It’s the morning of your token launch. You definitely didn’t sleep; you’re up before your alarm, chugging coffee like it’s, well, coffee, and triple-checking everything is ready to go. Your heart races, your team comes online, everyone is vibrating for the bell.
I want you to notice: you’re not alone.
As we uncovered in our latest report, today’s token launches are successful because of community, not as a byproduct of it. So, if you were planning to simply ride the hype on Telegram and relying on tokenomics as your main launch strategy, it ain’t going to work. It’s time to take a step back and revise your token launch for 2025’s market.
Let’s unravel what that means.
Why community engagement is key to a successful token launch
Ever hear of the cheerleader customer? They’re the small group in your target market so excited about your project that they tell everyone about it all the time. I’m talking about evangelical levels of spreading the word.
There’s a reason that major marketing experts (like fellow anthropologist Simon Sinek) suggest you find these folks. Because you and your team can’t do it all.
Not only this, you can’t be everywhere, in every time zone, all at once. Yes, AI and bots are helping with this, and you should use them, but don’t rely on them. Humans still want to work with humans — and we can sniff out fake fast.
Community does several critical things for your token launch:
- Validates it early by catching issues and affirming right-track ideas.
- Builds trust faster in a wider market — friends trust friends, not ads.
- Reaches niches you may not have optimized for (or even thought of).
Community doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of intentionality. Let’s take a look at how you can do that.
Web3 community management from the ground Up: Where to start
When is the time to start building your project’s community? From day one.
I mean the brainstorming meeting between yourself and your pals. The one with whiteboards and sticky notes and mutual excitement. That moment is the beginning of your community development — but far too many founders miss the cue.
They think community comes later, when the project is ‘ready,’ shiny enough to be seen.
False.
By then, the project will project a veneer, not its true form and certainly not your true self.
One of the best at Web3 community management, in my opinion, is founder of BananaConf Sander Gansen. Banana has a different vibe than other crypto conferences because it puts community first, rather than shill and chill. Here’s what he has to say on the matter:
Building a community in Web3 isn’t about chasing numbers or fleeting hype. It’s about cultivating a garden where each member feels valued and invested. Authenticity is your soil; without it, nothing grows.
I’ve seen projects stumble by treating community as a transactional gimmick – think airdrops that draw mercenaries instead of missionaries, leaving them with a sugar rush that fades fast.
If done right, the community can be a force multiplier. Start small, prioritise quality over quantity, and be consistent with open communication. Empower your people to co-create, not just to consume.
At BananaConf, we succeed by creating real human connections, not just shilling a narrative – proof that on Web3, your community isn’t just an audience, they’re your co-creators in building what comes next.
Let’s dig into some tools for you to use in cultivating your project’s community garden, even if it’s long past day one.
Craft authentic content
This can feel hard to do in the tokenized world. The hype cycles and shill posts are vast and come fast. Seems like you have to keep up.
Don’t.
To cut through the noise, be vulnerable. Humanity is a salve in the era of tech. As Hilary Salzman says, “Loud doesn’t equal leadership.”
Form strategic partnerships
Building trust is about connection. When a project is brand new, no one knows enough about it to develop their own sense of trust.
That’s why strategic partnerships matter.
Your partners will say yes to trusting you, and as a result, their communities will, too. This is a 10x token launch strategy when done well — to this day, Microsoft gets 95% of its commercial revenue through partnerships.
Encourage community participation
Ask for help early and often. As I’ve said many times in my consulting work, all business is theory until proven. Your job is to prove your theory ASAP.
Your customers, participants, and end users hold the knowledge (and criticism) you need to build a resilient token launch.
Show them that you can take it: implement feedback as soon as possible and share (vulnerably) the lessons. Your Web3 community will become your adoring fans because you’ll be learning together.
Maintain engagement post-launch
Don’t shill and ghost! zkSync faced heavy criticism in their 2024 token launch because of a lack of transparency. People want to know how it goes — the good, bad, and ugly. Yes, even the ugly. 😉
When you post the hard stuff, community can jump in to help. Again, vulnerability can save the day (but you wouldn’t believe it just by looking at crypto Twitter).
Final thoughts from Jean Tremblay, NFT Founder/Onchain Hero of Growth
Marketing today begins with the founder. As Leon Abboud from Unfungible puts it, “We’re seeing founder-led brands rapidly take market share from faceless Web2 giants.
The era of anonymous brands is over. Today, community is the backbone of retention—and the founder is its gravitational center.
The data backs it up:
- 70% of consumers feel more connected to a brand when its CEO is active on social media (Sprout Social).
- Bain & Company found that companies maintaining a “founder’s mentality” are four to five times more likely to be top-quartile performers.
In Web3, this is amplified. The founder’s Twitter is the front line of marketing. Their voice builds trust, spreads the mission, and ignites belief. Without it, even a great product gets drowned out.
If you’re not building your community before launch, you’re already behind.
The role of Web3 leadership in in sustaining long-term success
Your community is the barrier between the success or failure of your token launch. People want to engage with and support people; leave the machines to support each other.
A lot of articles hype up community engagement as a method for onboarding users, as a marketing tactic. Here’s the thing: true community building involves being vulnerable. I recently did so in my newsletter and was impressed with Sander Gansen when he did so on LinkedIn (and received serious engagement as a result).
Simon Sinek says trust comes not from offering help, but asking for it. So I leave you with this:
How are you fostering trust in your community through vulnerability? If you’re not sure, I suggest checking out our Membership to get that support.