The term Web 2.0 refers to websites that provide information or services through user interaction. From blogs and wikis to podcasts and social networks, web 2.0 was created to improve the way people communicate and share information.
Web3 is the name given to the new evolution of the World Wide Web. It uses the benefits of decentralization in order to give power back to the individual in the form of ownership.
Web3 uses blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs to create an ecosystem where anyone can build apps and use them without needing permission from centralized authorities.
“Whereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchains automate away the center,” said Vitalik Buterin, one of Ethereum’s co-founders. “Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job,” he continued, “blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly.”
In this new era, marketers will need to focus on understanding their customers’ behavior and preferences, in addition to relying on keywords or advertising campaigns.
Marketing for Web3 needs to create a system where both founders and potential investors share a common goal of success. This is the difference between traditional marketing and decentralized marketing.
Decentralized marketing happens when founders and community members discuss, create, share, and promote content on relevant social media platforms—while taking into account each platform’s unique language and culture. PR, SEO, and influencer marketing are still being utilized, but in a different way.
“Decentralization changed the way we think, and by doing that it changed our decision-making process. Decentralization brings the power back to people’s hands” says Harel Cohen, a decentralized marketing expert at Deep Impact.
Cohen elaborates on the innovative techniques required to promote blockchain-based projects by explaining, “Web3 marketing is more than just websites and search engine optimization. It’s not just evolving; it’s revolutionizing the way we think about the Internet. The shift to decentralization changed the marketing approach and puts an emphasis on community members”.
Today we are seeing the empowerment of the community as an influencer. Online communities have elected their own influencers from within.
These trusted peer members are individuals who are well known within their niche and able to influence other people from their own community.
What separates these individuals from other peer members is their credibility, which their community members are looking for since it’s much easier to identify with and trust someone from inside your own peer group. This is achieved with the organic relationships formed within the community.
Centralized marketing channels like SEO, and PR won’t just disappear but will evolve to accompany Web3’s decentralized mechanisms. In order to have a successful marketing campaign for a Web3 project, one needs to look within the community and harness its power.
