Stop Wasting Money on KOLs

Most Web3 teams approach KOL marketing backwards.

They start by throwing money at big names and hope something sticks.

The result?

A brief spike in engagement followed by...nothing.

Here's how to do it right.

Phase 1: Research First

Before you spend a single dollar on KOLs, you need to research.

Tools like Cookie3 and Kaito can show you:

• Who's already talking about your project

• Their actual engagement rates (not inflated numbers)

• Which conversations drive real interest

This is your gold mine.

Start With Who You Have

Look for people already engaging with your content. They might become your best advocates—no payment needed.

What they might want instead:

• Access to your team's Telegram group

• Special Discord roles

• Early feature access

• Direct lines to your founders

Building Your KOL Database

Create two separate lists:

1. Organic Advocates

• Already posting about you

• Genuinely interested in your tech

• Natural fit for your community

2. Potential Partners

• Active in your vertical

• Strong engagement in your niche

• Never posted about you (yet)

The Smart Outreach Process

If you want to skip the agencies, use tools like Drippi for personalized & automated outreach.

Create a simple Typeform to gather:

• Their typical rates

• Content preferences

• Audience demographics

• Past campaign results

Now, you're building a valuable database for future campaigns.

Real Numbers That Matter

A retweet from someone with:

• 100k followers but 0.1% engagement = 100 views

• 10k followers but 5% engagement = 500 views

Which would you rather have?

Interested in Building Your KOL Strategy?

I'll be putting together a detailed guide with:

• Outreach templates that work

• Rate negotiation scripts

• ROI tracking spreadsheets

Want early access? Reply with "KOL Guide" and I'll add you to the list.

Keep building,

Jax

P.S. Send me any ideas for the KOL guides you want. I’m always happy to help