Over the last decade, the Web3 space has grown like the universe, rapidly expanding in every direction. And with innovation happening at incredible speeds, there’s never been a better time to help build the future of Web3.
And yet, beyond the technological breakthroughs, people are the foundation of any successful project.
As Community Manager at Parcl, I devote my entire day working towards creating an active, innovative, and fun culture for the team and community, as we work towards bringing real estate to everyone.
In this article, I share my 9 best tips for growing a community the right way.
1. Align yourself with Web3 culture
It’s virtually impossible to grow a thriving Web3 community without first understanding Web3 culture. If you’re not a doctor and go to a doctor’s only event, for example, you’re likely not going to have a good time. While Web3 is evolving quickly, it’s critical to understand how those involved in Web3 talk, act, and think.
Yes, that may involve using lots of memes (more on that below.) In general, folks in the world of Web3 are working towards building a positive, inclusive, and better future using blockchain and crypto technology. While each community will be special, investing the time to learn about the most popular communities can give you an edge in growing yours.
2. Community is everything
While "community" isn't unique to Web3, there's no denying strong communities have played a foundational role in some of the most successful Web3 projects we've seen to date. From Bored Ape Yacht Club to Pudgy Penguins, a strong community culture can often be the difference between success and failure.
Having been involved in building multiple communities myself, I've noticed there is almost always a strong sense of unity and support when it comes to the overall mission of Web3—breaking the status quo & putting power in the hands of individuals rather than corporations.
It's truly inspiring to see anonymous people from all over the world coming together to innovate this space and lay the foundations for future Web3 pioneers. I believe this comes from the fact that Web3 is working towards being a very inclusive space where anyone can share their ideas, contribute, and ultimately make a difference.
While having a great product and team is important, your product's success will often be determined by the strength of your community.
It's very important to educate your users on your product and be open-minded to community feedback and ideas for improvements. Your community is your anchor that helps navigate the ups and downs of building in Web3.
3. Be clear with your intentions
When it comes to community building, your intentions matter. Your fans and users must know you’re in it for the long haul. With many scams and projects out to make a quick buck, it’s essential to communicate your vision and demonstrate your commitment to growth.
If you build a Web3 product that brings something different to the table for example, your drive to make a game-changing impact in the Web3 space will be noticed and attract users who are actively interested in getting involved and contributing to your product’s success.
Being in the early stages of Parcl, we try our best to communicate our intentions through visual and written content to ensure that our users have all the resources they need to do their due diligence.
As with any company, we’ve had our fair share of bumps in the road, but we do everything we can to be transparent with our community which has been with us since day one. You don’t have to be perfect but always over communicate with your community.
4. Have a sense of humor
Although the Web3 space is very tech-heavy and complicated, there is a big meme culture on social media. Memes have been around for decades, and it's funny to see how they have become a way to show the comical side of Web3. People love entertainment, and what's the best way to show that on the internet? Memes. That's right!
At Parcl, our community loves meme culture which plays a large part in our everyday communication.
For that reason, your project needs to show the fun and human side so you can engage with your community and outsiders. Even though we're online, people enjoy seeing a project's personality. Having a sense of humor is a secret ingredient in making your product stand out from your competition.
Before constructing our Parcl community, I spent time learning from other NFT & DeFi projects and how they successfully integrated memes in their communities. I love how memes create a fun environment, so I decided to take this route with Parcl to energize our community and possibly attract creators in the community who love making community content.
So far, it's worked incredibly well, and it seems our community is very appreciative. We have a community member named Fedor who posts daily Parcl memes that everyone loves.
As someone who loves memes, I may be a little biased, but I feel for many, humor and memes are the deciding factor as to whether or not they get involved with a project!
5. Get involved with other communities
Most Web3 projects use Twitter and Discord to engage and grow their communities. If you’re new to these platforms, it can often seem a little overwhelming.
That said, exploring and joining other Web3 communities is the best place to start. Follow a bunch of projects on Twitter. Join dozens of Discord communities that interest you.
Getting hands-on experience will help give you a taste of their personality, organization, structure, and overall community sentiment. Ultimately, you want to use this opportunity to come up with creative ideas on how you want your community to look like.
While constructing our Discord community, I pictured our community to be a vibrant space for our users to learn, get involved, and have fun with our team. To fulfill my vision, I ventured across many vibrant communities such as Pudgy Penguins, Dopex, Smol Brains, Nifty Degens & Portals to help with my creativity.
In the end, remember to have fun while building your community.
6. Be consistent
As your community grows, many users will have their eyes on your team's ability to deliver on announcements, developments, and events at a consistent pace.
Lack of consistency may reflect disorganization in the team, which can cause many users to leave your community. While product setbacks happen, it's critical to always communicate with your community. One of the worst things you can do to dampen your momentum is to 'ghost' your users as far as updates are concerned. Again, with the unfortunate amount of scams in our industry, keeping your community updated is a must.
On the other hand, being consistent will show how strong your team is, and your ability to handle growth will generate trust and excitement within your community. Projects who consistently ship and communicate regularly with their users are miles ahead of those that aren't consistent.
7. Be transparent
Just as being consistent is essential in building a thriving community, so to is being transparent. While “transparency” has become somewhat of a buzzword over time, your users and fans will appreciate you being open about the challenges you may face as you grow.
By default, Web3 communities have come to expect open and transparent information. Users enjoy being able to have easy access to all information, such as team member backgrounds, whitepapers, Github, roadmaps, and product developments, so that they can do their due diligence and have the reassurance that the team is on the right track.
If there’s a delay in your product development, communicate that! If you’ve changed the timeline on your roadmap, share that information as well. Being transparent can help boost your community and build trust among your users. Again, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being open and honest about the state of your product and company.
8. Involve your community team in key decisions
Your community team is a bridge between your core team and the community. Because your community team is the most active in your community on a day-to-day basis, they have insights that other teams may miss.
Community managers are not only the bridge between the core team and the community, but they are your eyes and ears with a close relationship with your community members. CMs can be incredibly helpful in sharing insights on the strength of your community and allow you to adjust where needed.
Ultimately, your community team will have the best understanding of the culture of your community, which can affect decisions made across marketing, sales, product, and more.
Community managers should be your go-to for community feedback on your product and learning more about the community sentiment.
9. The small things count
Going the extra mile can really help you stand out and dramatically improve the growth of your community. Here are a few additional tips I’ve found to be helpful with us building our community at Parcl.
- Make sure your community team is engaging with and answering questions or comments regularly.
- Although the core team is often busy building, having members of your team outside of your community managers can really spark energy and excitement. There’s nothing like the ability to have a quick chat with a CEO of a growing project.
- Incorporating community content such as custom memes, Gifs, and emojis into your community hub can help users create a fun environment in a natural setting.
- Use your community for marketing. In Web3, often, your community is your best marketing tool. Why spend thousands of dollars on buying users or paying influencers to promote your project for short-term hype when your community can be just as effective? Host community events, run contests, and encourage your users to share their excitement for your project.
Conclusion
While no great community is built overnight, I genuinely believe that by applying the tips and suggestions above, you’ll be well on your way to growing a thriving community and ultimately making a splash in the exciting world of Web3.
Passionate about crypto, Web3, or real estate? Want to help give millions of people worldwide access to real estate investing? We’re hiring!
Shared content and posted charts are intended to be used for informational and educational purposes only. Parcl does not offer, and this information shall not be understood or construed as, financial advice or investment recommendations. The information provided is not a substitute for advice from an investment professional. Parcl does not accept liability for any financial loss or damages. For more information please see the terms of use.
