The Definitive Guide to ICO Community Management on Telegram
The value of Telegram for ICO community management cannot be overstated. Telegram provides a bridge between ICOs, investors, and users facilitating 24/7 customer service while acting as the knowledge hub for a project. Telegram channels also go far in demonstrating social proof and add to a project’s legitimacy. Considering over $1 billion has been lost in ICO scams this year alone, it has never been more important to stand out from the crowd. While having a flourishing and active Telegram can have many benefits, it requires consistent effort and dedication. Here are 10 pro tips to do so well:
1. Have Short Response Times
Short response time is one of the biggest signs of a thriving community. Quick responses give potential investors a sense of confidence and show that the project is active. In order to do this well ICOs will need, both, US and Asia based time zones monitored 24/7 to ensure no part of their user base is ignored. Furthermore, for Asian investors, having in-language management of Kakao is very important.
2. Consistency Over Quantity
With Telegram, consistency is key. While many crypto investors are fickle, always searching for the next moon, there are quite a few that will support your project through thick and thin. Your main job is to keep these people coming back. Understanding what your community needs and regularly posting content that drives discussion and delivers value is critical. Sharing news, press releases, partnerships, and endorsements will help keep interest high and your community members coming back. Yet this should not be done at random. Since consistency is key, having each day of the week dedicated to one topic can provide a predictable schedule and get members into a routine of engaging on days that are most relevant to them. Here is a sample schedule:
- Market Mondays: Update on health of markets and overall space
- Technology Tuesdays: Product Updates
- AMA Wednesdays: Team AMA’s
- Tell-all Thursdays: Main business announcements and partnerships
- Feedback Fridays: Soliciting feedback from community
3. Prewritten FAQs
Any Telegram active for just a few weeks will most likely begin to see the same questions being asked over and over again. To save time and prevent the channel from being flooded with redundant queries, have a ready list of all possible FAQs. Consider also pinning this list to the group to make it clearly visible to anyone that joins.
4. Hire a Great Manager aka Firefighter
The mark of a great community manager lies not only in quick response times, but also in being adept in crisis management. Telegram groups are subject to being flooded with Internet trolls, spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) and rumors about your project.
Groups are also under threat from FOMO (fear of missing out) investors that may flock after a price spike and pollute the channel with uneducated questions or comments. Since such events may potentially annoy and alienate your true fans, having a great manager is crucial to maintaining the integrity of your community.
5. Referral & Bounty Programs
Perhaps most expertly done by companies outside of crypto such as Airbnb and Uber, great referral programs are able to leverage the network of your current audience to grow your brand. Participants in such a program act as evangelists for your ICO, spreading the word and building trust around your project. Here is what you will need for a great program:
- Clear allocation and reward guidelines around valued activities
- Clear rules for rewards & support for troubleshooting questions
- Concise instructions for participation
- Campaign management tools such as Bounty Portal to help automate and streamline the process
6. Airdrops
Airdrops are the equivalent to free money in the cryptocurrency space. They are distributions of a predetermined quantity of tokens to your community. Airdrops reinforce commitment of existing users while attracting many more that have never heard of your token. This provides opportunity for discussion, education, and engagement between your existing audience and new members. Events such as airdrops, contests, and referrals should be announced not only in your project’s Telegram group, but also be heavily marketed on every other channel you are currently utilizing.
7. Contests
Contests are another great and fun way to gain traction for your group. Creating a contest can help get your existing users more involved and increase engagement. While you can reward the winners Some examples of contests include:
- A contest where people talk about how to implement your product in daily life
- Coin giveaway for greatest memes around your project that gain most upvotes on massive cryptocurrency subreddits such as r/cryptocurrency
- Top “X” number of stories about a project will be featured on your blog
8. Social Media
The more active your ICO is online, the more your brand will grow. Blending Telegram into your other social media outreach activities can boost its visibility and attract new visitors. While there are many different social media platforms to consider, Twitter and Reddit seem to dominate the space and are structured for highest organic engagement and ‘shareability’. While there are other social media platforms to consider as well, do not spread yourself thin. Mastering a few and maximizing return from them will go much farther than merely dabbing in many.
9. Advertising
With the ban on crypto related advertising being lifted from platforms such as Google and Facebook, projects now have more free range. Yet when choosing an advertising channel or methodology, always try to be as targeted as possible. Since Telegram, Twitter, and Reddit are already most used by the community, starting with these and advertising in the right groups and channels can very far. Since this strategy involves paying on a per click basis, it’s usually best to boost events such as airdrops, contests, and referral programs.
10. Post ICO Price Management
Early ICO investors that get in at highly discounted prices will be tempted to sell and dump their coins once your project hits the market. While this is something that is unpreventable to a certain extent, it is also something you can manage. In the cryptocurrency space, news act as catalysts for massive price moves in both directions. Leveraging Telegram and your group of project evangelists to generate buzz in anticipation of positive news can prevent dumping of your token post sale and serve as a pillar for further price appreciation down the line.
Creating the right telegram strategy for your ICO can make a big difference in perception by your potential users and the investor community at large. Before starting, always make sure you have enough resources to maintain stringent quality controls. Remember, Telegram is a place where your most loyal and true fans will reside. Treat them well.
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