HackMD - Collaborative Markdown Knowledge Base

## Marketing Video <div style="padding:50% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://rebrand.ly/eznu2fx" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="market strategy 5.mp4"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script> ## Moral Dilemma (Ethos & Ethics) I think it's clear that Algorand cannot - or rather, should not - take the traditional approach that most companies take to market their products & services. Because the tactics they use go against the ethos of what Web3 is supposed to represent. What this means is, user targeted, paid advertising is off the table, as well as relying on standard Web2 marketing analytics tools, like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixels, and third-party tracking tools to measure the success of marketing campaigns, optimized with A/B testing. Google's main revenue model is selling user data to advertisers, who in turn sell products and services to users for profit. Marketing and user data collection go hand in hand. Marketing is all about studying and influencing user behavior - getting users to form or alter opinions, make decisions, and take actions that they otherwise wouldn't, often without the user's knowledge, and thereby consent.  Although Algorand's budget could be used to fund paid advertising campaigns, I'm sure we can agree that this is not the way. Sending out mixed messaging  is a no-go. But if Algorand steers clear of (aggressive) ad placements and marketing campaigns on big tech platforms, how then should we market? Does this also rule out *all* digital marketing tools that rely on *any* user collected data via centralized control? On one hand, using big tech tools that rely on user data contradicts Web3's pledge to user ownership & privacy. On the other hand, whether or not Algorand chooses to use traditional traffic sources and tools, aggregated user data will still be (and has already been) collected regardless. Even if Algorand rejects all data collection tools, it's near impossible to find and work with established brands and partners that promise the same. One could also argue against being on *any* social media platform. But that's a bit extreme, isn't it? It's a gray area for sure. I personally don't think it's as black and white as it sounds. But it's also not up to me to make that call. How far are you willing to stretch the boundaries to achieve your marketing goals, if it means compromising on Web3 values? Or perhaps the common consensus among Web3 protocols is to start off centralized with the long-term goal of eventually becoming decentralized? How long will that take? When will you cut ties? Where do you draw the line? Is it moral, ethical, and acceptable to use big tech marketing tools & tactics to challenge/resist big tech if that means reaching an untapped segment of the population who rely only on big tech in their day-to-day lives for decisionmaking? Or if it means a shorter, more straightforward path to onboarding users to digital sovereignty? Does that make it justified? Is a Privacy Policy enough? Is GDPR compliance the solution? These are questions you should consider when formulating your marketing strategy. :::info :bulb: "**Marketing involves** researching, promoting, selling, and distributing your products or services. This discipline centers on **the study of market and consumer behaviors** and it analyzes the commercial management of companies **in order to attract, acquire, and retain customers by satisfying their wants and needs and instilling brand loyalty** — cyberclick.net ::: With limited options, we'll need to get creative and think outside the box. Ideal traffic sources will be word-of-mouth and organic traffic. :::warning **✴️  Update: I notice that Algorand uses Google Analytics + HubSpot. A lot of big Web3 players rely on trackers & marketing analytics tools (some more than others). But I'll leave this section here because I still believe it's relevant. The intersection of Web3 user privacy and digital marketing is a weird place to be. I grapple with this dichotomy.** ::: :::success **✳️  Update II: Consider substituting GDPR compliant, privacy-first analytics tools like <a href='https://umami.is/' target='_blank'>Umami</a> + <a href='https://usefathom.com/' target='_blank'>Fathom</a> for Google Analytics. Track anonymized data without infringing on user privacy. Shout out to the <a href='https://dev.to/irreverentmike/5-tools-i-add-to-every-new-web-project-for-seo-and-analytics-58f2' target='_blank'>DEV community</a> for sharing these gems.** ::: ## What is 'Degen'? I'm not sure if my understanding of the term, "degen", is correct. When I look it up, it has a mostly negative connotation. :::danger **"Degen trading or Degen mode is when a trader does trading without due diligence and research, aping into signals and FOMO into pumps. A Degen Trader does not know about metrics like FDV or TVL nor do they care. They will buy because the asset logo looks cute, or because the slogan is memeable... Essentially, a degen trader buys into an asset not because they see value, rather they do so with the belief that others will join in after them and speculate on the price swings. " — CoinGecko** ::: :::info **"In crypto, 'degen' is short for degenerate. It describes someone who chases after seemingly promising opportunities without conducting sufficient prior research. Being a degen can certainly be a bad thing, although it’s commonly used by crypto traders (who do in fact do their research) to jokingly refer to themselves." — Libertas Bella** ::: I can't tell if a 'crypto degen' here is meant in the literal sense or as a joke. <br/> I'll assume the latter... ## Algorand's Website First, let's walk through Algorand's website, as this was the first resource I visited to learn about Algorand. ### Home Page The Good: - I notice that the homepage has been redesigned since my first visit. - Text is now legible against background on desktop. - Transactions activity section is now distinguishable from Solana's - Homepage looks better than before What could be improved: - Choose more aesthetically pleasing, eye-catching images for blog post thumbnails under 'Trending on Algorand'. Basic image editing can do wonders! - "Algorand removed the technical barriers that for years undermined mainstream blockchain adoption. We designed the Algorand Blockchain to give global innovators the fundamental confidence they need to effect change." - Founder's quote(?) - can you use another quote? - I'm not a global innovator & I don't feel confident enough to effect change. Blockchain too complex **😞** - I'm confused by this statement. The words say one thing, but the delivery of it + the reality of what I've seen & experienced nullify/void the statement for me. The intent is positive, the mission is noble, Algorand's achievement is commendable... so why am I not convinced? - Copy can be more inclusive. What I'm getting is that Algorand is designed for "developers & global innovators". What about the rest of the population who don't fit into those two categories? Should we go elsewhere? - Duplicate "Build on Algorand" CTAs linking to developer portal - again, not exactly inclusive/inviting to non-developers - have to scroll way down before reaching 'Explore the Full Ecosystem' - simplify button text to 'Learn More', 'Join the Community', or 'Explore the Ecosystem'. Move button to the top. - 'Trending on Algorand' - not sure how I feel about the placement of this section & how much space it takes up on the homepage. The design is distracting to me (it throws the page off balance). But appearance aside, the latest news on Algorand shouldn't be top priority imo. If I'm a first-time visitor (I am), then I'm still trying to figure out what Algorand is. Reading the latest news on Algorand isn't going to help with that. Initially, I thought this section featured Algorand's latest blog posts. When actually, it features the latest news in media, linking to external sites. The CTA to 'Explore the Ecosystem' should definitely be