Crypto Advertising 101: Navigating bans and grey areas

  • Rosie Hathaway
  • Dec 20, 2022

Marketing and advertising in the crypto world is a bit of a Wild West. On one hand, there are seemingly endless opportunities to reach a captive and passionate audience. But on the other hand, ad bans and grey areas make it tricky to know where to tread. In this article, we’ll explore the state of crypto advertising and tips for navigating the murky waters.

Regulation and Community

When it comes to advertising in the cryptocurrency space, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, the regulatory landscape is still very much in flux. This means that what is allowed today could be banned tomorrow. 

Secondly, the crypto community is notoriously passionate and engaged. This can be both a good and a bad thing when it comes to marketing – they’re quick to jump on anything that looks like an ad, but they’re also quick to call out anything that seems disingenuous or misleading.

With those caveats in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most effective (and legal) ways to market your crypto project:

Crypto Media Outlets

There are a number of popular crypto media outlets that accept advertising. These include websites like CoinDesk, Bitcoin.com, as well as YouTube channels like DataDash and BoxMining. Advertising on these platforms can be a great way to reach a large and engaged crypto audience.

Crypto outlet - Crypto Advertising

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google and Facebook Ads

Despite the fact that both Google and Facebook have banned cryptocurrency advertising, there are still ways to place ads on these platforms. One method is to use so-called “native advertising,” which involves placing sponsored content that looks similar to the editorial content on the site. Another method is to use Google’s Display Network or Facebook’s Audience Network, which are both ad networks that allow you to place ads on third-party websites.

Twitter Ads

Twitter has also banned cryptocurrency advertising, but there are a few ways to get around this. One is to use so-called “promoted tweets,” which are essentially regular tweets that you pay to have shown to more people. Another method is to place ads on specific crypto-related Twitter accounts with large followings.

Twitter Ads example - Crypto Advertising

LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn has relatively lenient rules when it comes to cryptocurrency advertising, making it a great platform for reaching professionals and investors in the space. LinkedIn ads come in a variety of formats, including text ads, display ads, and sponsored content.

Reddit Ads

Reddit is one of the most popular websites for discussing cryptocurrency, making it a great platform for reaching crypto enthusiasts. Reddit ads come in two forms: “self-serve” ads, which are essentially regular text or image ads, and “sponsored posts,” which are native ads that look like regular Reddit posts.

Reddit Ads - Crypto Advertising

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of successful crypto advertising campaigns

Basic Attention Token (BAT)

The first example of a successful crypto advertising campaign comes from the team behind the Basic Attention Token (BAT). The BAT team ran a series of ads on the popular social media platform Twitter. These ads were designed to raise awareness about the project and get people interested in buying BAT tokens. The ads were creative and eye-catching, and they definitely succeeded in getting people’s attention. As a result of this campaign, the price of BAT tokens went up significantly.

Basic Attention Token (BAT)- successful crypto advertising campaign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0x Protocol

Another great example of a successful crypto advertising campaign comes from the team behind the 0x protocol. The 0x team ran a series of ads on Reddit, specifically targeting users who were interested in decentralized exchanges. These ads were very informative and helped to educate people about the 0x protocol. As a result of this campaign, the 0x protocol saw a lot of adoption and the price of its tokens went up significantly.

MakerDAO

The MakerDAO team ran a series of ads on Facebook targeting people who were interested in stablecoins. These ads were very well-designed and helped to educate people about the MakerDAO project. As a result of this campaign, the price of the MakerDAO token went up significantly.

These are just a few of the many ways to advertise your cryptocurrency project. The most important thing is to be creative and stay up-to-date on the latest changes in the regulatory landscape. With a little bit of effort, you should be able to find a way to reach your target audience and promote your project effectively – without breaking the law.

Running an advertising campaign in crypto is still a difficult task. It requires a comprehensive understanding of regulation, and more importantly, crypto users’ behavior. Still, feeling not sure? Hiring an agency can help eliminate the risks and boost the performance of the ads. That’s what we do at Social Staircase, contact us for more consultancy.