The use of traditional marketing strategies such as content marketing and SEO remains essential, but the evolution towards Web3 introduces the blockchain, tokens, and communication platforms such as Discord and Telegram. This guide explores the key differences between Web2 vs Web3 marketing strategies and how you can leverage them for your marketing strategies.
Key Takeaways
Web2 marketing is platform-centric, relies on personal data, and emphasizes engagement via ads and content.
Web3 marketing is user-centric, permissionless, and rewards participation through tokens and onchain engagement.
Identity in Web3 is tied to wallets.
Community, interoperability, and token incentives are core to Web3 growth.
Web3 marketing uses smart contracts to automate campaigns and rewards.
Web3 creates a shift to user-centric data ownership, where individuals have more control over their online activities
What is Web2 marketing?
Web2 marketing relies on web platforms and social media to promote products and services online. Tactics include static websites, SEO, social media, and email marketing, emphasizing online presence, customer engagement, and interactions for product growth.
Web2 marketing features a one-way flow of information with limited user interaction and lacks advanced tools for immersive user experiences.
Examples of common Web2 platforms
What is Web3 marketing?
Web3 marketing is a user-centric marketing strategy that aligns with the decentralized web, prioritizing privacy, consent-based interactions, and community engagement.
Unlike Web2, Web3 marketing leverages blockchain technology for asset tokenization, secure data, and digital identities. Web3 marketing fosters direct relationships and mutual value between brands and users through valuable content and tokenized incentives.
Examples of common Web3 platforms
Differences between Web2 vs Web3 marketing
Marketing isn’t just about ads anymore. In Web3, marketing shifts into building ecosystems, empowering users, and creating value that goes beyond vanity metrics such as clicks and conversions.
Let’s explore the key differences between Web2 vs Web3 marketing and why this matters for the future of brands and communities.
1. Identity
Web3 gives users more privacy and ownership over their identity. Marketers must adapt to targeting behaviors and onchain activity, not demographics.
Web2:
Identity is tied to real-world credentials: emails, phone numbers, and social media logins.
Platforms like Google and Facebook create user profiles and track them across the web.
Web3:
Identity is pseudonymous and represented by wallet addresses (e.g., 0x123... or ENS like vitalik.eth).
No need to give away personal info to participate.
A single wallet can serve as a user’s passport across dApps and ecosystems.
2. Data Source & Ownership
Users are increasingly seeking control and ownership of their data. The difference between Web2 vs Web3 marketing is that Web3 empowers individuals to own data, enhancing privacy, transparency, and autonomy.
In Web3, you don’t need permission to analyze user behavior — it’s all public. But you must learn to interpret wallet behavior, not web behavior.
Web2:
User data is collected via cookies, trackers, and pixels.
Controlled by platforms (Google, Meta) and not portable between apps.
Marketers rely on opaque data pipelines and must trust platforms’ black-box algorithms.
Web3:
Data lives onchain — anyone can query it (permissionless transparency).
Web3 marketing tools like Formo enable marketers to analyze wallet activity, transactions, NFT ownership, and more.
Users own their data, not platforms.
3. Marketing Channels
Web3 campaigns live beyond just social ads, they span onchain and community-first environments where participation = distribution.
Web2:
Dependence on traditional channels: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, SEO, YouTube, newsletters.
Content distribution is algorithm-dependent and often pay-to-play.
Web3:
Still uses Web2 channels, but expands to:
Quests and missions (e.g., Galxe, Layer3)
DAO proposals and collaborations
Referral programs
Token incentives
4. Targeting
Web3 Marketers must shift from “user personas” to wallet segmentation and behavioral targeting — a new skillset and mindset.
Web2:
Audience targeting uses personal data (age, gender, interest, geolocation).
Enabled by third-party cookies and social platforms’ data.
Web3:
Targeting is based on wallet behavior, not personal info:
What tokens do they hold
What NFTs did they mint
What chains do they use
What protocols do they interact with
Example: Target users who swapped $1,000+ ETH in the past month + hold a Lens profile NFT
5. Automation
Web3 Marketing leverages smart contracts to execute marketing campaigns, payments, and agreements in a trustless and automated manner. Integrating automation and smart contracts reduces reliance on intermediaries and increases transparency in customer interactions. In contrast, Web2 marketers rely on trusted third parties and publishers, which have limited transparency.
Campaign rules become code. No more “we’ll send your points later” — it’s instant, transparent, and verifiable onchain.
Web2:
Automation through APIs, SaaS platforms (Zapier, HubSpot, Mailchimp).
Requires trust in third parties (and their servers).
Web3:
Smart contracts automate tasks like:
Campaign rewards
Loyalty tracking
Referral payouts
6. Loyalty & Rewards
Web3 marketing leverages blockchain to create tokenized ecosystems, enabling the development of reward systems such as loyalty programs and airdrops with incentives. These systems outperform Web2 rewards and increase customer engagement.
Web2:
Loyalty is built through discounts, coupon codes, and email promotions.
Rewards are platform-specific and non-transferable.
Web3:
Loyalty in Web3 is surrounded by tokens:
Incentive campaigns for early adopters
Token-gated access
Staking rewards
Onchain badges
Instead of giving a 10% coupon, a brand might issue a limited NFT that gives lifetime access, early drops, or governance rights.
7. Interoperability
Web3 marketing promotes seamless user experiences by fostering interoperability across platforms and services, as opposed to the siloed nature of Web2 marketing. In Web2, social media platforms own user data, while in Web3, users retain ownership of their assets and data, empowering them with control and portability across brands and ecosystems.
Interoperability increases campaign reach and synergy. A user’s actions on one protocol can unlock benefits on yours — and vice versa.