positioned above 'Trending on Algorand'. - 'As the technology of choice for 2000+ global organizations' - replace text with logos of several of these reputable global orgs to make a more impactful statement. - Algorand's current homepage by-line: > "Our institutional grade blockchain infrastructure is the first and only to achieve decentralization, scalability, and security without compromises and while being environmentally sustainable." - cut it down, too wordy/verbose - Change to: > Our institutional-grade/state-of-the-art* blockchain is decentralized, scalable, secure, and environmentally sustainable. \* choose one or the other - "The world’s most powerful and sustainable blockchain." - bold claim. Where can visitors go to learn more besides the developer docs? Can you link to a page that explains it in simple terms (ELI5)? #### Newsletter subscription modal - should be consolidated to a single step - shouldn't take three clicks for a visitor to submit their email - signing up should be as quick & as effortless as possible - test with lead magnet to entice users to sign up - modal should stand out against the background at every scroll position (right now, the blue modal blends in with the blue background when scrollY = 0) - use time-triggered, slide-in popup + lead magnet (see below) - A/B test, optimize, improve conversion rate - redesign & rewrite copy; make it more appealing <img src='https://i.ibb.co/NtmCN4D/newsletter-blue.png' width='450' /><br/> <img src='https://i.ibb.co/0r0PtBG/newsletter-green.png' width='450' /> <p></p> :::danger **⚠️ I changed the background color to bright green only to emphasize how the module should stand out. Choose another color, gradient or image that's easy on the eyes!** ::: ### About Page - distracting image placements - use as header background images with < 0.5 opacity - or turn into dividers with decreased height / <hr\> / remove completely - add an icon above each 'Value' - "Elegant technology that eliminates barriers to prosperity for all" - what is 'elegant technology'? Simplify this line to 'Eliminates barriers to prosperity for all' / 'Provide the opportunity to earn for all' / 'Prosperity for all' (the last one sounds best to me) ## First Impressions (Perception) Of the hundreds to thousands(?) of blockchains that exist, users will gravitate to the one protocol (or the few) they feel most connected to. Or, for crypto investors, the project they see the most value or profit potential in. We all have different priorities and values. What sort of impression does Algorand want to leave on users & prospects? What defines the brand? Who is the target audience? Professional developers? CS degree holders? STEM grads in academia? Institutional investors? Deliberately craft the language, writing style, tone, vocabulary, and message in a way that will speak to Algorand's target users. **[ TL;DR ] My perception of...** :::warning - **Algorand:** legit, respectable, professional, serious, academic, brilliant, technically unrivaled, elite, daunting, sustainable, defi, underrated, **</>, 🎓 👔💼  💯** - **Moralis:** educational, cross-chain, active, hands-on approach, relatable, casual, chill, emojis galore, **💻☕️ 😎** - **Ethereum:** 1st/2nd mover advantage, humble tech visionary, large developer community, global, PoW ➜ PoS, high gas fees **💎** - **NEAR:** global, growing, inviting, inclusive, diverse, dynamic, artsy, charitable, sustainable, engaging, empowering **🌍 🖼 💕** - **Doge:** fun, funny, cute, endearing, youthful, carefree, refreshing, silly, lighthearted, memeworthy, memorable **🐕 ~ 🐶, 😂** - **Solana:** glitz 'n glam, cool, neon, 24/7 dark/night mode, modern/futuristic, EDM/techno, **🕶 🔥** ::: Of course, this is all purely subjective, and I could be completely off, but these were my first impressions! ::: warning **❓Did you know...** That it takes users 0.05 milliseconds to form a first impression of a website? It does, according to a [2006 behavioural study](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220208334_Attention_web_designers_You_have_50_milliseconds_to_make_a_good_first_impression_Behaviour_and_Information_Technology_252_115-126). ::: When I visit Algorand's websites + Twitter page, my immediate impression is that Algorand caters to a fairly niche audience - the technically educated, financially literate, STEM-oriented, brilliant, scholarly, serious academic/professional/corporate crowd.  ## Competitive Analysis A comprehensive marketing strategy includes analyzing what other Web3 companies are doing to grow their influence in this space. See what others are doing in this field, and let that be your guide & inspiration. Take note of their strengths (what do they excel at?) and incorporate these strategies into your marketing plan. Do it similar, or do it better. No need to reinvent the wheel. Let's take a look at what's working well for some of these Web3 projects when it comes to recruiting new members into their DAOs while keeping existing members excited and engaged. :::warning **Please note:** I do not hold tokens in any of these crypto projects. My statements and views are my own. They reflect my genuine observations and opinions as a financially uninvested, independent observer. ::: ### Moralis Moralis does list building, email marketing, market segmentation, copywriting, and Youtube marketing particularly well. They've mastered the craft of marketing to their target audience - Web2 devs onboarding to Web3. Moralis incentivizes developers to join their mailing list by promoting the latest releases of their free, full-stack dapp tutorials, NFT rewards + the chance to become a 'Moralis Mage <strong>🧙‍</strong>' as bait to code along, learn & build with Moralis & join their discord. Moralis' YouTube channel is one of the top resources for learning Web3 development. And it's growing quickly. Considering that they launched last summer, June 2021, it's impressive to see how quickly they've grown in such a short period of time. One reason for this is that Moralis is exceptionally receptive to community feedback. For example, I requested full-stack React dapp tutorials w/o Typescript & soon enough Moralis released *new React dapp tutorials w/o Typescript* **😯**. These are now among the top performing videos on the channel. Maybe that was on their roadmap already, but I like to believe it was due in large part to my request **😌**. See Moralis' YouTube channel, blog, and Moralis x Cronos hackathon landing page for examples of image thumbnails, graphic design, and web design done well. (Check out [Solana Summer Camp Hackathon](https://solana.com/summercamp) landing page too.) Compare [Moralis Web3](https://youtube.com/channel/UCgWS9Q3P5AxCWyQLT2kQhBw) with [Moralis Academy](https://youtube.com/channel/UCT2E5faQg9DY-HAyKmVEE_Q) - the former is the improved version of the latter; notice the transformation - better banner design, larger-sized font, brighter, colorful thumbnails that grab your attention, and more appealing titles. Also, Moralis uses a lot of emojis - in their video descriptions, marketing emails, subject lines, Twitter ofc, on Discord I'm sure, and on whatever other socials they run. Emojis breathe life into dull, dry, plain text. Emojis in written content = informal, friendly, conversational, and expressive. The right words paired with the right emojis are \*chef's kiss* <img src='https://image.emojipng.com/905/12780905.jpg' width='50'/> **📹**  <a href='https://youtube.com/watch?v=soYVULWvWZY' target='_blank'><strong>Moralis YouTube Segmentation Example</strong></a> ### Layer3 L3 is mainly active on Twitter & Discord. The team has found what works for them - the sweet spot between acquiring new users & keeping existing users engaged. As part of their marketing strategy, they create contests that incentivize retweets/referrals + user engagement with a chance to earn crypto in low effort Web3 trivias, challenges, bingo cards & raffles. For a small budget (as low as 150 USDC), this crypto project is able to get high user engagement on their Tweets, a large number of entries to their contests (500-1K+), and new members flooding into their community. Earning experience points (XPs) encourages members to stick around and stay active, even if it's just a daily sign-in to click 'GM' to earn +5 XPs. More experience points = more opportunities unlocked. That's their game plan. They've also launched a newsletter recently to build their email list. All/most of their contests and projects are no code, so the pool of eligible participants is large. L3 is run by a friendly, responsive team that routinely encourages user feedback. Lucky for Algorand, L3 is not a competing L1 blockchain, but a crypto contest/bounty platform (like Gitcoin but codeless), where DAOs can post their own contests, bounties & projects. This means that you can post social contests on L3, like L3, to achieve similar results to L3 (L3 x3 in one sentence, ICYMI **🙂**). ### NEAR NEAR is great at community building, engagement, and inclusion. NEAR hosts events regularly - virtual + IRL hacker events, discord events featuring internal ecosystem projects, design contests, meme contests, trivia contests, holiday themed contests - all kinds of community contests.  