With 2019 approaching, it's again time for Gridcoin community to decide and vote on our marketing efforts for the next year! Recent post by @jringo about setting our marketing budget is, I believe, a step in the right direction, but I thought about expanding on that idea by adding some concrete advertising proposals which have been implemented before and can be implemented again, quickly and reliably. So let's get straight to it.
1. Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords)
Although Google has officially banned all ads about cryptocurrency-related content on their advertising networks, my recent tests have confirmed that all our Gridcoin ads are still approved and intact on our Google Ads account. For testing purposes, I have even created a few new ads explicitly mentioning ‘Gridcoin’ and pointing to www.gridcoin.us and they were also approved within few hours.
This is an advantage we should use ASAP, so I propose to restart our Google Ads campaigns with a budget of $20 per day. That would be enough to advertise on Google (targeting BOINC-related Google searches), BOINCstats, Free-DC, GPUGRID and various other BOINC and Folding@home related websites (targeting BOINC and Folding@home users in general). Also, $20 per day would be enough to restart our advertising efforts on crypto related websites (like coinmarketcap). However, I would like to add here that we need a fancier landing site and top-notch professional banners to compete with other advertisers on such websites. Competition on crypto-related website is very intensive and other cryptocurrencies spend a lot of money on their websites and ads.
For our previous campaigns, Google Analytics showed that our AdWords campaigns were quite effective. We can't track conversions, but we had 60% bounce rate on Google ads and 50% bounce rate on BOINCstats and Free-DC. Those are quite good metrics for Google Ads.
Ads: Textual ads, various 728x90, 160x600, 300x600 and 300x250 banners used in our previous campaigns, placed on the targeted websites automatically by Google.
Method of payment: For this campaign, Google would charge my credit card at the end of each month (in USD) and I would get refunded from the Foundation (in GRC) every few months or so. I don’t sell my Gridcoins easily, so there would no extra selling pressure because of this.
Proposed duration: 01 DEC 2018 – 31 DEC 2019
Landing sites: https://www.gridcoin.us and https://boinc.science (backup site, emphasizing science and light on crypto content, to be used only if Google enforces the ban on crypto advertising and obstruct us in using www.gridcoin.us)
Verification: Users with access to our AdWords account are currently @jringo (read-only access) and me (@vortac) as admin. Read-only access can be granted to anyone, feel free to contact me on Slack. It would be good to have another trusted community member as a second admin (for backup and security reasons). Ideally, second admin would also be a Foundation keyholder which would enable him to monitor expenses on our Google Ads account directly.
2. Netsoft - BOINC Combined Statistics
I propose to renew our deal with Netsoft until 31DEC2019. Netsoft admin (James Drews) charged us $50 every month (in GRC) for carrying our ad and I would like to contact him again and renegotiate this deal. James would integrate our ad directly on his website, so it would be impossible to filter it by AdBlocker (I would check on that often).
Ads: Various 728x90 banners to be placed at the top of the webpage by Netsoft admin.
Method of payment: Every month, I would send GRC worth $50 (according to the actual rates on the day of payment) to James Drews, using my own Gridcoin Wallet. I would get refunded from the Foundation every few months (also in GRC).
Proposed duration: 01 DEC 2018 – 31 DEC 2019
Landing site: https://www.gridcoin.us
Verification: Transactions to James Drews would be visible on the blockchain. His GRC address was S2p2xjEMCAytVwNLwork9SPz78Hhnag1cA but that was under his Poloniex account, so he would have to create another one and publish it on his website.
3. Fixed campaigns on BOINCstats and Free-DC
Google Ads are easily detected and filtered by AdBlocker and our advertising efforts on BOINCstats and Free-DC are severely limited in their reach because of that (plenty of AdBlocker users out there). Therefore, I propose to spend up to $1500 on direct advertising deals with BOINCstats and Free-DC in 2019. We’ve never had a direct advertising deal with Free-DC (I would try to negotiate one) and our last deal with BOINCstats was in October 2016, so I would say we are long overdue for another one. By working directly with BOINCstats and Free-DC admins, we would be able to bypass AdBlocker and recruit a lot of new, tech-savvy users. I estimate $1500 would be enough for 8-10 weeks of advertising on BOINCstats and probably even more on Free-DC (not so many visitors there, so cheaper rates). Of course, I intend to spread it throughout the whole year, it would make very little sense to use it up in one long streak (diminishing returns).
Ads: 728x90 banners to be placed at the top of the mentioned websites by BOINCstats and Free-DC admins.
Method of payment: I would send money to BOINCstats admin (Willy de Zutter) via PayPal and get refunded later on from the Foundation, according to the rates valid on the day of reimbursement. Same would apply for Free-DC, if we can arrange a deal with them too.
