosystems

When you collaborate with aligned projects, you tap into ready-made audiences who already speak the Web3 language.

5. Gamify Participation

Web3 users don’t just want to watch — they want to participate. Use gamification to drive meaningful engagement:

• Quests: reward users for completing onboarding steps
• Airdrops: incentivize loyalty or education
• Leaderboards: track engagement and give recognition
• XP systems: build a reputation layer in your Discord or DAO

These systems create emotional investment and a sense of progression — both critical for retention.

6. Metrics That Matter

Traditional CAC and LTV models don’t map neatly to Web3. Instead, look at:

• Wallet activations or first dApp interactions
• Community growth and engagement rate
• Conversion from social follower → tokenholder → contributor
• On-chain behavior: are users actually using your dApp?

Use both off-chain analytics (e.g., Discord, Twitter) and on-chain data (via Dune, Nansen, or Flipside) to measure what matters.

7. Build for Normies, Not Just Degens

Early adopters are crucial, but real adoption happens when your mom can use it. That means:

• A clean, mobile-friendly UX
• Wallet abstraction (social logins, gasless transactions, etc.)
• Clear copywriting with zero jargon
• Customer support that’s friendly and fast

Make your dApp feel like Web2 — with the benefits of Web3 under the hood. The more seamless the experience, the faster the adoption curve.

Final Thoughts: Marketers Are the New Onboarders

In Web3, marketing is not about persuasion — it’s about education, community building, and experience design.The projects that will win aren’t the ones shouting the loudest. They’re the ones onboarding the smoothest, collaborating the smartest, and giving users a reason to stay.From dApps to adoption, marketers aren’t just promoting the future — they’re helping build it.