NEAR seems to be quite generous with their prizes. I think they airdrop NEAR tokens too (or did in the past), but I'm not certain so don't quote me on this! Non-developers aren't treated like second class, which is refreshing to see. If you don't believe me, see their past <a href='https://metabuildii.devpost.com' target='_blank'>MetaBuild hackathon</a>. I've never seen another hackathon with as many Welcome (beginner) tracks that valued liberal arts, design, ideation, and creativity the same as hard sciences & technical development. With open-ended challenges for different skillsets, interests, and levels of ability, their Liberal Artist track is my personal favorite. From NEAR Foundation: >"While some of the brightest minds of our time have gravitated towards the blockchain industry, we have precious few students with a background in the humanities. We're sorely missing the input of philosophers and historians, artists and illustrators, people who don't just think outside the box, they live outside the box. If this challenge resonates with you, come help us see the future today." > >"Create an original or derivative work that communicates a valuable message about the future of the web -- this can include a paper, a painting, a song or soliloquy. Capture your work using the most effective medium" ☝️ This is the background description + objective of NEAR's Liberal Artist track, word for word **🥺🥲🤧** :::success **❇️ Tell me the Foundation is inclusive without actually telling me the Foundation is inclusive.** ::: Native and Welcome track prizes were valued <strong>*equally*</strong>. This is unheard of. To all 3,908 builders, the message was loud & clear - whether you're a native Web3 developer or a novice Web2 coder, a STEM grad or a self-taught web dev, an artist with a background in the humanities, a musician who moves through music, or a designer who dreams in color - <strong>*every*</strong> contribution is welcomed and valued. That's a very powerful statement. For me, NEAR's values, inclusive messaging, charitable contribution, sustainability goals, and commitment to community building hit harder than any paid endorsement or promotional advertising ever could. It is no wonder they have an active, growing artist community. NEAR fosters a welcoming, newbie-friendly, diverse community. This is one project that is NEAR & dear to my heart **💘** (sorry, I couldn't help myself haha **😆**) ### Doge Doge is a charming, likeable project. It's not hard to see why. Doge appeals to a community of dog lovers, meme lords, comedic geniuses - all young at heart. You don't have to be a tech or finance geek to dig the project. Even better if you aren't. Find humor in the smallest, silliest of things? You'll fit right in! Confused by all the blockchain/crypto/Web3 talk/hype/FUD that plagues MSM? Welcome aboard! You'll be in for a ride. Doge keeps user education fun, lighthearted, entertaining, engaging, and easy to understand. Doge's videos and social media posts are perfectly on-brand for their meme project. Check out [Doge's 1-2 minute intro video](https://twitter.com/ownthedoge/status/1498394629267460105?s=20&t=rSe3NZvgVwqu9flePc2Ysw) for an example of an entertaining, educational explainer video. And of course, Doge is a prime example of viral growth with Twitter memes. Oh, and Dogecoin's endorsement by the richest billionaire on Earth — I guess that helps too. ### Solana It's apparent that Solana takes their branding & marketing very seriously. They have <a href='https://solana.com/branding' target='_blank'>an entire page dedicated to branding</a> - branded assets, logos, templates, and a standard/strict guideline of acceptable design rules for partners and community members to use and follow / adhere to. This keeps their branding recognizable and consistent. Graphic design and promotional advertising are two of Solana's strengths. Take a look at the landing page for their recent hackathon. Solana's promo videos of IRL events are the best that I've seen in this space so far (though I've only seen a handful). More on this below. Solana is great at visuals, perception, and social appeal. They know how to market & advertise. They cleverly use their community to further grow their ecosystem by tapping into members' skills & social networks - offering early access perks, exclusive career-building, networking, employment, workshop & grant application opportunities as incentives to join the <a href='https://solana.com/collective' target='_blank'>Solana Collective</a> — a pro bono ambassador program where members volunteer their professional skills, services & time in exchange for uncompensated, Solana exclusive opportunities. Volunteer services include (event planning & hosting, creative graphic/video/marketing material creation/editing/design, referrals/recruiting/onboarding, DevRel tasks, content writing, community management, influencer engagement, etc.). Ambassadors <a href='https://solanalabs.typeform.com/collective' target='_blank'>need to apply</a>, but it's pretty much guaranteed that all human applicants will be accepted... what kind of for-profit startup would decline free labor? Let's be real here **🥸** Solana presents a very cool, slick, glamorous image. The hype is real. They're venturing into new spaces with <a href='https://solanamobile.com/' target='_blank'>Solana Mobile Stack and Saga</a> + <a href='https://solanaspaces.com/' target='_blank'>Solana Spaces</a> (like Apple store). ## Learn to Earn Contests Web3/crypto adoption requires user education. Educating the unaware, and re-educating the misinformed. The average Web2 user is unlikely to make the leap to Web3 on their own. Learn-to-earn contests are a great way to bridge that gap. Low barrier, no code creative contests are perfect for growth marketing campaigns + onboarding Web2 users. Someone may *`* seem *`* like a degen, when really, they may just be following the rules of a crypto contest **😉**   <hr/> <details> <summary> Featuring my NEAR holiday artist collection <strong>🎨👩🏻‍🎨</strong> </summary> <div style="padding:50% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://rebrand.ly/b9d725" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:80%;height:100%;" title="near-holiday-jingle"></iframe></div> <img src='https://rebrand.ly/c8caa7' width='580'/> <br/> <img src='https://rebrand.ly/s9bvtjt' width='400'/> </details> <hr/> <p></p><br/> [Many DAOs use codeless contests, referral contests + giveaways](https://beta.layer3.xyz/communities) to promote their projects (social shares, likes, follows, Twitter threads, retweets, Twitter space recaps/summaries, memes, crypto trivia). Winners can be selected at random or according to judging criteria. Contests can be hosted internally within Algorand's community and/or externally on Web3 contest platforms like Layer3, Dework, ... Click on a L3 DAO profile to view all present & past contests, bounties, and projects issued by that DAO. See contests posted by