Is Traditional Marketing Dead in Web3?
March 21, 2025
In case you’re still catching up, Web3 is the next iteration of the internet. To understand Web3, we should take a quick step back in time to look at both Web1 and Web2.
Web1 is generally known as the ‘read only’ era. If you remember the dial-up internet tone, and competing with the home phone line – that’s web1 – when the most interactive thing you could do was send an email or read and contribute to bulletin posts online.
Web2 ushered in an era of increased interactivity, shaping the internet we know today. This era witnessed the rise of social media, cloud storage, online banking, and streaming services, making the internet more engaging than ever before. However, this evolution has also granted significant control over user data to large technology companies.
And so, enter Web3. A new iteration of the internet that promises a more decentralised future. Its foundation is built on top of blockchain technology and offers the option to have more control and ownership over our own data, finances and well, life.
With this new era comes new marketing implications too. Let’s break down the top differences and learn what’s still relevant.
The Traditional Top Down Approach is Dead in Web3
In the Web2 world, brands and companies own the message delivered to their audience, customers and followers. In Web2, communication happens via social media platforms but there is no guarantee of user interaction.
In contrast, Web3 places the community at the centre of the online experience. Web3 communities can often be found collaborating with founders directly on platforms such as Discord, Telegram and X.
Web3 communities often make use of a Community Manager who helps to connect the founders and team to the community members and vice versa, making sure all voices are heard.
Web3 Communities have skin in the game
Web3 community members often invest in the brand through token launches, NFT purchases, and other methods of investment. This investment allows the community to have a say in the future direction of the company.
Web3 community members who have invested into a brand want to be kept up to date on its progress, meaning lots of updates and communication from the team. Oftentimes, a sign of a strong Web3 brand is how active and engaged the community is online.
Web3 is Trustless
Blockchain technology makes all data transparent and verifiable. This means that crucial information, for example the number of users or the historical activity of wallet addresses, is permanently recorded and publicly accessible on a blockchain.
The era of marketing hype is over. Web3, with its inherent transparency and trustlessness, demands authenticity and verifiable results.
Web3 natives are not interested in centralised platforms
Facebook, Instagram and other traditional centralised platforms do not appeal to the Web3 native audience. So, if you want to reach them with your message, you’re going to need to spend your time on X, Discord, Telegram and to an extent, LinkedIn.
Which traditional marketing strategies are still relevant in web3?
When we speak about Web3 native audiences, we need to remember that this group is still the minority.
While many target markets today engage heavily with platforms like Facebook and Instagram, they continue to consume traditional media, including radio and television, whilst leveraging a plethora of Web2 streaming and video services.
This means that if you want to attract mass markets, and onboard more new people into the Web3 space, then you still need to utilise traditional channels to reach most people. Until we reach mass adoption of Web3, traditional platforms will continue to hold some degree of relevancy.
Traditional strategies remain highly significant, particularly a robust website built with best practices and a well-executed SEO strategy.
Data from SEMRush shows that over 95% of mobile users still opt for Google when searching online. If you do not have a website that has been optimised for SEO (this includes high-performing content), then you are sure to miss out on reaching a large chunk of the population.
There is however, still a strong case for more traditional marketing methods such as email marketing, social media (using the right platforms for your desired target audience) and again in some cases, Paid Ads.
Therefore, until widespread Web3 adoption occurs and the associated benefits are fully realised, leveraging traditional marketing channels remains a necessary strategy for achieving our commercial goals.
The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed in this article are for informational purposes only, and it should not be referenced as Financial Advice.
