Web3 Marketing Playbook for Pre-TGE Projects: Building Buzz Without a Token

In the current cryptocurrency market, new projects often face the "cold start" problem: a lack of user base and credible endorsements, resulting in limited initial traction. Early momentum is critical to a project’s success. Particularly before a Token Generation Event (TGE), effective marketing without tokens determines whether a project can garner sufficient attention and community support upon launch. Research shows that projects performing strongly post-launch typically establish brand awareness well before their debut week. These projects focus on building early traction to attract genuine supporters rather than relying on short-lived hype during the launch week. Thus, pre-TGE marketing has become a critical phase for laying the foundation of a community and boosting market enthusiasm.

This article serves as a practical and universal guide for Web3 project teams, sharing strategies to generate buzz, attract attention, and heighten community expectations in the pre-TGE phase without tokens. It covers KOL (Key Opinion Leader) collaborations, AMAs (Ask Me Anything), topic operations, content strategies, and multi-platform coordination, interspersed with case studies from successful projects like Sui, LayerZero, and Blast. We hope these methods and insights help Web3 startup teams break through in their early stages and gain a head start.

KOL Collaboration

1. Identify KOL Types and Focus on Genuine Influence

KOLs in the crypto space can generally be divided into three categories:

• Speculative KOLs (about 90%): These individuals chase trends, promote anything for profit, and often use fake data or mutual promotion networks to create illusions of influence. They take payment for posts, dump tokens after receiving them, and show no further interest in the project.
• Semi-speculative KOLs (about 5%): These KOLs focus on specific niches with relatively authentic content and engaged followers. They are generally trustworthy but may occasionally take risks for high rewards.
• Genuine KOLs (about 5%): These KOLs build their following through professional content and long-term dedication, rarely accepting advertisements, and prioritizing their audience’s interests when they do. These KOLs, with deep knowledge and strong influence, deliver the best conversion results.

Partnering with genuine KOLs who align with the project and have authentic audiences is the key to building meaningful collaborations. For instance, core members of the Kaito community are such KOLs with significant market influence. Before partnering, use data tools to analyze a KOL’s audience demographics and real follower count, and leverage personal connections to identify high-quality KOLs—quality over quantity. Avoid being swayed by superficial follower numbers; prioritize audience quality, content relevance, and engagement levels. Unsure how to select the right KOLs? Get a detailed guide here.

2. Lay a Strong Foundation with Clear Project Narrative and Positioning

KOLs are amplifiers of your message, but projects must first have a solid foundation. Ensure the product addresses real pain points, align the team on brand positioning and core selling points, identify market differentiators, and craft a clear narrative. This is the cornerstone of all subsequent marketing efforts. Without a clear story and positioning, even the most influential KOLs will struggle to make an impact. As the saying goes, “If you don’t control your narrative, the market will define it for you,” often with undesirable results. Before collaborating with KOLs, ensure the project’s value proposition, brand voice, and communication channels are fully prepared.

3. Prioritize Long-Term Collaboration and Continuous Content Interaction

Avoid one-off paid promotions. Instead, aim for long-term partnerships where KOLs consistently share project-related content over weeks or months. Why? A single post is often perceived as a paid ad and quickly forgotten, but repeated mentions shift audience perception from “sponsored content” to “genuine endorsement,” building trust. Multiple exposures reach more of a KOL’s audience and solidify the project’s image in the community. Additionally, when other KOLs notice a respected KOL frequently mentioning your project, they may proactively reach out to collaborate, creating a virtuous cycle. Notably, micro-KOLs often have highly engaged, niche audiences, offering better community conversion rates than mega-influencers with millions of followers. Learn why micro-KOLs deliver higher ROI. Interested in long-term KOL partnerships? Let’s talk.

Real-world example: Before LayerZero issued tokens, many KOLs began educating their communities about its cross-chain functionality and hinting at potential airdrop rewards. This sparked significant user interest, prompting many to interact with the product without token incentives, hoping for future airdrop benefits. Similarly, Blast, an L2 project incubated by the NFT platform Blur, invited industry influencers to participate in community discussions and promotions during its early phase. By leveraging high-yield promises and airdrop expectations, Blast attracted massive attention, with its TVL soaring to approximately $567 million in just a few days. However, over-reliance on speculative traffic carries risks—analysis shows that Blast and zkSync Era attracted many “farming users” (short-term players chasing airdrops), but post-TGE attention dropped sharply, highlighting the need to balance hype with quality conversions and long-term retention.

