Announcements in the web3 era: How your start-up can get real attention | Opinion

It may be a crypto winter, but web3 projects are still churning out important announcements — from funding to partnerships to acquisitions. But the clamor for attention during pivotal announcements escalates, and the spotlight both online and from the media doesn’t swivel your way by chance. It demands a meticulously crafted public relations strategy — one that not only bellows your message across the digital vastness and vibes with the decentralized, community-driven ethos of web3.

And there is an art and science to leveraging PR to amplify web3 announcements, ensuring a project’s voice cuts through the digital babel. While I always suggest hiring a PR firm, the truth is that a lot of projects don’t have $5,000 – $10,000 to hire PR firms like Ditto. So, how can a web3 project handle an announcement on their own?

Preparing the ground: A 30-day PR blueprint

Web3 projects should pencil in their announcements 30 days in advance. This buffer allows for a comprehensive strategy encompassing media targets, interview availability, content strategy, and a robust social media game plan for the announcement week. A well-orchestrated strategy is indispensable, especially when it’s about announcing milestones that could be pivotal in a project’s trajectory. 

Moreover, eyeing “Week 2” stories is crucial. This could entail how the announcement is part of a larger trend, updates or dovetailing the announcement with current news, ensuring sustained visibility beyond the initial announcement buzz. As the web3 sector is projected to be worth over $6 billion in 2023 with a growth rate of 44.6%, the stakes and competition are sky-high, making a well-thought-out strategy paramount​.

Web 3.0 Market Research Report | Source: Acumen Research and Consulting

Media relations: Beyond just press releases

Crafting succinct yet enticing teasers to pique media interest is an art. For instance, a teaser for a funding announcement could read, “My company has a funding announcement in 2 weeks. It’s a sizable round. Would you be interested in seeing the information early, under embargo?” Most reporters will say yes to just see what the news is. 

Similarly, weaving your announcement into a broader trend can snag a reporter’s attention, such as, “Next week, we are partnering with a financial institution to ease crypto transactions for institutional clients, dovetailing with the growing trend of traditional finance warming up to crypto.” Not every pitch will culminate in coverage, but it’s a doorway to fostering relationships with reporters, a long-term asset for any project. With 526 Web3 projects launched by 315 brands in 2022 and Q1 2023, the media landscape is brimming with announcements, making relationship-building with reporters a linchpin for future coverage​.

Content and social media: The twin engines of engagement

Web3 projects involving their  community early in the strategy phase is pivotal. Educating and preparing them to amplify the announcement on social media can create a ripple effect. While it’s not about scripting their narrative, ensuring they grasp the core messaging around the announcement and its significance is vital. This collective amplification resonates with the decentralized ethos of web3, fostering a genuine buzz around the announcement. And not only is it good for broader awareness, it’s good for your community to feel involved.

Additionally, a robust content strategy that precedes the announcement is indispensable. It positions the spokesperson and the project credibly in the public eye, setting a solid prelude to the announcement. The engagement doesn’t end with the announcement; ongoing content that delves into updates, trends, or how the announcement dovetails with current news can keep the momentum going.

The synergy between a well-strategized PR blueprint and the inherent community-centric ethos of web3 projects can significantly heighten the impact of announcements. As the digital landscape continually morphs with web3 at its helm, evolving and deploying PR ingeniously will be instrumental for projects to thrive and echo amidst the digital clamor.