Layer3, Doge, and ZetaChain. Focus on social media marketing, writing, design & video contests. Twitter + Web3 trivia contests are hot on L3, likely because they require minimal effort and are the most common contest type seen. Social contests like these would be an easy, inexpensive way for Algorand to get Twitter likes, shares, retweets, and follows. It's highly probable that submissions will include fake sybil accounts though, so beware. Encourage contestants to learn & stake(?) with Algorand and potentially earn in ALGO or stablecoin. Some past contest theme ideas: DAO memes, educational Twitter threads, informational Medium articles, logo design, merch design, explainer videos, DAO jingle/song, market research, etc. This is one way to directly outsource work to Web3 DAO contributors. L3 could really benefit from having more variety in contests, projects and partnerships on their platform, so I guess this is a plug for them too **🙂**. Writing contests are also a big hit on L3. The pro to writing contests is an influx of written posts to choose from for a fixed budget (e.g. 50+ blog posts @ $100-$300); the con is taking time to review them all to select the best one or the best few. There's no set prize minimum or any hard rules for categorizing gig work as a contest vs bounty/project. But please be mindful and respectful of contributors' time. Personally, I think that content creation like long-form posts, articles, and videos shouldn't be made into contests, unless the prize reward is a respectable amount or offered as a prize pool. Instead, these should be listed as paid bounties or projects, (one-to-one instead of one-to-many). It's easy to underestimate and devalue the amount of research, time, effort & creativity that goes into producing quality content. A video contest that offers 1 prize @ $100 or 3 prizes @ $50 each with 50+ contributors is a great ROI for DAOs/startups but a terrible ROI for contributors/contractors. A lot of folks still compete for them anyway, and that's how content mills are born. Then we get 100+ writers bidding on $5-$15 writing gigs on Fiverr Web 3.0, dreaming of greener pastures in Web 5.0 🛌💤 💭 ... 🏞 ::: warning **Update:** Projects are no longer available on L3. But Algorand can be a trendsetter with codeless Gitcoin bounties :) ::: ## Work to Earn Bounties Offer bounties with crypto prizes that incentivize builders and contributors to build on Algorand and contribute to the ecosystem. Bounties can be divided across different verticals - code (development, bug bounties), low-code, and no-code (graphic design, web design, UI/UX product feedback, content creation, research, copywriting, infographics, etc), sorted by difficulty - entry-level, intermediate, expert. Post bounties on Gitcoin, feature evergreen bounties on FlipsideCrypto, and promote in Web3 community spaces [anchor-link]. **Web3 Bounty Platforms / Contributor DAOs:** Gitcoin, L3, Codeless Conduct, DeWork, Bounties Network, <a href='https://twitter.com/Web3Bounty' target='_blank'>and others</a>. The first three I know are legit. I can't vouch for platforms I haven't used before. Do your own due diligence please. \* Earning in crypto, specifically in ALGO, through contests and bounties is an effective way to onboard Web2 users to Web3, and to Algorand in particular. I can point to myself as an example here. Bounties and hackathons were my gateway to Web3. Earning my first prize in stablecoin on Gitcoin forced me to adopt crypto when the only form of payment that I knew, understood, and preferred was fiat. ## From crypto indifferent to crypto curious To the point about earning exclusively in crypto, I'll share my personal experience. One day (not long ago), I asked Gitcoin if I could receive pay in USD instead of USDC. They told me no. So of course, me being the fiat maxi that I was, I then went and drafted a page-long proposal, advocating for fiat pay. Good thing I never sent it **💀**. My exchange with Gitcoin went (more or less<sup>*</sup>) like this: [ **web2 me** ] - "Hi Gitcoin DAO, can I receive pay in fiat, please?" [ **Gitcoin DAO** ] - "We are <em>in Web3</em>. **NO** fiat!! **NO** Paypal!!!" [ **web2 me** ] - <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tenor.com%2Fimages%2F401541f57dd2c84f34a0fdd44d4b0268%2Ftenor.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='150'/> <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FXZYU1eBnPPC67Dh8Uw%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='150'/> <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FXZYU1eBnPPC67Dh8Uw%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='50'/> <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FXZYU1eBnPPC67Dh8Uw%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='30'/> <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FXZYU1eBnPPC67Dh8Uw%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='15'/> <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FXZYU1eBnPPC67Dh8Uw%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='10'/> <img src='https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FXZYU1eBnPPC67Dh8Uw%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1' width='5'/> <p></p> \* Exaggerated for dramatic effect. Gitcoin was actually pretty chill about it 😎 🆒 In retrospect, it was the best response they could have given as Web3 proponents. Now I'm forced to learn how to crypto trade, learn about different wallets & networks, how to secure them, and pray mine won't get hacked or that I won't send funds to the wrong network... when I'd otherwise opt for PayPal. ## Web3 Bounties   ➡️   Web3 Adoption Web2 users have little desire, time and patience to learn the intricacies of Web3 UX & lingo without some incentive or something at stake, especially when they aren't in tech or finance to begin with. There's a larger population outside of crypto verse who distrust and reject blockchain/crypto/metaverse/NFTs altogether. And for good reason. Too much FUD with crypto, too many crypto scams, unregulated speculation, sketchy/notorious companies infiltrating/funding the space, annoying bots & shills, poor UX, uncertain utility, environmental concerns, ... - they all play a role. But even as a speculative, volatile currency, digital money is still money. And monetary reward is a strong incentive. When people are broke, underpaid, struggling, especially during inflationary, economic downturn with fiat currency devaluing and housing becoming increasingly unaffordable, they turn to other nontraditional avenues and assets to earn and invest. They will remember the opportunity, the road to freedom that crypto provided them (or at least the perception/promise of it) for years to come, if not eternally. So while there's a lot of FUD with crypto, crypto bounties are still a viable way to earn through nontraditional means. People joke and mock crypto as a way to get rich quick. But it excludes/dismisses those who see it as a beacon of light to stay afloat long enough to swim to shore and not drown to their demise. And that makes all these crypto scams especially tragic and detestable. With bounties, Web2 users can gain exposure to Web3 and learn about the crypto companies and projects they contribute to, while earning in a more sustainable, legitimate, familar way, as opposed to say, play-to-earn games or high yield staking. Web2 + fiat maxis can hear about DeFi + dapps all year long, but until they own their first wallet, hold & trade crypto, and transact on the blockchain - until they take those first few steps to learn & apply their newfound crypto blockchain knowledge (a feat that is not for the faint of heart) - Web3 will remain a distant, cryptic world inhabited by tech wizards and warlocks. ## Ambassador / Referral Program I found [Algorand's Ambassador](https://community.algorand.org/ambassadors/) program, but the link is broken: ^ Has the program been discontinued? The last community blog post was a year ago. No upcoming events or announcements. Seems like Algorand's community site is no longer being updated. What happened? ## Professional Video Promos