Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have revolutionized the way startups raise capital by allowing them to bypass traditional funding methods. However, with the rise in popularity of ICOs, the competition for investors’ attention has become increasingly fierce. That’s where ICO PR comes in. ICO PR involves promoting an ICO to the public and the media to attract investors and gain exposure for the project.
In today’s oversaturated ICO market, it is crucial to go above and beyond to make your project stand out from the crowd. One of the key aspects of ICO PR is media outreach, which involves identifying and connecting with relevant journalists and media outlets to get coverage and exposure for your project.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of ICO PR and provide tips on how to effectively reach out to the media to maximize your exposure and attract potential investors. By the end of this article, you should have a better understanding of how to create a successful ICO PR campaign.
Why companies launch an ICO
The rapid growth of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies has sparked interest in the cryptocurrency market and led to the search for new business opportunities. To attract investors, companies offer a fixed volume of their cryptocurrency, a method known as ICO (Initial Coin Offering), which is analogous to the Initial Public Offering of stocks (IPO).
While an ICO can be considered an analog of an IPO, the initial offering of coins or tokens does not impose obligations on the parties and does not imply the conclusion of contracts. With the increasing number of ICOs, the cost of projects is also increasing, and more and more companies are emerging that could attract hundreds of millions of dollars from the preliminary sale of their tokens.
However, the launch of an ICO alone is not enough to achieve success. Disseminating information about the project is crucial, and the most effective way to reach the audience quickly is through publications in the media. Based on our analysis of our clients’ campaigns for launching ICOs, we have identified several key factors that influence the effectiveness of PR campaigns in the media.
When to advertise an ICO in the media
There is no well-established timetable for the start of a PR campaign for an ICO. Some wait for at least a month between the first publication and the start of the pre-sale of tokens, while others begin to spread information about the launch of the ICO during the campaign.
Everything depends on potential investors:
- What they know about the company that issues tokens?
- How enthusiastic they are about the new cryptocurrency?
- What relation do they have to the industry in which the initiator of the ICO is working?
If a company plans to attract investors who are interested in industry development and have influence in the sector, they may issue a limited number of tokens. In this case, the majority of the cryptocurrency is distributed among employees, and the entry cost for investors is substantial. As such, disseminating information about such ICOs in national mass media may not be effective. Typically, press releases for such ICOs are published in industry publications and on websites dedicated to cryptocurrencies. The number of publications usually ranges from three to ten, and such a PR campaign can be launched a couple of weeks before or even after the preliminary sale of tokens.
Projects aiming to promote cryptocurrencies and their products on a large scale, such as cryptocurrency exchanges and Forex brokers, strive to reach a vast audience. They choose to publish in popular cryptocurrency media outlets, national publications, and IT-focused websites. The threshold of access to the ICO for such companies is low, starting from a few dollars, allowing anyone to become an investor, regardless of their bank account’s size. Therefore, these companies speak about their ICO to a large number of users.
Promoting at such a massive scale requires excellent PR, and publications about such ICOs appear one or two months before the sale’s start on the pages of several dozen publications, from specialized ones covering cryptocurrencies to national news media.
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Creating an Editorial Calendar
Creating an Editorial Calendar is an essential aspect of ICO PR. It is a schedule that outlines the stories and angles that a company plans to tell and when they plan to tell them. An Editorial Calendar is important because it ensures that the company has a well-planned strategy for PR outreach.
To create an effective Editorial Calendar for ICO PR, it is essential to focus on a variety of angles and stories. This will keep the media interested and engaged, and ensure that the company’s message is being communicated to the right people.
It is also important to identify audiences across different focal points. This means finding media outlets that cover a variety of different stories and angles. When creating an Editorial Calendar, companies should consider the specific niche/sector/industry their project works within, the general tech and startup media community, unique company elements such as location, journalists who have covered similar projects or competitors, and specific storylines that have already been created.
By creating a well-planned Editorial Calendar, companies can ensure that their message is reaching the right audiences, and that they are effectively standing out in the oversaturated world of ICO PR.
How often articles about the ICO should be published
This indicator varies depending on the size of the company and the extent of the audience coverage. For large-scale projects, global PR campaigns may involve dozens of publications, beginning as early as two months before the ICO launch and continuing even after its launch.
How the topic of the sites influences the effectiveness of the PR campaign
The majority of press releases announcing the launch of an ICO are typically published in media outlets that cover cryptocurrency news. Users who are interested in electronic money or want to invest in promising projects usually seek information on specialized websites. However, global information platforms are better suited for projects targeting a larger audience.
