Cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms have leapt from the fringes to the mainstream. Despite this growth, many DeFi and crypto companies still struggle to market their offerings well. For these nascent industries, trust among business buyers is in short supply.
Institutional Crypto Remains Risky and Misunderstood
Every B2B crypto company must convince business buyers its solution is worthwhile to increase adoption. But brands face many cryptocurrency marketing challenges such as:
- Technical complexity: The industry is awash with language and jargon most people can’t understand. Eliminating all jargon is impossible, especially in DeFi projects.
- Mistrust and confusion: It’s difficult for DeFi prospects to differentiate between red flags and legitimate products, with many companies marketing cryptocurrencies in a way that confuses people. Legitimate companies are trying to earn trust against an industry backdrop of scams like rug pulls and security breaches.
- Regulatory uncertainty: Many analysts have connected certain cryptocurrencies to money laundering and illegal activities. The regulatory landscape is still evolving and most projects don’t offer investor protection or ways to address disputes. This causes buyers and investors to be fearful of a ‘Wild West’ environment.
As the Wall Street Journal reported recently, many crypto companies have begun to curtail their marketing spending after a seemingly bottomless ad spend in 2020 and 2021. That’s a mistake, because B2B crypto companies need strong marketing to overcome the serious issues the industry must solve.
Content marketing in particular may hold the key.
What is the Point of Crypto Content Marketing?
B2B fintechs have used content marketing to educate their audiences and build trust for a long time. Done well, content can support DeFi and crypto platforms by:
- Educating business audiences: Explainer videos, glossaries, and webinars can explain common jargon and translate ‘tech speak’ to everyday language.
- Limiting paid media spend: Ad networks routinely block some kinds of crypto advertisements. Content marketing is organic, and B2B DeFi companies can sever their dependence on paid media while building audiences.
- Establishing unique voices: The easiest way to differentiate a product from the competition is through expertise. Content marketing can deliver this expertise to audiences in interesting and thought-provoking ways.
But how can crypto companies craft a coherent content strategy?
The newsletter’s Coming Soon.
Subscribe for fintech content tips and insights.
5 Ways to Approach Institutional Crypto Content Marketing
From brand journalism to glossaries and case studies, here are five approaches cryptocurrency content marketing agencies, content strategists and CMOs could explore.
1. Cover Crypto With Skepticism
Some crypto and DeFi media adopt a sycophantic tone. That content appeals to evangelists but ignores business buyers wanting to understand the sector. Covering events from a neutral perspective, and highlighting issues from different angles, will help brands build authority.
2. Build Your Own Magazine
A handful of blog posts won’t build authority. But launching an industry-focused magazine or resource hub just might. Traditional financial services companies use magazines and publications to build authority. Crypto businesses can too. When built with journalistic rigour, a content hub will give potential buyers more reasons to visit you.
3. Publish Explainers and Glossaries
Glossaries might be a staple of your content marketing strategy too. Glossaries are a great way of attracting beginners, who are likely searching for definitions and explanations of crypto industry terms. Optimize your glossary pages for SEO and link them to your content hub. This helps visitors learn from you and build up trust.
4. Include Trustworthy Industry Experts
Experts and industry analysts could be useful additions to your content strategy. Technical researchers who dive into the details underlying a project are also great choices. Partnering with such people will help you build authority with B2B buyers. Experts often love being interviewed about their areas of expertise and featuring a wider array of voices boosts credibility.
5. Create Cases Studies
Every potential buyer who considers your platform asks the same question: What’s in it for me? Case studies highlight issues from a customer’s perspective, making it easy for your prospects to see you understand their problems — and have successfully dealt with them before. Case studies offer strong social proof too. Your prospects can verify your expertise and figure out what they might gain by choosing you.
Examples of Institutional Crypto Content Marketing
Numerous B2B crypto companies are already investing heavily in content marketing. They’ve engaged cryptocurrency marketing firms and hired crypto content marketing managers to help them produce stories linked to business goals.
Whether you’re a strategist at a crypto marketing agency, or an in-house marketer, consider the following approaches alongside your other cryptocurrency marketing campaigns.
Blockpit’s Magazine
Crypto taxes are a huge pain point for institutional investors and businesses looking to embed crypto investing products into their offerings. Blockpit’s Cryptotax product solves this issue. The company publishes Unchained magazine to cover everything related to the industry, from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to the metaverse. Featuring a slick design, the magazine also profiles NFT artists and DeFi investors.
a16Z’s Podcasts
Andreessen Horowitz is a renowned venture capital (VC) firm. The firm has increasingly focused on crypto and DeFi as it expands its portfolio. Just as it has in B2B fintech, a16z leverages content to connect with crypto company founders, analysts, and media. Podcast episodes about NFTs and Decentralization and Web3 position a16z as a hub for technically-minded founders and investors looking to expand into crypto services.
Ledger Academy
Ledger is a crypto hardware wallet. The company embraces the tough learning curve people face when exploring crypto investments, by offering comprehensive lessons in its Ledger Academy. Lessons are categorized under creative headings such as ‘Basic Basics’ and ‘Six Essential Everythings’ to anyone get up-to-speed with the crypto world.
Communicating Crypto
OK content marketing won’t be enough for crypto platforms that need to prove they can deliver reliable business services. Only bold and ambitious content strategies will help B2B crypto companies enhance trust, build authority, and win business.