Invest some $$ into professional event videography, post-production services, music production/licensing, event planning & decoration for large-scale events (like Algorand's upcoming Decipher event in November). Solana has some cool Hacker House recaps on their YouTube channel. I found a video on Solana's channel + one on Celo's channel. I'm going to break down each video so you can see the clear differences between a high budget, higher quality video and a low/no budget, low quality video. Hopefully, this will convince Algorand to take video production seriously. Because it can really make a world of difference 🌏👌. ### Solana's Video #### High quality video sample - What To Do ✅ <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RdONKBAWirY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p></p> The video shots, transitions, venue lighting, VSC neon dark theme, glow-in-the-dark keyboards, projector screens, Solana logo featured throughout, in a dark/dim setting - all of these elements come together nicely. The purple + green lights in the dark at Solana Hacker House events align with their brand; it mimics the purple-green (#9945FF-#14F195) gradient Solana logo that pops against a black background, which we recognize from Solana's website, branded assets, and at the end of every Solana Hacker House video. This after dark / afterglow / techno vibe stays consistent across Solana's digital branded assets, printed promotional materials, and physical merchandise (black apparel featuring reflective/shiny art with Solana logo + name printed in gradient purple-green or solid white. Very slick. #### Breakdown  - **0:00-0:02, 0:03** - aerial view, Solana Hacker House in Korea - Solana brand, event name + location is bold & clear (obvious) from the scenery & print - **0:08** - sick edit, sick timing, stellar **👏👏👏** - **0:17** - Solana name + socials on white board, guy's shirt has 'Cool kids' printed on it (subliminal messaging) - **0:49** - Hacker House logo against gradient background, colors on screen are on brand, consistent with Solana logo - Finer details that you'll notice if you pay close attention **👀** - **The intro - 0:00-0:01** - 2 lights on tower flashing to synth music beat - **0:03** - color grading changes/flares to the music beat & volume (1st flare = bright : 1st note/beat = louder, 1st flare = dim : 1st note/beat = soft) - visual synced to audio **✔︎** - **0:10-0:11** - code scroll - **0:11-0:12** - blur swap background -> foreground, both splits include solana brand (solana x wormhole background text blur + solana hacker house on guy's cap) - **0:38-0:42** - longer smooth stage transition in contrast to short, sharp video cuts (too many uninterrupted short video cuts induce nausea <strong>😵‍💫</strong> -> **🤢** -> **🤮**) - a much-needed break - **0:44-0:46** - lights flare ✔️ Edits are all in sync with music. ✔️ Event DJ ✔️ Solana branded assets, Solana merch, event + location apparent from the start (Solana Hacker House in Seoul, South Korea), Solana banners, ends with Solana logo **✳️** Video Rating: Superb for Solana, **💯🔥 👏👏👏** ### Celo's Video #### Low quality video sample - What NOT To Do **❌** <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x3odc6tT1lk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p></p> - video in slow motion = sluggish, lethargic   **🐌 😴 💤** - opposite of uplifting & empowering, dampens the mood - poor music choice, questionable instrument choice - **0:36-0:38** - distracting clip (audience clap should not be audible) - audience doesn't seem engaged/excited/energized - background projector screen show man & lady running/jumping - could have been an opportunity to advertise Celo logo low quality recording - Celo logo & banners are scattered throughout. BUT they're easy to miss cause of low quality capture (blurry), poor placement & editing (no edits made to bring attention to them. See **0:46-0:47** ('Celo Salon' on entrance doors), **0:51**(Celo Refi summer background wallpaper) - too blurry to read **🧐**. - Contrast this with the prominently visible Solana logo sprinkled & highlighted throughout Solana's video in background & foreground. - Music in Celo's video is too slow. But even sped up, it's still not good. Compared to Solana's music pick, the beats don't hit as hard, instrument choice is off. I feel like I'm sinking, not like I'm soaring. Like a slow snail, not like a swift cheetah. Like sleeping Snorlax, not like electric Jolteon. - Celo's video edits detract from what should be the main focus imo - the actual conversations & presentations around 'Social Impact & Local Use Cases' (the title of the video). As a viewer, I click on the video expecting to learn about the topic I see in the title, but instead, I'm presented with blurry clips of an in-person event in slow motion that leaves me confused and let down. A mismatch in video title & video content is akin to being clickbaited. - It would have been better to release the raw footage at normal speed w/o music or video cuts. Not for fancy brand promo, but as informational content for online viewing & playback for attendees. There's value in unedited/minimally edited presentations too. <br/> >**✴️** Video Rating: C for Celo > > **ℹ️** This is, of course, an unfair comparison since the playing field isn't leveled. Clearly, Solana has a much larger budget + more resources at their disposal. In Celo's defense, sponsoring an event doesn't warrant splurging on event marketing like hosting a large-scale event would. <p></p> > **ℹ️** This comparison only serves to illustrate the effect that professional videography, editing, event planning, music choice & branding can have on public perception. As a viewer, I would be drawn to Solana's hacker events soley based on what I see in their marketing videos. With Solana's video, I'm impressed. With Celo's video, I'm indifferent. <br/> ### Algorand Decipher 2022 Video trailer = **😍** Well done! **🎉 🙌** <p></p><br/> ## Copywriting Hire a copywriter + editor for Algorand's websites, social media posts, bios, emails, videos, video descriptions, promotional materials, etc. See my **[feedback to xBacked DAO on copywriting](https://rebrand.ly/ka09a01)**. I believe it applies here too. **🛑 The problem I see with Algorand's copy is:** ::: danger <strong>  <ol> <li> It isn't the most inclusive</li> <li> It reads too technical & formal</li> <li> It could be rephrased, shortened or simplified</li> <li> I don't... feel anything when I read the text. I <u>don't feel</u> inspired, motivated, or empowered to build. I <u>don't want</u> to join the mailing list. I <u>don't believe</u> the ecosystem is open to all. I conclude that I <u>don't belong</u>.</li> </ol> </strong> ::: I gave Celo flak for their video production, but where they shine is in creative copywriting. Check out <a href='https://celo.org/' target='_blank'><strong>Celo's website</strong></a>. The first thing we notice on Celo's home page is a poetic pitch that tells us their vision, their desire, their purpose, their focus, their values, and their target userbase. It ends with their brand name + logo. We learn that they are visionaries who value financial inclusion, building products to make 'prosperity for everyone' a reality. All that, we gather in a few seconds. No fluff, no filler words, no Web3 jargon. The minimalist design (black text on white background, sans-serif font, increased font size, centered text alignment, line height) + text fade-in animation on page load draws our attention to the words and nothing else. No images in the body or background that disrupt the flow or make the words difficult to read. Each verse starts with a bold line (visually & contextually). Now compare that to **Algorand's 'About Us'** page **😂** Would you agree that it doesn't hit the same? Excessive spacing between 'About Us' & 'Our Vision', random images that distract, copy not as compelling, ... Text and images don't come to life. They don't grab my attention. They don't speak to me in the way that they should. ::: success **❇️ Some tips:** - Keep it short & simple. ELI5. - Pay attention to vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. - Experiment with different mediums & formats - Speak **to** the reader, one-to-one (not **at** the reader) ::: #### Alliteration in Branding - Solana Summer, Solana Spaces, Solana Mobile Stack and Saga - Moralis Mage, Moralis Magazine, Moralis Merch, Moralis Metaverse - Ethereum Explorer, Polygon PoS, Polygon Punks, NEAR Network - Doge DAO, Dogecoin Developers <p></p><br/> ## Email Marketing Moralis sends out emails several times a week about new dapp tutorials to their Moralis Projects (rebranded to Moralis Workshops) mailing list subscribers. That sounds aggressive. But these emails are short & quick to read. They are written in a very casual, conversational tone with lots of emojis). They only serve as brief updates to promote their events, invite developers to join their discord, and get users to click on links to their site or socials. They know that devs don't want to read long, promotional emails; we just wanna dive in, learn with a hands-on approach & get building asap. The way they measure success is by: - studying email campaign analytics metrics tracked using Customer.io: - how many of their emails get opened - which links are clicked & by which users - how many users hit unsubscribe, etc. The emails need to be on target. If I sign up as a developer only opting in to receive dapp building related emails, then those are the types of emails I expect. I would be far less interested in crypto investment coverage or news reports on the latest crypto scams and scandals that kill my desire to build. If I sign up as an NFT artist, then I won't care about development updates. It's all about knowing your audience, their interests (what they subscribed for), and who you're writing to. Algorand will need an effective marketing tool to capture leads, collect data, track clicks & conversions, and more. Analyze & optimize. Rinse & repeat. If more subscribers than average from an email list segment are unsubscribing, then you'll need to figure out why. Maybe you need to send out less emails, change the topics you write about, or change the writing style. I think Algorand needs to send out more emails. I signed up two days ago, and I'm still waiting for the first email to arrive in my inbox. I'm not sure if it'll ever come **😅**. Moralis sent their first welcome email within seconds of subscribing. In the course of 2-3 days, I've already received 2 Moralis emails from Moralis Magazine. The second email is filled with lots of content & updates related to Moralis, including their hackathon which they're promoting hard right now. Set up automated email marketing workflows in Algorand's HubSpot account. ## Email List Capture Tactics (List Building) #### Exit-Intent Popup - Email capture pop up on mouse page exit - Example: https://moralis.io/blog #### Slide-In Popup - Corner email popup slide-in after a few seconds, background opacity overlay: 1 (smoother transition, less aggressive approach) - Example: https://blog.emailoctopus.com/ #### Timeout Trigger Popup - Wait for some time (typically a few seconds) - Example: https://moralis.io/blog #### Overlay Popup - Examples: https://theluckydog.store/   https://aliexpress.com   https://www.koffeekult.com/collections/coffee https://www.techradar.com/ #### Fullscreen Popup #### Popup + Lead Magnet - Many sites (e.g. Moralis blog) ### Email Segmentation - Examples: Moralis Projects (now Moralis Workshops), Moralis Magazine <p></p><br/> ## Web Design Hire a web designer 🧑‍🎨 The color scheme isn't defined or consistent across Algorand's websites. UX should be one seamless, integrated experience. Atm, it feels like I'm jumping from one ecosystem to another when I switch between sites (e.g. https://www.algorand.com/   https://community.algorand.org/   https://www.algorand.foundation/). This ties in with branding & graphic design. Even when navigating between pages on the same site, the theme changes: from Home root -> child page, it goes from dark **🌚** -> light **🌝**. (Like stepping out of a dark room into a brightly lit space **😣**. Or a bright flashlight shining right into your eyes in the dark **🔦😫**.) The colors shouldn't change this drastically! Add a theme switch to the nav bar so that users can switch between dark or light mode, applied to all pages. Website template should be standard with a defined color palette. #77F835 | #000 , #04b0fb | #FFF, or white text against a gradient blue-green background - these are the colors I see. Choose better images for thumbnails & background. Lower the background image opacity. Make sure the font color, font-size and font-weight are set to the right values so that the text stands out against the background (Is the text easy to read? Does it look good? Are your eyes sore?). Design should enhance, not distract. Otherwise, it can be hard to focus on the text & content. Request UI/UX feedback internally from Algorand team + community & externally via anonymous surveys/polls for honest opinions. Track bounce rate + conversion rate across pages. <p></p><br/> ## Graphic Design Hire a graphic designer **🎨** **Brand Assets** - Algorand needs official, professional brand assets for websites + promotional digital & printed materials for unified, consistent branding & recognizability. **Algorand Logo** - #000 / #FFF, sans serif font - conservative, common, plain, neutral - current design does not stand out in nav site header - See https://www.skullcandy.com/ for creative visual example of white logo on black background nav - logo = increased width x height, font-weight bolder - nav items = smaller font-size, uppercase, font-weight: 400 - nav logo animation on scroll event - Image thumbnails (For articles, blog posts, videos) + Icons - Algorand can outsource, DIY, use free icons, or purchase a licensed icon set. Thumbnails + icons don't need to be fancy.  Simple image edits in FOSS should suffice. You just need someone with an eye for design. I recommend GIMP for image editing. Canva works too. :::info **💡 Tip: Gradient color logos + icons look good against both light + dark backgrounds. (e.g. gradient on dark = Solana, Celo; gradient on light = Moralis). More aesthetically pleasing than one solid color (e.g. gradient green-blue vs. solid green). Celo's gradient icons are simple & beautiful.** ::: <p></p><br> ## SEO Content Strategy Spend a portion of the budget on SEO strategy, research, analysis, and content writing. I put together a content strategy starter template with some keyword ideas to target. Hover over cells with colored borders to see my notes on specific items. With the right budget, Algorand could strategize & execute a comprehensive content plan that would transform the existing blog into a quality informational/educational resource. The blog would serve as an evergreen funnel into the ecosystem. In the video, I explain the steps I'd take to research, analyze, and craft content around user search intent for one specific keyword. Please do your own research and analysis on the rest. Add or remove queries as you please. For comparison keywords, state the facts, and pitch Algorand as the optimal choice to the reader. Remain respectful towards other projects & protocols. We're not trying to wage war on other blockchains here! <p></p><br/> ## 'Tis the Season for Web3 Hackathons Host & sponsor virtual + in-person hackathons. Promote in advance. Pay extra to get listing featured + boost in rank. **💻 Past, Present, Upcoming Large-Scale Hackathons:** - Polygon - Buidlit - Solana Summer Camp, Solana Ignition - Moralis x Cronos, Moralis x IPFS - ETHCC, ETHGlobal - Chainlink, Polkadot - NEAR MetaBuild - and many more... **✅ Web3 Friendly Hackathon Platforms:** <a href='https://dorahacks.io/hackathon' target='_blank'>**DoraHacks**</a>, <a href='https://devpost.com' target='_blank'>**Devpost**</a>, <a href='https://www.hackerearth.com/challenges/hackathon/' target='_blank'>**HackerEarth**</a>, <a href='https://gitcoin.co/hackathons' target='_blank'>**Gitcoin**</a>, ... **💰 Target Prize Amount:** $100K - $500K **💸 Exorbitant Prize Amount:** $1M - $5M (includes seed funding) **🌀** Partner with sponsors if budget is low. Successful dapps/DeFi projects incepted at past hackathons: [TBA] Web3 hackathons are hotter than Web2 hackathons right now. Interest in blockchain development is at ATH - higher than TradFi, Web2 & Mobile. Polygon & Twitter both ran hackathons on Devpost in very close timeframes and similar prize range, and yet Polygon's hackathon has more than 3Xs the number of participants as Twitter's hackathon. This is a classic case of a blockchain sponsored hackathon outranking Big Tech hackathons.  <img src='https://i.ibb.co/wSK87pH/top-contests.png' width='500' /> ## The Combo Effect ### Attract, Engage, Analyze, Optimize. Rinse + Repeat. Incentivize existing followers to like & retweet Algorand's tweets. Invite all users to join Algorand's discord using low-effort contests, raffles, NFT giveaways, promotions, etc. as incentives (e.g. complete puzzles, trivias, participate & ask questions in upcoming Algorand-sponsored events, and if selected, winner will get X ALGOs). Mix it up & get creative. Make participants work a little for the prize so that it's not zero-effort but also not too much effort that it'll drive them away. This will be the hook. Promote contests, opportunities & events in other Web3 channels & communities with high traffic. Keep community members active & engaged with regular activities and opportunities to learn & potentially earn, through a series of weekly events, workshops/webinars, different ways to earn prizes, etc. This requires active moderation & engagement from Algorand and community builders, who will set the mood (keep spirits high), filter spam, and generate + maintain buzz & excitement. Encourage use of emojis, memes, internet slang as they're all a part of internet/crypto culture. Don't be a grammar nazi. Once you reach a certain level of user activity & engagement, see the effects compound. Every now and then, put out polls or surveys to gauge community sentiment, receive feedback, and use it to improve your product and service. You don't want to lose the members you've acquired. **How to measure success:** - Is the community growing? By how much? What's the growth rate? How many new members are joining week to week, month to month? Are you reaching your target goals? - How are users discovering your channels? From your own campaigns? Through referrals? From which sites? - Are members active once they join? Who are the most active members? A good percent or just a few? Track the leaderboard. Experiment and do more of what you're doing well to garner more traction. ## Community Projects Fund projects, events, and local meetups run by Algorand ambassadors and community members. ## Twitter - Have fun with emojis! There are too many emojis available to only use **👇👉👈🔥** - Mix it up with memes & short videos. - 'Decipher' event: Tweet + video = **🤔💭 ...❓❓❓** - Missing event description, details & agenda. Not clear to first-time visitor what the event covers. All I know is event name + location. My initial assumption - a conference on cryptography, decipher, decryption? Nope. - Event landing page = details TBA? ## Merch Classic merchandise inventory items: Algorand branded T-shirts, hoodies, caps, stickers, mugs, tumblers, pens, tote bags, laptop bags, etc. for Algorand team & community members to wear/use IRL to promote Algorand brand offline. These can be bought or won as prizes in contest giveaways, contribution rewards, or lead magnets. Loyal members can rep with pride. ## Utility Dapps Utility dapps with sustainable, real world use cases + good UX that make sense for mainstream adoption. ## Degen Demographic Most crypto holders are in it for potential financial gains. Highest volume search queries are related to crypto trading, price predictions, staking, and financial rewards. I don't see why someone would shill so hard for a crypto project unless they're financially motivated/incentivized in some way. They have something to lose if the crypto project goes south but everything to gain if it performs well or is perceived well in the public eye. So it's in their best interest to protect, defend, and promote their portfolio investments in the most positive light. Their vested interest in a crypto project is purely financial. Crypto traders & speculators can help Algorand's project gain traction & attention, just not with ideal intentions. If we're talking 'degens' in the non-literal sense (crypto supporters/investors who aren't just in it for the money; those who see value and a future in defi & crypto projects beyond hype & speculation), then age has a lot to do with degen-like behavior, which I associate with viral online posts, memes, pop culture references, internet trends, jokes, etc. They tend to be younger generations (millennials, Gen Z) + male who are also the most invested into crypto. Gen X and Boomers tend to have more capital to invest, but are more rational, risk averse, and selective about the assets they choose to invest in as they plan for retirement.  Cryptocurrencies are still unregulated, volatile, risky, speculative assets. Older crypto investors would more likely support a project in other ways - financially, offline, by word-of-mouth. And likely have a larger share of their crypto portfolio invested in blue chip crypto vs altcoins. **🔗**  <a href='https://www.stilt.com/blog/2021/03/vast-majority-crypto-buyers-millennials-gen-z/' target='_blank'>Crypto Buyer + Adoption Stats</a> **🔗**  <a href='https://www.zippia.com/investor-jobs/demographics/' target='_blank'>General Investor Stats</a> ### Non-Target Demographic (Hard sell) Bitcoin maxis, PoW maxis, crypto skeptics* ### Primary Target Demographic PoS maxis, crypto sustainability advocates, L1 champions, ... ### Secondary Target Market TBD ## Collabs, Guesting, Partnerships, Endorsements, PR People value the word and recommendation of someone they trust. Warm leads convert better than cold leads. You don't need to build trust from scratch if you partner with the right people/brands. I don't mean endorsements by any influencer or celebrity with a following. But collaborations with quality, relevant channels, podcasts, pages, or accounts run by people with authority and integrity. Continue to find and vet respectable influencers, creators and podcasters like Lex Fridman (who was a phenomenal host to be interviewed by btw), to guest speak or guest post on. Ones with audiences who are open to learning and exploring with keen interest in (disruptive) tech will bring positive exposure. Though not limited only to technical, scholarly creator accounts. Branch out to creative, artistic channels too. Steer clear of crypto influencers who only promote crypto projects and coins. Partnering with the wrong people can breed distrust and poor sentiment. Avoid association with pump & dump schemes. Think long-term. Partnerships with well-known or trusted brands make for great PR. Consider contracting work to a Web3 PR marketing agency that specializes in Web3 growth marketing through bear and bull cycles. Advertise on high traffic <a href='https://coinmarketcap.com/advertising' target='_blank'>crypto platforms</a> that allow banner ads and product placements. Promote Algorand events externally in other high-traffic Web3 DAO communities that allow project promos/sharing. Example: metaintro discord #events channel, Codeless Conduct, ... <img src='https://i.ibb.co/9ctXjNn/events-channel.png' width='150' /> ## Community Building The best communities are ones that are global, diverse, and buzzing with electric energy. This is where a distributed workforce really shines because you can have mods & members engaged 24/7. You know that lively hackathon spirit where builders are pumped & energized to build? Try to maintain that level of energy all year round. Positive energy is precious & infectious. Aim to keep energy levels at pre- & peri- hackathon phase where builders are pumped to build, forums are bustling with activity, and core members are around to field questions. Avoid post-hackathon phase where it becomes a ghost town. Different communities give off different vibes. Different strokes for different folks. Attracting an audience of likeminded groups and individuals. Getting new members to join, however, is not enough. Retention is equally as important as recruitment. Degen community breeds degen members. Once Algorand achieves accelerated community growth & member activity, the community begins to build itself, synergistically with the team. In short, good leadership, a rockstar team, and a diverse, inclusive, engaged community are the foundational building blocks of a sturdy tower that won't topple over when external forces aim to strike it down. **💨🗼** I checked Algorand's community forum to see what the vibe is like, and I sense that the human relations aspect is sorely lacking. Community diversity, activity, engagement, and morale aren't where they should be for a community forum.  