PRNEWS.io can assist in selecting a list of websites and publishing the required number of press releases or articles, all within your budget.
How can to build a relevant media list for a cryptocurrency/ICO PR campaign?
There are some basic guidelines to follow, but the blockchain industry has become oversaturated, so going above and beyond is necessary if you don’t plan to hire a PR firm.
Before creating a list, start by creating an editorial calendar with a variety of angles and stories you plan to tell and when to tell them. This will help you stay organized and focused. It’s important to identify your target audience across a range of focal points. The following should be fleshed out as much as possible:
- The specific niche, sector, or industry your project operates within
- The general tech and startup media community
- Unique elements of your company, such as location
- Journalists who have covered similar projects or even competitors
- Specific storylines you have already developed
By targeting different media outlets across a variety of stories and angles, you can effectively reach your desired audience.
Using a media database such as PRNEWS.IO can simplify the process of finding relevant journalists and publications. However, if you do not have access to one, it is still possible to find journalists by searching for articles and publications that align with the focus areas of your project. You can use Google search to find recent articles or articles about competitors and then locate the writers, producers, and editors on the publisher’s website.
It is important to respect journalists’ time and only share the most compelling stories with the most relevant media outlets. Journalists receive countless pitches every day, so building relationships and targeting the right stories to the right media members can set you apart from others.
PRNEWS.IO exists to make it easier for you to find sites to post your news. Just open the catalog, use the filters and select the list of ideal media outlets.
It is crucial to approach ICO PR with a targeted and personalized approach to stand out in the oversaturated market. Start building your own editorial calendar and media database by considering the different focal points and audiences relevant to your project. By doing so, you can effectively identify the most compelling stories to share with perfectly targeted media audiences. Remember to treat journalists with respect and share only the most relevant and engaging stories. With these tips and a well-planned approach, your ICO PR campaign can be a success.
ICO PR Strategy: Leveraging Industry Experts for Maximum Impact
Joshua Wood, CEO, and founder of Bloc
There are a few things to keep in mind when doing PR for an ICO:
Ensure that your website and white paper are well-written and professional-looking. Potential investors will be closely scrutinizing these documents to decide whether or not to invest in your ICO.
Generate a lot of hype on social media by creating interesting and engaging content related to your ICO. Ensure that your marketing efforts target the right audience, such as cryptocurrency enthusiasts and early adopters.
Get involved with the cryptocurrency community and participate in relevant online discussions. This will help increase awareness of your ICO and attract potential investors.
Utilize bounty programs to reward individuals for promoting your ICO.
Sudhir Khatwani, Founder of The Money Mongers, a crypto media company
Running an Airdrop campaign is one of the best ways to promote an ICO. However, there is more to it than just launching the campaign. To successfully launch your ICO, you need to focus on airdrop campaign marketing, which can be done through Twitter, Reddit, and other popular social media networks.
Airdrop campaigns involve encouraging users to learn about your crypto project and promote it to others. However, due to the prevalence of fake and scammy AirDrop campaigns, there is always a risk of people being skeptical and uninterested in your project.
In such cases, partnering with an exchange or other crypto business can help build initial momentum for the launch.
Alex Wang, co-founder, and CEO of Ember Fund, a leading crypto investment management app
Creating a charitable program or action is a great way to attract media attention for an ICO project. The media often loves charitable initiatives and will frequently publish information about them. This doesn’t necessarily mean a significant financial investment is required, as employees can volunteer or provide organizational support.
It’s important to remember that honesty is the best policy when promoting an ICO project. Finding ways to benefit the community can be an effective strategy. One approach is to partner with an organization or individual that is doing something admirable for society and supporting a worthy cause. This can help draw the attention of potential investors to your project.
7 Websites for ICO Campaign Promotion
Hundreds of popular cryptocurrency sites can become excellent sources of content distribution. We collected the best websites about cryptocurrencies from 23 countries for you.
CoinJournal
- Country: USA
- Publication language: English
- Coverage: 200 000 readers
Most CoinJournal.net readers are residents of the USA and Europe. The platform publishes news concerning the cryptocurrency industry and is famous for journalistic honesty. Here you can find only verified information and credible facts. It is possible to post a press release about new currency on ICO within five days.
The Merkle
- Country: USA
- Publication language: English
- Coverage: 2.3 million readers
The Merkle has been creating engaging educational content and giving the world essential finance, technology, cryptocurrencies, and information news security since 2014. The most famous ICO projects start here. People promote not only the primary offer of tokens; the platform is popular among all the people who want to sell something hi-tech.
