Blockchain PR – Best Agencies For Your Project

Finding the right blockchain PR agency to promote your blockchain project or protocol is not easy. Especially since promotion itself has become more difficult, with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube closely vetting crypto ads on their channels – a well executed PR and organic blockchain marketing campaign, becomes more crucial than ever.

As with other industries, it is vital to recruit a PR team that has a good understanding of your niche and believes in you. Otherwise you run the risk of wasting precious hours attempting to bring your hired guns up to speed and getting no results. That said, good PR firms are adept at quickly getting abreast of their clients’ objectives; a willingness to learn is therefore more important than pre-existing forensic knowledge of your project.

Companies that guarantee results and media hits are usually the best way to understand if a PR firm is “on your side” and is willing to take the risk of not getting paid if there are no results, while more traditional companies, might blame it on you for not providing enough news angles.

We’ve made this guide to give you a head start to how to choose the best PR agency that would suit you best, we’ve even made a short list of companies that have reached the top of our charts.

So far our top four Blockchain PR & marketing companies for 2020:

Company	Established	Notable clients	Number of Employees	Pros	Cons	Score
MarketAcross	2012	Binance, Huobi, Tron, eToro, Skrill, Qtum, ICON, NEO, Cardano, Concensys	~20	* Guaranteed results - Success/performence based * impressive client portfolio * Crypto Veterans * Personal and hands-on approach * Content Marketing & SEO oriented	* Not traditional PR by approach * Does not involve paid advertising	96/100
Spark PR	1999	Civic, Coindash, Collibra, Colendi, Dfinity, Bitfinder, BlockV	~50	* A well established firm * Offices in NY, San Francisco and Johannesburg * Traditional PR veterans * Great Storytellers	* Traditional PR veterans * Junior Account managers * No guarantees for results.	90/100
Waschman	2017	Cosmos, Hedera Hashgraph, Dash, Bitcoin Suisse AG, Spacemesh, Polymath	~50	* Very hyped during 2017 * New York based * Very good strategy building and story telling.	* Gained popularity in 2017, feels a bit outdated nowadays. * Very traditional approach. * No guarantees for results.	85/100
Melrose PR	2012	Gem, Lympo, Spl.yt, Trippki, Po.et, Anchor, MetaX, HIT, BlockDaemon	~17	* High Energy * Traditional PR approach * Crypto focused * LA based * Personal and hands-on approach	* Gained popularity in 2017, feels a bit outdated nowadays. * Very traditional approach. * No guarantees for results.	82/100

While blockchain is the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, it is now widely deployed to enhance other systems such as physical asset traceability, e-voting, revenue management and contract law. This is worth stressing: while one PR firm might be geared more towards cryptocurrencies and token sales, another may focus more on blockchain applications beyond the fintech world. Some of the best agencies operating in this space will be entirely capable of representing and generating exposure for projects that use blockchain in disparate ways. 

Try to stay away from traditional PR retainers with no guarantees

The problem with the current PR landscape, is that PR companies are very happy with the old-fashioned “no guarantees” retainer model, since this model is not dependent on their performance and the number of media hits they actually managed to secure. In a bad month, they could always say that they didn’t get enough news hooks and that maybe next month would be better, meanwhile, you’d pay the same, regardless of the results.

There are only a few PR companies that let you control the volume of your work, that are in the same boat with you and guarantee placements and media hits, if you find a good company that is willing to give that as a baseline, that’s already a good start. Someone that will fight for you to get the media placements you’re looking for, that won’t sleep at night if the campaign is not going as planned and that will do anything to eventually hit the monthly cap.

With more blockchain-focused PR agencies around than ever, how can you be sure you’re choosing the right firm?

Ensure Objectives are Aligned

Before striking an agreement with a prospective PR firm, it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page. If the goals of the project do not align with those of the agency, you could end up hitting vanity metrics such as social followers but with no real traction. Be clear at the outset what you want to achieve, and then agree on an appropriate strategy. Efforts might center on strategic messaging, influencer outreach, community management, events, social media marketing, crisis communication, unique articles, press releases, SEO orientation, media pitches or investor introductions – but don’t leave the meeting without an idea of how the agency is going to approach the task at hand.

You should also be clear about how much input you want to have and when; with PR agencies, there is a danger of “mission creep.” so regular briefings and brainstorming sessions are best. Then again, some projects prefer their agency to exercise greater autonomy, perhaps because they have already demonstrated an aptitude for the subject matter: drumming up interest in a forthcoming token sale, for instance. You don’t want to micromanage or obstruct a good PR team from doing what they do best.

Esoteric and Geographic Knowledge

If your crypto or blockchain project is product-led, it might make sense to source an agency with experience of building hype around products. All the better if the products the agency has helped launch bear some relation to your own. The same holds true if you’re a service-led enterprise: go with a company with experience in this regard and a portfolio you can review. You can determine the right fit by getting referrals from other professionals in your sector or by researching online. If an impressive campaign comes across your radar, find out who handled the PR and ask for an introduction. Of course, some firms can manage branding, marketing and PR for all types of blockchain business. 

Whichever agency you choose, make sure they have the ability to generate the sort of coverage you want. This is especially true if you wish to launch a product or service in a different country; Of course, English media is a top priority as most other GEOs are “fed” through the main crypto/tech medias, but you should make sure that the company you choose to work with, are familiar with the general messaging you wish to pursue for different GEOs so they could predict how they would intercept it.

One Size Does Not Fit All

It can be a mistake to think that a bigger firm is better. Just because an agency employs a large team does not necessarily mean that it is more capable than a small, niche company whose close team possess a rounded skill-set and are willing to go the extra mile. Indeed, a smaller team might give you the close attention and personal touch you’re looking for. 

Find a Firm That Believes in You

Obviously you are looking for a blockchain PR agency that can deliver what you’re looking for, within a set budget and time-frame. But wouldn’t it be nice if the agency in question also believed in you as much as you believed in them? Which is to say, there is merit in finding a PR firm who are passionate about your project or product: who instinctively grasp what you are trying to do, and who therefore know the best way to promote it. Such infectiousness is very difficult to fake, and so should be evident from an initial appointment. The traditional PR paradigm of a retainer based contract, is usually flawed from the core, as the PR firm is not “in the same boat” with you, companies who are willing to take the “risk” and are able to guarantee results and media hits – already show that they believe in you, as they have the same incentive for the sucesss of the campaign as you.

Of course, it’s not imperative for a PR firm to go gaga for your project, but it’s certainly helpful for all parties to be enthusiastic about what it is you’re trying to achieve or at least have the same incentives to do so.

As more blockchain projects have come to market in 2017, the number of specialist PR and marketing firms has also risen dramatically, a lot of them have been closing as well, after the big “crypto winter”. Whatever firm you end up hiring, make sure you review their portfolio and check client testimonials to ensure they’re the right fit. If you’ve done your due diligence, your chosen agency should be more than capable of building a buzz and selling your story.