I don't see many non-developers, so maybe that's why. But even devs appreciate social encouragement, acknowledgement, praise & feedback. They're not all bots y'know? 🤖 What brings me to this conclusion? ### Exhibit A First, I came across **[this thread](https://forum.algorand.org/t/algorand-bet-my-first-attempt-at-a-dapp/3957 )**. Read the post. Then, read the comments. Notice the low engagement? Here's a recount: :::warning **On August 8, 2021, a wild Algonaut appeared **🧑‍🚀** - a new user account on Algorand's forum. They published their first post, in which they expressed their enthrallment & fascination with Algorand's smart contracts ecosystem **🥰** (a direct compliment). They shared their first dapp with the Algorand community, and asked for feedback.** **That same day, an Algorand team member responded with feedback. About 2.5 hours later, OP replied to thank the mod and seek feedback on a revised approach (which must have taken time to consider **⏱**), wondering if they were headed in the right direction **🤔**. The conversation ended there. This was OP's first & last post in Algorand's forum. The links to OP's dapp are now broken **<s>🖇</s>**. OP was last seen on August 10, 2021, two days after joining.** ::: Where is OP now? Did they move to another blockchain? Did their Web3 dev journey end there? Who knows? :::danger **390+ views, 64 clicks to OP's dapp, 0 likes, & only 1 comment from Algorand's team** ::: ### Exhibit B Even positive Algorand news & achievements that deserve praise & celebration don't elicit much/any reaction or interaction from Algorand's team or community. <strong>[<a href='https://forum.algorand.org/t/happy-birthday-algorand/7121' target='_blank'>1</a>]</strong> <strong>[<a href='https://forum.algorand.org/t/in-exactly-24-hours-it-will-be-3-years-of-uninterrupted-algorand-mainnet/7114' target='_blank'>2</a>]</strong> <strong>[<a href='https://forum.algorand.org/t/share-your-nft-project-with-utility/7519' target='_blank'>3</a>]</strong> <img src='https://media2.giphy.com/media/l2R013mIf1ZXdvoyI/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47yur3ukn48iyr5tvxbws1m49f1m7ax81lzo583t7i&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g' width='200'/><img src='https://media4.giphy.com/media/H5C8CevNMbpBqNqFjl/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47tr4ijbx8h0x71pfxq20fu6eyykbcwxl28p131t34&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g' width='150' /> ### Exhibit C A forum post titled, 'Why I Love Algorand' **❤️** ... isn't as positive as one would expect it to be **💔** This is the saddest one. I feel discouraged... And I'm not even part of Algorand's community! If you come across <a href='https://forum.algorand.org/t/why-i-love-algorand/7321' target='_blank'>a community post like this</a> as a Web3 buidler, would you feel more or less inclined to build on Algorand? Hopefully you can agree that it doesn't reflect well on "Algorand Inc". There isn't enough context to know all that happened, which is why it is even more important to set the record straight. That way, OP, community members, and outsiders who stumble upon unaddressed/unresolved concerns on the front page of a public community forum can better interpret/assess these scenarios. Algorand team should respond to concerns like these because seeing this as a contributor, I'd think twice about building on Algorand upon learning that I could be banned one day for my efforts or attempts to contribute to the ecosystem ⁉️ Wouldn't Algorand want to support and retain long-time, devoted contributors who also happen to be its biggest champions? Why let them go so easily after having already won their hearts? If Algorand loses more dev degens than gained, then the ecosystem will be at dev degen deficit. It's more expensive to acquire a new degen than it is to retain an existing one! **💸** ### Conclusion What can we gather from all this? How can Algorand drive engagement, boost morale, uphold transparency, promote diversity, and unify the community? How does Algorand ensure decentralized governance? Blockchain is trustless, but people still need to place their trust in leadership and in teams who build & scale these systems. Algorand should invest in community building (and headhunting if the team is understaffed). Consider recruiting/rallying a team of personable community reps + a DevRel team of developer advocates whose primary focus is interfacing with community members & devs, fostering positive interactions, promoting inclusion, encouraging discussion, and driving growth & engagement.<hr/> **The litmus test 🧪**: - Is the energy palpable through the screen? - In a good way? Or a bad way? - **✅** Positive vibes: - Algorand members feel inspired, invigorated, included, excited, encouraged, empowered, engaged, valued - **✨ 😊😇🥰   😎🕊🚀 ✨** - **❌** Negative vibes: - Algorand members feel disheartened, disappointed, apprehensive, isolated, indifferent, disengaged - **😞😪😰   🙈😭😡👿** <hr/> **Measure of success:** - What is the member retention rate? - What is the engagement rate for community posts? - Are member concerns being addressed and resolved? - Is there a decentralized process to appeal bans? - Are loyal members expressing gratification or dissatisfaction? <hr/> **✨ The Glow Up ✨  💇💇‍♂️💇‍♀️** Visit NEAR's governance forum to see what an active, engaged, diverse, inclusive, inviting, decentralized Web3 community looks like: NEAR Forum - <a href='https://gov.near.org/' target='_blank'>https://gov.near.org/</a> Monday + DEV have active dev community forums **💯** https://community.monday.com/c/developers/8 <br/> https://dev.to/ Deepgram's approach to developer relations **💪** https://developers.deepgram.com/blog/2022/04/what-is-devrel-a-deepgram-approach/ <hr> **⚡️ The Ultimate Measure of Success** When members can point to Algorand and say: :::success **"Algorand has a vibrant community + a team of superstars **🌟**   carrying a light so bright that it pierces through the screen 🔆   with enough sustainable energy to power a stadium **✨🔋🏟✨**"** ::: <p></p><br> <iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/8j2wrmWdc0Kf6" width="480" height="240" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/high-school-musical-8j2wrmWdc0Kf6">via GIPHY</a></p> <iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/736563847&color=%2304ec3c&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/castofhighschoolmusicalthemusicaltheseries" title="Cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Seri" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Seri</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/castofhighschoolmusicalthemusicaltheseries/were-all-in-this-together-from" title="We're All in This Together (From "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series"/Cast of HSMTMTS)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">We're All in This Together (From "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series"/Cast of HSMTMTS)</a></div> <br/> <img src='https://c.tenor.com/c2laW3wxd30AAAAC/all-in-this-together-alone-together.gif' width='250'/> <p></p><br/> ## Unique Differentiator ## Blockchain Fatigue ## Virality of Popularity (Hype) ## First Mover Advantage ## An Untapped Market