If you’ve ever tried applying traditional marketing tactics to the decentralized world of Web3, you probably know that it’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—it just doesn’t work.

Today, we’re exploring why those old marketing tricks fail in this new space and, more importantly, what to do instead. Buckle up if you’re ready to abandon the one-size-fits-all and embrace a strategy as innovative as Web3 itself.

Old School Tactics vs. New School Problems

Traditional marketing, as we know it, wasn’t built for the wild, community-driven, decentralized wonderland of Web3. Here’s why:

1. The “Customer” Mindset Is Outdated

In traditional marketing, users are treated like customers. It’s all about sales funnels, click-through rates, and bottom-line conversions. However, Web3 is not about having a customer but building a community. Ads still play a fundamental role, but events and other community-building activities are vital, too. It’s about creating an engaged, invested tribe championing your mission.

Polkadot invested $37 million in marketing initiatives in H1-2024, with ~57% spent on advertising and ~20% on community-building events and conferences.

Polkadot poured $37 million into outreach—everything from ads to conferences—all to attract users, developers, and businesses to its ecosystem. Source: polkadot.network

That’s a serious commitment to growing the community, and it highlights why Web3 projects succeed when they build relationships rather than focus on short-term sales.

2. One-Way Messaging Is a Big No No

Gone are the days when brands talked AT us instead of WITH us. This is even more critical for Web3 users. They don’t want polished corporate messaging—they crave dialogue, transparency, and real interactions. Community members want to help shape the project’s future, not just be on the receiving end of a pitch.

Binance leveraged influencer marketing to bring people into the conversation. They built a 26,000-person army of Web3 influencers speaking directly to crypto enthusiasts in the lingo they get. The community felt involved in this narrative rather than a passive recipient of the message.

3. Privacy and Control

Traditional marketing often thrives on data collection—tracking cookies, retargeting, and all that jazz. But Web3 marketing is fundamentally different. Here, users control their data, and marketers have to respect that.

It’s about building trust rather than exploiting it. Forget about those retargeting ads that follow users around the internet—what works now is respecting privacy and giving people a reason to opt in willingly.

Common Pitfalls of Old-School Tactics in Web3

So, what happens when traditional marketers try to play the Web3 game? Here are some all-too-common mistakes:

A. Treating Users as Just Another Sale

Applying a “customer is king” mentality doesn’t fit Web3. Here, everyone’s a stakeholder. When Coca-Cola launched its NFT collection, it was more about celebrating art and community than driving sales.

Coca-Cola's "Masterpiece" NFT collection generated $540,000 during Coinbase's "Onchain Summer" event in 2023. Source: coca-colacompany.com

Compared to their usual advertising campaigns, the NFT drop resonated more. It gave the community something to rally around—a sense of ownership and belonging instead of yet another product to buy.

B. Sticking to Outdated KPIs

Metrics like impressions and click-through rates may work in Web2 but don’t always apply in Web3. Here, success is about community engagement, DAO participation, and long-term loyalty. The projects that thrive aren’t counting clicks—they’re measuring how involved their community feels.

C. Failing to Understand the “Why” of Web3

Web3 is all about decentralization, ownership, and innovation. Using traditional, centralized marketing tactics shows a lack of understanding of these core values. Projects that treat marketing like a broadcast from a boardroom will lose their audience fast. Instead, projects like Polkadot, which understand the ethos of decentralization and include their community in the journey, are the ones that keep growing.

What to Do Instead—The Web3 Way

All right, so traditional marketing doesn’t work. What should you be doing instead? Let’s talk solutions.

Build Real Communities, Not Customer Lists

In Web3, growth is about building strong communities, not merely audiences. This means listening, involving them in decision-making, and rewarding participation. You’re not just selling a product—you’re giving people a reason to care, and that’s how you win.

Get Personal and Transparent

Forget the brand walls—people want to know who’s behind the project. They want real, honest interactions. Founder-led content is a huge win here. Think of guys like Vitalik Buterin or Luca Netz from Pudgy Penguins—they share insights, musings, and even failures. This kind of transparency and personal stories bring people closer to the brand and inspire loyalty. People don’t follow logos—they follow leaders.

Create Experiences, Not Ads

Instead of traditional ads, think about experiences. Remember Coca-Cola’s Masterpiece NFT collection? It wasn’t just about buying something. It was about being part of a moment, celebrating art, and engaging with an iconic brand on a new level. By merging classic artworks with modern interpretations, Coca-Cola entered the cultural conversation instead of doing just another sales pitch. That’s the kind of emotional engagement Web3 thrives on.

Embrace Tokenized Incentives

Incentives in Web3 go far beyond a discount code or loyalty points. Token-based incentives drive engagement in a way traditional rewards simply can’t. Whether giving voting rights through a DAO or rewarding contributions with native tokens, these incentives create effective alignment between the project and its community. And guess what? That’s exactly what fosters long-term growth.

Leverage the Power of Influence

Influencers aren’t just mouthpieces—in Web3, they’re community builders. Binance learned early on that when a trusted face delivers your message, it is far more effective than banner ads. People in this space trust their own kind—find the credible voices in your niche and work with them to build trust.

Rethink, Rebuild, and Get Web3-Ready

Web3 is fundamentally different from what traditional marketers are used to. The goal is not just to push products and control the message but to build communities and open the conversation. The brands that get it will thrive, and those that don’t will fade away.

30% of Web3 marketers plan to increase their marketing budgets, betting on community-first strategies. If you still rely on the old playbook, now’s the time to change, or you risk falling behind.

Are You Ready to Build With Us?

At Myosin, we don’t just do marketing—we build communities, forge connections, and help projects create a sense of belonging. If you’re ready to make your mark in Web3, we’re here to help.

For starters, plug into our $25K Growth Marketing Package—an all-in-one accelerator designed to transform your project from “just another Web3 idea” into a success story.

Let’s grow together—in numbers, value, impact, and community.

Book a FREE intro call with us, and let’s make things happen.

Book now!