Proposed duration: TBD in 2019
Landing site: https://www.gridcoin.us
Verification: PayPal receipts would be provided to Foundation keyholders for reimbursement.
4. Professional HTML5 banners
I propose to spend $600 from the Foundation to pay a professional designer for creating some high-quality Gridcoin HTML5 banners (we won’t get noticed on high-traffic crypto websites like coinmarketcap without some fancy, animated HTML5 banners). Assuming a somewhat standard rate of $30 per banner, that should be enough for 20 banners. As we get more of that pro stuff, I would deactivate my banners (which were done for free, but can be improved a lot). The only advantage of my banners is that they are already available (they are still on our Google Ads account and can be deployed immediately).
A selection of my 728x90 banners which would be used in the campaigns mentioned in this post:
A selection of 160x600 banners:
For comparison, here are the two animated ‘Secret Identity’ banners made by @joshoeah, who is a professional designer. Anyone can see his stuff is clearly superior and worth paying for. Such banners would be particularly useful for targeting crypto websites (i.e. non-BOINC users who won’t understand our BOINC related slogans and require a different advertising approach).
The poll will be up and running within few minutes with a total duration of 6 weeks (until 25 NOV 2018). There are millions of BOINC users who have never heard for Gridcoin, so vote now to support this New Marketing Initiative for Gridcoin and to expand our reach out there.
In your Gridcoin Wallet, click on Voting to browse through active polls and to vote on this New Marketing Initiative
You've got my vote! Last year I was less confident about launching marketing initiatives, but now we're in a far better place.
Posting this to whaleshares too? :D
Of course! Was waiting for some time for an opportunity like this :)
https://whaleshares.io/gridcoin/@vortac/new-marketing-initiative-for-gridcoin
@vortac, you have my support!
Excellent @vortac , voted and resteemed.
Great work.
Ok so i think i understood the basic premise.. Correct me if im wrong but Gridcoin rewards people that volunteer computing power to science research projects.
What i would like to know is what you would say is the appeal of holding some GRC? Why buy them? The work that is done on the side of those providing computing power to those that contribute to scientific research is amazing... But what would you say is the appeal to buy and hold the coins themselves?
If you hold GRC in official Gridcoin wallet and keep it online, you get 1.5% interest per year. And also, you get that warm fuzzy feeling that you helped push the GRC price up, which might attract someone to join BOINC and start computing for science, ultimately providing us with a cure for cancer sooner.
I know what you are doing is admirable. It really is. My father is probably the most quoted scientist in his field in Croatia and i helped him write a few of his books, so i understand how amazing this is.
But... With a amazing number of opportunities presented in the crypto market, someone with a limited amount crypto open for investment (i hold barely 15% overall in crypto, of what you have just in STEEM) i would love to see some kind of use added to GRC before moving my money. And i know the potential is there.
Atm, the motivation for me would be more in using BOINC and volunteering my computing power then investing in GRC.
GRC, imo should create additional value besides what it is doing atm. Giving computing power to BOINC is amazing as is, getting something instead of nothing in the form of GRC is amazing as well, but i think coming up with a utility, a use case, for those buying and holding GRC needs to happen for there to be hype created for this.
If somehow GRC could be used to augment efforts even more? If people knew that by buying GRC they were contributing in such a way that exceeds just sending some money to their local cancer research institution that might bring in more investment. Just throwing stuff out there.
How about moving GRC to STEEM and do what Utopian does? Ned would probably support GRC with delegation and you could reward people with it that contribute.
Ali stvarno zanimljiv projekt.
This is a very valid point. The economic systems of GRC (and most of crypto) are still begging for development. The community is having very active conversations on how to build mechanisms for the GRC ecosystem.
One idea is a Gridcoin managed BOINC project that runs on a business model that involves purchasing GRC to crunch work. This project is working with the title MicroGrid for now and is in the early stages of planning.
Below is a recent podcast that discusses other possibilities with regards to building up the GRC ecosystem and economic mechanisms.
Sure GRC can be used to augment those efforts even more. Some BOINC projects and BOINC related websites accept GRC for donations, which makes their operation easier (Primegrid, SETI@home, BOINCstats, yoyo@home come right to mind). Plenty of far more expensive coins haven't really attained that level of utility and aren't accepted anywhere, for anything.
Moving GRC to Steem is of course impossible (different blockchains) but you can always trade your GRC for STEEM and deposit it here as such.
Im writing a robust post about STEEM use case right now. I added something about GRC in it. Not saying moving GRC to the STEEM blockchain in technical terms. I mean in terms of the idea behind it.
These good ideas are worthy of a resteem.
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I believe they they decided to be more lenient recently about cryptocurrency ads.
Another thing that could be done to increase social media presence would be a gleam contest every now and then for a GPU or other components (maybe even partner with some companies) where users have to retweet/follow gridcoin on social medias to get chances to win the contest.