AMA Activities

1. Choose Platforms Flexibly and Host AMAs (Ask Me Anything)

AMAs are an effective way to build trust with the community. Common formats include text-based Q&A sessions in Telegram groups or real-time voice interactions via Twitter (X) Spaces. Having founders or core team members personally answer community questions conveys transparency and approachability. Regularly hosting AMAs (e.g., weekly) keeps the project engaged with potential users and sustains community interest. Telegram is ideal for quick text-based Q&A, while Twitter Spaces suits in-depth voice discussions. Alternating between platforms ensures you reach audiences with different preferences.

2. Prepare Topics in Advance and Control the Information Release Pace

A successful AMA requires careful planning. Before starting, prepare key information and highlights—such as upcoming features, partnerships, or milestone updates—and design a narrative flow. During the AMA, proactively introduce topics to guide community questions, naturally exposing the project’s key messages. For sensitive or complex questions, pre-plan responses to ensure answers are sincere and substantive, leaving no room for competitors to exploit. The core goal of an AMA is to build credibility: addressing tough questions candidly and directly can win community favor and establish a reliable image.

3. Promote Widely and Offer Appropriate Incentives

To maximize AMA impact, announce the event across multiple platforms in advance. Share the AMA schedule and guest details on Twitter, Discord, and Telegram days ahead to encourage community members to prepare questions and join on time. Consider offering incentives to boost participation, such as raffling testnet NFTs, whitelist spots, or small rewards for high-quality questions. These incentives encourage active engagement, but keep rewards modest to focus attention on the project itself rather than attracting reward-seekers.

4. Integrate AMAs into Ongoing Community Operations

Treat AMAs as part of a long-term operational plan, not isolated marketing events. For example, host themed AMAs biweekly: one focused on technical details, another on ecosystem planning, and a third featuring partner collaborations. This creates a predictable rhythm, fostering expectations of regular interaction and positioning the team as transparent and approachable. Over time, this builds trust, as seen in top projects like Uniswap and Aave, which use regular AMAs to maintain community engagement, clarify misunderstandings, and share updates, contributing to their sustained success.

Real-world example: Chainlink, a decentralized oracle project, heavily emphasized AMAs during its growth, using them to explain technical advancements and address concerns, building strong credibility and trust. Similarly, the emerging blockchain Sui held a series of community meetups and AMAs before its mainnet launch, introducing its features and gathering developer feedback. This cultivated a large following, and when Sui’s mainnet launched, global enthusiasm was palpable: Binance users alone staked nearly $4 billion in assets to purchase SUI tokens, farming 40 million SUI—demonstrating how pre-TGE marketing ignited market excitement.

Multi-Platform Coordination

1. Integrate and Synchronize Promotion

Web3 audiences are scattered across platforms, so marketing must involve multi-platform coordination and cross-channel traffic. Globally, Twitter (X) is the primary hub for crypto discussions, Telegram serves as a real-time community base, and YouTube is ideal for long-form content like interviews and tutorials. Discord, Reddit, and Medium also have unique audiences. Develop a cross-platform content strategy based on your target audience: ensure key information (e.g., announcements, event teasers) is released synchronously across platforms but tailored to each platform’s style. For instance, post concise updates with links on Twitter, use conversational tones in Telegram group chats, and upload detailed videos on YouTube, then share those video links on Twitter and Telegram. This coverage + cross-referral approach ensures users across platforms receive timely information and are guided to the project’s main community. Multi-platform operations also create a sense of the project being “everywhere,” amplifying exposure frequency.

2. Maintain Consistent Brand Tone for Unified User Perception

Despite platform differences, the project’s brand image and core narrative must remain consistent to create a clear memory point in users’ minds. Use uniform logos, visual elements, mission statements, or slogans across platforms, and maintain a consistent tone (e.g., professional or approachable). This consistency fosters trust and familiarity: whether users see a Twitter post or chat with admins on Telegram, they experience the same project identity without confusion. A founder once noted, “Ensuring users receive consistent information and service across channels significantly boosts brand image and loyalty.” Inconsistent messaging risks user confusion or distrust, so teams should align content tone internally and cross-check outputs for consistency.

3. Leverage Platform Features to Form a Marketing Loop

Each platform has unique interaction mechanisms that, when used effectively, create a synergistic effect. For example, launch a topic poll on Twitter to drive users to Telegram for discussions, host an AMA on Telegram while streaming it live on Twitter Spaces to expand reach, and upload AMA highlights to YouTube for those who missed it. This creates a user journey loop: users discover the project on Twitter -> join Telegram for deeper discussions -> watch detailed explanations on YouTube -> return to Twitter for follow-up topics or to share insights. Encourage community members to amplify across platforms, such as having active Telegram members advocate for the project on Twitter, increasing public visibility and preventing the community from becoming insular. The goal is to create a mutually reinforcing ecosystem where the project’s message permeates every corner of users’ online spaces.

