Anyone figured out how to reach the right people with crypto advertising?
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So here’s something I’ve been wondering for a while—when it comes to crypto advertising, how do you even know if you’re targeting the right people? I’ve messed around with ads in other niches, but crypto feels different. The audience is kind of all over the place—traders, developers, long-term holders, total newbies—and figuring out who’s actually worth aiming ads at can be confusing.
Pain Point
When I first dipped my toes into this, I honestly thought just throwing out broad ads would do the trick. My logic was, “Hey, crypto is trending, everyone’s interested.” Spoiler: that was not the case. My ad spend went quick, but I couldn’t really tell if the right crowd was even clicking. It kind of felt like shouting into the void.
The big pain point I hit was that people who saw the ads didn’t always “get” what was being promoted. Some were curious but not committed, others weren’t even remotely into crypto. It made me realize how easy it is to waste money if you’re not clear about who you’re trying to reach in the first place.
Personal Insights
Over time, I started paying closer attention to where different types of people hang out. For example, hardcore traders seem to live on Twitter (or X, whatever we’re calling it now) and Reddit, while total beginners tend to look up things on Google or watch YouTube explainers. Once I noticed that, it became obvious that I needed different approaches depending on the platform. A generic ad just wasn’t going to cut it.
Another thing I found is that the messaging matters a ton. When I tried ads with heavy technical jargon, it scared off casual users. But when I kept it simple and focused on problem-solving (“here’s how you could make this easier/faster/safer”), I got better reactions. I guess people don’t want to feel dumb when they see an ad—they want to feel like it’s talking to them at their level.
I’ll admit, I’ve also made the mistake of ignoring data. At first, I didn’t even track which groups were clicking or converting. I thought eyeballing it was enough. Nope. Once I actually checked the analytics, I saw patterns I never would’ve guessed. For example, I assumed younger users would be my main target, but a decent chunk of the traffic came from people in their 30s and 40s who were probably more serious about investing.
What Helped Me
- Think about where your audience is hanging out.
- Adjust your tone depending on whether you’re talking to newbies, investors, or developers.
- Don’t ignore the data, because your “gut feeling” about who’s interested is often wrong.
I came across this post that breaks down the whole thing in a clearer way, especially around the idea of narrowing down who you’re actually speaking to. If you’re struggling with it like I was, it might be worth a read: Crypto advertising audience targeting strategies.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer here. Crypto is broad, and the “right audience” depends a lot on what exactly you’re promoting. If it’s an exchange, your audience might be different than if it’s an NFT project or a new token. For me, the trick has just been testing things, tweaking them, and not being afraid to cut off stuff that clearly isn’t working.
Curious if anyone else here has had a similar experience. Did you figure out your audience by accident, or did you map it out from the start? I still feel like I’m learning as I go, and hearing how others approach it would be pretty helpful.