Crypto Community Engagement: Beyond Telegram and Discord
August 22, 2023
Unvest blog

Introduction

In the decentralized world of cryptocurrencies, community is more than just an audience—it's an active participant in the project's direction and success. While Telegram and Discord have historically been primary channels for crypto community engagement, projects need to look beyond to foster more meaningful interactions and loyalty. Let’s delve into the next generation of community engagement tools and platforms.

Why is Community Engagement Crucial?

  1. Feedback Loop: A vibrant community provides instant feedback on updates, features, and decisions.
  2. Brand Advocacy: Engaged members become brand ambassadors, promoting the project organically.
  3. Decentralized Decision Making: Many projects rely on the community for governance votes and project directions.
  4. Network Security: In PoS or DPoS systems, an active community can mean a more secure network.

Data Point: Projects with high community engagement often see a 35% better rate of adoption and a more resilient price action.

Innovative Platforms for Community Engagement

  1. Snapshot: A gasless voting portal for token-based community decisions.
  2. Gnosis Safe: Enables DAO-like community decisions without setting up a full DAO.
  3. Collab.Land: A bot for token-gated community access, ensuring genuine, stake-holding members engage.
  4. Boardroom: A governance management tool providing a space for proposal discussions and voting.
  5. Discourse: An advanced forum tool, bridging the gap between formal announcements and community discussions.
Unvest

Strategies for Deepening Community Engagement

  1. Token Incentives: Offering rewards for participation, such as governance tokens for voting or unique NFTs for milestones.
  2. Regular AMAs: Beyond just written updates, live sessions help humanize the team behind the project.
  3. Collaborative Toolsets: Platforms like Notion or Trello can be used to publicly track roadmaps and updates.
  4. Localized Communities: Encouraging regional groups on platforms like WeChat or KakaoTalk for non-English speaking members.

Measuring Community Engagement

  1. Quantitative Metrics: Active users, vote participation rates, and discussion thread activity.
  2. Qualitative Metrics: Sentiment analysis, feedback quality, and interaction depth.
  3. Feedback Mechanisms: Platforms like Canny or Uservoice allow communities to suggest and vote on features.

Challenges in Community Management

  1. Noise vs. Value: Large communities can lead to noise. Moderation and focused channels can help.
  2. Security: Scammers and bots can flood channels. Tools like Captcha bots or gated access can mitigate risks.
  3. Misinformation: Rapid response strategies can counteract the spread of false information or rumors.

Conclusion

While Telegram and Discord remain staples in the crypto world, the evolution of community engagement demands a broader toolkit. With the right platforms and strategies, projects can cultivate an engaged, loyal community that actively contributes to its success.