CoinSpot
- Country: Russia
- Publication language: Russian
- Coverage: 1,4 million readers
CoinSpot.io — the largest RuNet resource for digital currencies, financial technical trends, and financial innovations. Here you can read about technologies, startups, and personalities that form the image of the financial world. ICO calendar which helps to look at the current, complete, and forthcoming campaigns is also working on the website.
The Bitcoin News
- Country: USA
- Publication language: English
- Coverage: 50 000 readers
The primary audience of the TheBitcoinNews.com platform is residents of the USA, China, Brazil, and Thailand. Here you can find all relevant news about Bitcoin and Etherium; learn about new ICO, and read expert opinions. An educational section on the site helps one understand all the nuances of cryptocurrencies. Subscribers will also see the text published on the website — more than 30 thousand people subscribe to their mailing list.
CoinSpeaker
- Country: USA
- Publication language: English
- Coverage: 450 000 readers
CoinSpeaker — one of the most influential sources of news to everyone is engaged in financial technology, the blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and the Internet of things. The website is popular in the USA, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, and Russia. There is an ICO calendar available to help find all necessary information on the forthcoming, current, and complete sales of tokens.
Coin Idol
- Country: USA
- Publication language: English
- Coverage: 150 000 readers
Coinidol.com is not just a source of the latest news and reviews about advanced financial technologies and the world economy, but also one of its primogenitors. Some enthusiasts love fintech, cryptocurrency markets, decentralized economy, policy, and blockchain technology on the CoinIdol team. They publish all paid materials in the news section, and as a bonus, the editorial office of the website will prepare an animated illustration of the text.
The CoinTelegraph
- Country: USA
- Publication language: English
- Coverage: 10 million readers
Cointelegraph is presented in several countries at the same time — the USA, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain, Japan, and Brazil. Language versions, attendance, and content of the website are different depending on the geographical binding of the site. Cointelegraph was founded in 2013. In 4 years the platform became the recognized leader in the market for cryptocurrency information.
Placement of press releases on ICO topics
ICO stands for Initial Coin Offering, which refers to the initial distribution of tokens or coins. It allows the sale of digital coins for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or fiat money among existing investors. These tokens can be used on the project’s online platform to pay for services or sold on the marketplace. The term “crowdsale” is also used interchangeably with ICO.
Many domestic and foreign projects require additional funding, and issuing their own tokens to exchange for popular virtual currencies or fiat money is a common practice, especially in the early stages of an Internet project. The funds raised through ICOs are usually used to implement marketing strategies or to support the project’s future development.
However, there are concerns about the legality of these transactions and the stock exchange as a whole. As of now, ICOs cannot be classified as legal or illegal methods of investment, and no country has defined the legal status of crowdsales or the conditions and rules that organizations conducting these auctions must follow. Consequently, the legal relationship between parties involved in crowdsales is unclear.
Comparison of ICO and IPO
ICO and IPO are both methods of fundraising, but there are significant differences between the two.
IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, which is a process that a company goes through to sell its shares to the public for the first time. An IPO is heavily regulated, and a company must meet strict legal and financial requirements before it can go public. Investors who buy shares in an IPO are buying a stake in the company and are entitled to a portion of the company’s profits.
On the other hand, an ICO, or Initial Coin Offering, is a way for companies to raise funds by selling tokens or coins in exchange for cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies. These tokens do not represent ownership in the company, but they may give investors access to the company’s products or services. ICOs are not as heavily regulated as IPOs, and they do not require the same legal and financial requirements.
In summary, while both IPOs and ICOs are methods of raising funds, an IPO involves selling shares to the public and is highly regulated, while an ICO involves selling tokens or coins and is less regulated.
What is the benefits for ICO depositors?
Most financial partners invest in ICO tokens with the hope of either selling them in the future at a higher price or using them to access services within the platform.
Here is some information on successful ICOs and exchanges to help you make informed decisions:
The success of an ICO can be measured by the volume of funds raised. The Bancor project raised more than 396,000 ETH in just three hours, making it one of the most successful ICOs to date. Another notable example is the Brave browser, which reached its goal of $35 million in less than a minute.
Conclusion
One well-written post on a single platform can attract a significant number of visitors. There is no need to exhaust your budget by publishing on only one website. Instead, it would be more effective to publish multiple articles on various resources to reach readers from different categories simultaneously. Choose your target audience, the language of publication, and the scope of readership to showcase your crypto-business to the world.
You can find even more websites about cryptocurrencies in our mass media catalog.
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