4. Stage Media Content Strategically

At different pre-TGE stages, prioritize platforms strategically. In the early stage (6 weeks before TGE), focus on content-depth platforms: release a Litepaper, Medium posts, or technical whitepapers to build trust with early adopters. In the mid-stage (3–4 weeks before TGE), ramp up social media efforts: maintain daily Twitter updates, create buzzworthy topics, and manage Telegram/Discord communities to onboard and engage new members. In the final stage (1–2 weeks before TGE), prioritize exposure and engagement: collaborate with YouTube crypto channels for project introductions or interviews, post AMAs or announcements on Reddit’s crypto subreddits, and mobilize KOLs for mass promotion across platforms. This phased approach, combining broad outreach (media, KOL shares) with deep engagement (community management, live interactions), maximizes community activity and market attention before the TGE. For example, Sui methodically operated YouTube Tech Talks and Discord developer conferences while maintaining high-frequency Twitter teasers. By launch, users across platforms were primed with anticipation, translating into actions like node participation and token purchases, achieving a resounding response.

Real-world example: The success of Sui, LayerZero, and Blast owes much to their meticulous multi-platform strategies. Sui systematically updated development progress on Twitter, actively engaged in Discord and Telegram to address questions, and shared technical insights via blogs and podcasts. They even creatively allocated token purchase quotas through community lotteries (instead of simple airdrops), incentivizing genuine supporters. This multi-pronged approach built a massive following before token issuance, fueling global anticipation for Sui as “the next blockchain star.”

Conclusion

Successfully generating buzz in the pre-TGE phase without tokens positions a project ahead of the curve. This not only drives short-term subscriptions and attention but also lays a solid foundation for long-term community growth and brand equity. The goal is not fleeting hype but sustained early community momentum. As industry analysis notes, “Viral marketing effects are often short-lived, but a well-designed marketing funnel creates lasting impact. The most successful crypto brands don’t rely on hype cycles; they build user engagement pathways to foster true loyalty.” This underscores that pre-TGE marketing aims to retain early users through trust and anticipation, turning them into loyal advocates who organically promote the project.

Practically, projects should create a 3–6 week detailed marketing plan with phased execution. For example: Week 1—refine the brand story and launch the website and social media accounts; Weeks 2–3—initiate KOL collaborations and community interactions, hosting the first AMA for user feedback; Weeks 4–5—amplify exposure with partnership or product updates and pre-launch activities (e.g., testnet tasks, community challenges); Week 6 (nearing TGE)—release major announcements and leverage KOL networks to peak community discussions. This approach ensures gradual momentum buildup, avoiding erratic spikes. Continuously monitor channel data and adjust strategies based on market feedback. The TGE is just the beginning, and the momentum and trust built beforehand provide resilience against market fluctuations. Combined with influencer marketing and global media, projects can achieve holistic growth. Preparation breeds success—may every Web3 team leverage the pre-TGE window to pave their path to rapid growth. Need global KOLs? Check out our pricing!

FAQ

Q1: Can early marketing succeed with a limited budget?

Yes. While ample budgets accelerate visibility, they’re not the only path. Projects can attract volunteers and organic traffic through innovative content, community activities, and word-of-mouth, focusing on product value and community engagement.

Q2: What materials are needed before KOL promotions?

Prepare a comprehensive project kit, including a concise whitepaper or one-pager (highlighting project value and progress), website and social media links, brand logo and visual assets (for KOL posts), an FAQ (for quick KOL reference), and key points or sample copy for promotions. For video or live content, provide demo accounts or videos. Thorough materials ensure KOLs accurately convey project details, avoiding miscommunication.

Q3: How early should AMAs start?

Start as soon as the project has a basic framework and clear positioning, ideally 1–2 months before TGE, to build direct communication with early supporters. Too early (with unclear concepts) risks vague content; too late misses the window for building reputation.

Q4: How to assess community user quality?

Evaluate authenticity and sustained engagement. High-quality users actively ask questions and show ongoing interest, not just participating for airdrop rewards.

Q5: How to incentivize early user participation without tokens?

Use non-token incentives like testnet NFT badges, whitelist spots, community points, or commemorative merchandise to foster pride and identity among early supporters.

Q6: What are the advantages of promoting through ChainPeak?

As an agency, we offer bulk pricing, significantly lower than individual negotiations. Long-term partnerships include customized packages and annual discounts, saving over 30% in costs.

Additional resources you may need:

Website: https://chainpeak.pro/

Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/chainpeak

Global KOL Resource Group: https://t.me/globalcryptokol

Global Moderator Resource Group: https://t.me/web3modglobal

Schedule an online meeting: https://calendly.com/chainpeak/30min