A Web3 community building strategy is essential for crypto projects, NFT creators, DAOs, and nonprofits looking to tap into the growing demographic of cryptocurrency donors.
Get started today with these fundamental tips and best practices for breaking into the world of Web3.
What is Web3?
By now, nearly everyone has tried to define Web3. I personally like Ethereum’s jargon-free take: “a catch-all term for the vision of a new, better internet.”
So how did we get to this emerging Web3 era? To briefly recap, let’s reduce things down to three phases. First, the early internet (“Web1”) was static and company-oriented. The Web2 era that followed was ushered in by user-generated content and social media platforms.
What most experts agree on is that this “new, better internet” depends upon the groundbreaking innovations from the crypto and blockchain sector.
To borrow from the good folks at Ethereum again, what sets Web3 apart from its predecessors is its ethos, which aims to put more control in the hands of the users. In contrast to Web2, Web3 aspires to be more decentralized, permissionless and trustless—with native payment solutions (i.e., crypto).
For a deeper dive on Web3 core concepts, bookmark these resources from Cointelegraph and Chainlink to read later.
Web3 Is A Community-Driven Internet
First and foremost, I need to emphasize this key point: Web3 is driven by community. Let’s unpack this idea a little bit more.
As we moved into the Web2 era, we all became social media users. These platforms connected us in ways Web1 did not, while generating significant profit from valuable user data and user-generated content.
In contrast, Web3 aspires to foster communities—places you can find like-minded people—with a more decentralized approach, which emphases privacy and enables users to have more ownership of the content they produce.
Who Is Part of The Web3 Community?
Today, an estimated 300-420 million crypto users make up the global Web3 community. This diverse group includes investors, “crypto for good” advocates, NFT creators, philanthropists, blockchain developers and more.
As we speak, Web3 infrastructure is being built and improved upon by a global network of engineers, developers, technologists and other experts. The technology is getting more advanced and successful in connecting with other technologies and industries, which will lead to greater Web3 adoption.
Some of these individuals may have no idea they’re interacting with the crypto or blockchain ecosystem. For example, Reddit’s Avatars Collection are NFTs minted on the Polygon blockchain but they are not referred to as “NFTs” officially from the Reddit team.
How Web3 Communities Can Help Your Cause
Numerous Web3 communities have made a positive impact on the causes they care about. To get a sense of their philanthropic ideas, you can explore these notable examples:
- Co-founders of several major blockchain companies have supported COVID-19 relief efforts and related scientific research.
- Many generous NFT creators have become crypto donors by launching virtual charity auctions and donating a portion of proceeds to charitable organizations.
- In 2022, crypto users created a widespread movement to support humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.
Crypto philanthropy has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charitable causes over the last couple of years. The donors responsible for this generosity include individuals, companies, communities—from the formal ones like DAOs to more informal ones that coalesce around NFT projects.
Get Started Building Your Web3 Community
Don’t jump ahead and create a Discord channel because it seems like the thing to do. Your initial step in building a vibrant Web3 community should be defining your goals.
Do you want users for a product? A way to foster community around an NFT project? A way to educate and gain new supporters for a social cause? Once you have a clear purpose in mind, you can figure out what actions can best help you achieve your objective.
As you get started, try out some of these suggestions:
1. Create Accounts On Popular Platforms
Social networking sites are one of the most effective ways to build a strong following in the Web3 community. Leading platforms include Twitter, Discord, Reddit, Telegram and Twitch.
Do your own research to assess which platforms will best serve your goal. Discord and Telegram, for example, are ideal for private group communication, while Twitter and Reddit create the sense of a broader public forum.
A small disclaimer: while Discord and Telegram have become prime locales for web3 fanatics to congregate, an organization’s first goal should be building consistent web3-related activity on Twitter. If all goes well, you’ll find introductions to those Discord and Telegram communities come as natural results of your newly exciting activity on Twitter.
2. Attend In-Person Crypto And NFT Conferences
We often think of the Web3 community as a digital community, but we also get together IRL. Web3-focused conferences are happening all the time, all over the world, from larger ones like Permissionless and NFT.NYC to more niche community events like ApeFest.
In-person networking and conversation is one of the most effective ways to build interest in your product, service, cause. Sponsor an event, rent a booth in an exhibition hall, or just show up with a business card (or a QR code for your Telegram).
Here’s an article with the best crypto conferences of 2024 that you can use for planning.
3. Write Blogs And Guides
It’s difficult to keep track of the innovation happening in Web3. With major announcements rolling out at a dizzying pace, there’s not enough time to read all the news, despite the great coverage out there from outlets like CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, The Block, Blockworks, Decrypt and more.
To me (and many others), a thoughtful, clear explanation for how something works is like gold.
Regular writing or blogging is a great way to show your thought leadership, which can attract followers to your social accounts, and more knowledge about your cause, product, or community.
4. Embrace The Video Format
In our modern world, video is how we get a large amount of our information. Plus, it’s also one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences.
As we have seen, several social network algorithms boost video content heavily. Additionally, YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world (and owned by Google).
Bottom line, if you want to gain new customers, followers, and community members, video is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.
5. Assign Someone to Manager Your Community
Community growth isn’t just about numbers, it’s about creating high-quality, meaningful relationships. A community manager, whether paid or volunteering, can ensure that your messaging is transparent, your DMs are monitored, and your connections are strengthened by each interaction.
Effective community management can also open the door to new possibilities, such as gaining support from key influencers to unlocking potentially transformative partnerships.
Making the Ask: Nonprofit Fundraising in Web3
If you’re putting in the work consistently to build and maintain a community in web3, making your “ask” at the end of the year (or during a fundraising campaign) should be easier. After all, you’ll have established a core audience to connect with, not just millions of anonymous users.
Whether you’re looking for an NFT partner for a crypto charity auction or trying to secure crypto donations that can be 1:1 matched for a limited time, fostering web3 community is a great place to build.
In Conclusion
Web3 community building doesn’t happen overnight, but with a multi-channel approach, you can build a grassroots network of enthusiasts over time.
As Web3’s popularity grows, it’s an investment worth making if you want to future-proof your product or mission.