I know Origin PC did one for a revived(volunteers) game last year, so they might be interested.
If the gridcoin ads got rejected, we could direct them to the boinc science page which indirectly mentions gridcoin. I think it'll be fine though.
Looks good but whats really holding back this cryptocurrency and better adoption in the amount of setup steps. We need to make it simple point and click setup for those that dont understand cryptocurrency or even computers that well and just want to start using their hardware to mine. Your adoption rate would skyrocket if this was simplified.
For starters, we will be targeting mostly existing BOINC users with those campaigns. They have less setup steps and are of course much more familiar with the phraseology and the whole ecosystem.
This is in the cards. The new Gridcoin GUI has a guided wizard and BOINC is getting a simplified UX project in the near future called scienceunited.
@vortac Best of luck with the new Gridcoin project sir! Your marketing strategy is super and hope it will bomb the future of cryptocurrency. It's also a very good news that the gridcoin adds are being supported by GoogleAds. Thou it's a shame for me to talk about such topics without any knowledge about cryptocurrency and blockchain. But, as I can see you are investing a lot of money, time and devotion to this project, I can definitely say that the results will be fruitful. You posses exceptional professional level of knowledge and marketing strategies on how to properly use ads. I can assure that you will acquire the desired market and Gridcoin will be the viral soon in the market.
Very much like your informative post sir.... Stay well and Keep posting!
Steem on!
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@vortac, It's reflecting as lot's of efforts are going on for sure. And i really liked the Professional HTML Banners because those are really attractive and eye-catching. And for sure Banners are vital part of Marketing and without it Promotion Strategy will be incomplete.
Wishing you an great day and stay blessed. 🙂
Good propositions.
This post received a courtesy vote from @gridcoin-booster! Thank you for your contribution to the #gridcoin community!
@vortac I for sure approve your New Marketing Initiative for Gridcoin, but I do have a small observation: In general we should promote the use of GRIDCOIN in our payments, especially if they are related to GRIDCOIN itself, therefore:
Under point 3: you proposed fixed campaigns on BOINCstats and Free-DC, which I endorse! However, I do think that we shall pay both web-sites with GRIDCOIN, especially as Willy de Zutter (BOINCstats) accepts donations in GRIDCOIN, and we should for sure attempt that Free DC accepts the payment in GRIDCOIN as well. If the later site does not agree with the payments in GRIDCOIN, we might pay by PayPal.
It should be BOINCstats and Free-DC decision and work, if they decide to exchange GRC to BTC/US-Dollar or hodling GRIDCOINs.
When I have read your proposal under point 3; a not so favorable comment crossed my mind for using PayPal as payment platform.
I do have a comment not directly on your Marketing Proposal, but to the Budget Proposal floated at StemmIt as well: At this very low exchange rate between: GRIDCOIN and BTC/US-Dollar, there should be a floor in the applied Exchange rates (Minimum Exchange rate) or at least an Exchange rate based on one year averaged Exchange rate, when the budget is drawn and when the payments are made. As all the efforts in Development of GRIDCOIN and Marketing are focused on driving the Market-price of GRIDCOIN up, otherwise the foundation GRIDCOIN holdings will be depleted very fast.
I'll try to arrange payment in GRC for BOINCstats and Free-DC. In our previous deals, Willy de Zutter wanted PayPal though. Since whole crypto is down, he'll probably want € again.
Great! But, if we do not promote the use of GRIDCOIN for our own payments, GRIDCOIN never will get from the ground! (As we can see from the actual Exchange Rates, all those, who try to offset Electric Bills and Hardware Costs by mining GRIDCOIN are is stumbling to sell GRIDCOIN to useful currency…)
Alternative proposal, offer a 10% price premium above Exchange Rates, if they accept GRIDCOIN payments over PayPal.
you could consider this as well! It's on platform and allegedly cheaper than buying Google Ads.
https://steemit.com/dclick/@dclick/introducingdclick-an-incentivized-ad-platform-by-proof-of-click-steem-based-adsense-1540337222060
It's an interesting read, but Dclick ads are shown on Steemit, as far as I can understand. The users who are on Steemit are obviously already into crypto and are likely to be familiar with Gridcoin too. We need to target BOINC users who are not into crypto yet and Google Ads is our best option for them.
Also, how about an advertising arrangement with the Brave web browser? https://brave.com/about-ad-replacement/ (Full disclosure: I am long BAT).
very intiristing and great post Excellent @vortac
Looking nice... Let's see what future holds!
Pozdrav!
you are great dear.
please see an up vote my post.we can support each other
i need help.
Long time no see sir! How r u? #### Hope you are woking hard with your project. Wish u best of luck with that!
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We can support each other with Steemauto. I set up auto upvote for you. Could you please set up auto upvote on Steemauto for me?
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Really a great idea you got my vote as well