Web2:
Platforms are closed ecosystems. Data, identity, and rewards don’t travel between them.
Brands rely on multiple tools (CRM, loyalty, analytics), each with its own database.
Web3:
Everything — data, identity, rewards — is composable across dApps.
A wallet that earned a badge in one app can use it elsewhere.
Onchain data enables cross-platform collaboration.
8. Community-Centric
Web3 marketing drives community engagement by enabling active participation in decision-making, content creation, and governance, as opposed to the passive roles of Web2 marketing.
The web3 community congregates on platforms such as Twitter and Discord, where brands not only join existing servers but also create their own to facilitate an interactive community. In Web3, your audience is your team. Community is a core strategy.
Web2:
Brands build followers on rented platforms (Instagram, Facebook).
Engagement is passive: likes, comments, shares.
Web3:
Communities are co-owners, not just spectators:
DAO voting
Token-governed decision-making
Content creation bounties
Revenue/profit-sharing models
Example: Nouns DAO lets holders propose and vote on branding decisions.
Why Web3 Marketing Matters
Both Web2 vs Web3 marketing are effective for teams. Web3 go beyong by putting users in control by combining decentralization, token rewards, seamless platform connections, automation, and community involvement. Web3 marketing creates experiences that are more transparent, rewarding, and engaging for everyone. Marketers who adopt these ideas will build stronger trust and create lasting growth in the future of the internet.
How to keep up with Web3 marketing?
To market effectively in Web3, staying on top of the latest trends and developments is critical. Here are some common strategies:
Ideas & storytelling
Prioritizing value creation over quick profits is the key to long-term success in Web3. Web3 startups that focus on ideas, values, and uniqueness in branding, including logo, typeface, and communication strategy, often outperform those that focus on direct advertising. Ethereum exemplifies this approach with a well-defined ideology and visual design that serves as a beacon for the decentralized future.
Example of Ethereum brand style guide from Ethereum.org
Web3 thrives on open-source principles and emphasizes values in its interactions with users. Building a brand story rooted in these values not only attracts team members but also establishes a strong foundation for future growth. Embracing these values is essential to navigating Web3's evolving landscape and fostering meaningful connections with customers.
PR & creative marketing
In Web3, effective public relations and creative marketing are important for startups seeking investment from venture funds. Building investor interest through trusted media outlets such as Bloomberg, Coindesk, and Cointelegraph is critical. Web3 has given rise to unique phenomena such as meme coins and fan tokens, which are heavily influenced by social media and online community sentiment.
Social networks
The rise of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter defined the Web2 era and revolutionized targeted advertising for marketers. In contrast, Web3 social networks, including Twitter, Discord, and Reddit, are more blockchain-friendly. Decentralized social networks built on top of the blockchain, such as Bluesky Social, Amino, and Wrapcast, are actively emerging, demonstrating the evolving landscape of Web3 social platforms.
Community building and engagement
Web2 marketing strategies often overlook the importance of community building, but in Web3, fostering a strong community is critical to success. Web3 projects must incorporate unique cultural elements such as memes, specialized lingo, and distinctive profile pictures to attract and engage potential users. Offering rewards for participating in project milestones further incentivizes community involvement.
Partnerships
Web3 marketing, like Web2, often relies on strategic partnerships to expand audiences. In addition, Web3 partnerships require not only compatible visions but also technical integration to create a robust ecosystem. When considering potential partners, Web3 projects must ensure their technical excellence, positive reputation, consistent branding, and the resources to maintain long-term communication.
Web3 Growth Marketing in Action
As marketing evolves from Web2 to Web3, platforms are reimagining how communities engage and grow. Here are three standout examples:
Zealy
Zealy drives community growth through gamified quests and leaderboards. Users earn rewards for contributions, making onboarding, education, and engagement fun and scalable.
Tipcoin
Tipcoin is designed to turn X (formerly Twitter) into a reward engine. Users earn tokens for tweet interactions, gamifying social engagement, and converting attention into onchain value.
Formo
Formo is a token-gated form and Web3 product analytics tool that helps teams capture Web3 user data, segment audiences by onchain behavior, identify wallet profiles, and measure revenue per wallet (RPW).
Open your gateway to Web3 mastery with Formo
Formo Web3 analytics provides comprehensive Web3 marketing solutions that enable Web3 projects to supercharge their community building and brand development.
Embracing Web3 marketing is critical for products and services seeking success in the blockchain ecosystem. By leveraging both Web2 vs Web3 marketing principles, we unlock growth opportunities and drive innovation. This transformation enables us to create compelling narratives, foster connections, and achieve sustainable success in the dynamic Web3 landscape.
Further sources:
Follow Formo on LinkedIn and Twitter, and join our community to learn more about Web3 Growth!
Additional FAQs
1. How can a Web2 brand transition to Web3 marketing?
Start by integrating wallet sign-ins, exploring onchain analytics tools like Formo, joining relevant communities (Discord, Farcaster), and experimenting with token-based campaigns.
2. What tools are critical for Web3 marketers?
Tools like Formo (analytics), Galxe (quests), Layer3 (campaigns), Zealy (community engagement), and Snapshot (voting) are ideal.
3. Are there privacy concerns with Web3 marketing?
While data is public, Web3 enhances privacy by decoupling identity from personal info. Marketers must use ethical wallet targeting, not invasive tracking.
4. What skill sets are needed for Web3 marketing?
Understanding blockchain basics, smart contracts, tokenomics, wallet segmentation, community building, and onchain data analytics is important.
5. How do you measure success in Web3 marketing?
Key metrics include wallet growth, onchain engagement, token distribution efficiency, DAO participation, and Revenue Per Wallet (RPW).
