While traditional digital marketing’s SEO and content marketing remain valuable, Web3 marketing introduces a shift toward user ownership, blockchain data, and community-driven growth. This Web3 marketing strategy leverages tokens, wallets, and platforms like Discord to create experiences that go beyond the platform-centric model of Web2.

Understanding these differences helps teams build stronger relationships with users and unlock sustainable growth in the Web3 ecosystem.

Platform-Centric vs. User-Centric Models

Web2 Digital Marketing
Traditional marketing revolves around centralized platforms like Google and Meta. Brands build audiences on "rented land" where engagement remains passive—users like, share, and comment, but platforms control the relationship and data.

Web3 Marketing
Web3 marketing puts users at the center. Identity ties to wallet addresses rather than email accounts or social profiles. Users own their digital identity and can move it across applications. This user-centric approach requires marketers to think beyond platform algorithms and focus on direct value creation.

Data Ownership: Rented vs. Owned

Web2 Digital Marketing
Data collection happens through cookies and trackers controlled by platforms. Marketers rely on demographic targeting through "black-box" systems where the targeting logic remains opaque. You're essentially renting access to user insights.

Web3 Marketing
Onchain marketing uses public, permissionless blockchain data. Instead of targeting based on age or location, you can segment users by wallet behavior—what tokens they hold, which protocols they use, or their transaction history. This provides deeper insights while respecting user privacy, since personal information isn't required.

Engagement Models: Ads vs. Participation

Web2 Digital Marketing
Engagement relies on advertising, content marketing, and promotions like discount codes. Rewards typically stay within specific platforms and can't transfer elsewhere.

Web3 Marketing
Users earn rewards through active participation. Complete quests, contribute to communities, or use applications, and receive tokens, airdrops, or NFTs. These rewards have real value and can be used across different protocols, creating better aligned incentives between brands and users.

Community Structure: Followers vs. Co-owners

Web2 Digital Marketing
Brands build follower lists where communication flows one way. Followers consume content but have limited influence over brand decisions.

Web3 Marketing
Communities become co-owners through DAOs and token governance. Members vote on proposals, influence product direction, and share in success through token appreciation. Platforms like Discord and Telegram serve as hubs for these engaged communities where every member has a stake.

Automation: APIs vs. Smart Contracts

Web2 Digital Marketing
Marketing automation depends on SaaS platforms like HubSpot or Zapier. These systems require trust in third parties and often involve delays in reward distribution or campaign execution.

Web3 Marketing
Smart contracts automate rewards, referral payouts, and loyalty tracking instantly and transparently. Users can verify that campaigns work as promised, removing the need for intermediaries and building stronger trust.

Why Web3 Marketing Strategy Matters

Web3 marketing represents a shift from platform control to user ownership. Instead of passive audiences consuming content, you build active communities that participate in growth. Rather than relying on opaque platform data, you can analyze public onchain activity to understand user behavior.

This approach creates stronger relationships because users benefit directly from a project's success. When community members hold tokens or NFTs, they become advocates who want to see the project thrive.

Building Your Web3 Marketing Capabilities

Ready to explore Web3 marketing for your project? Start by understanding onchain user behavior. Tools like Formo help you analyze wallet activity, track user journeys from web visits to onchain transactions, and build segments based on actual blockchain behavior rather than assumptions.

Book a demo with Formo to see how onchain analytics can transform your marketing approach and help you build lasting relationships with your Web3 community.

FAQs

What is Web3 marketing and how is it different from Web2?

Web3 marketing shifts focus from capturing user data to empowering user ownership and community participation. Unlike Web2 marketing, which relies on centralized platforms and third-party cookies, this new approach uses onchain data and wallet-based identity to build direct relationships. The key difference in the Web2 vs Web3 debate is value exchange; instead of just consuming content, users actively contribute to and co-own brand ecosystems. This model prioritizes privacy, community engagement, and shared success through mechanisms like token incentives, creating a more collaborative and durable brand-user connection. It’s about building with your audience, not just marketing to them.

How do brands measure Web3 marketing performance using onchain data?

Brands measure Web3 marketing performance by analyzing onchain data, which provides a verifiable record of user actions on the blockchain. Instead of tracking clicks and impressions, marketers can measure wallet interactions, token holdings, governance participation, and smart contract usage. This allows for a much clearer view of user behavior and campaign ROI. For example, you can track how many users who claimed a POAP (Proof of Attendance Protocol) later participated in a key product feature. This direct attribution from onchain data helps teams understand what drives meaningful engagement and growth, moving beyond the limitations of traditional analytics.

What role do tokens and communities play in a Web3 marketing strategy?

Tokens and communities are the foundation of an effective Web3 marketing strategy. Tokens act as powerful incentives, rewarding users for their loyalty, participation, and contributions. They can grant access to exclusive content, voting rights in project decisions, or a share in a protocol's success. This turns users into vested stakeholders. Communities form around this shared ownership, becoming self-sustaining ecosystems of advocates and contributors. By aligning incentives between the brand and its users, this model fosters deep loyalty and organic growth that is difficult to replicate with traditional Web2 vs Web3 marketing methods.