Based off feedback, Marketing Proposal Cycle 9 has been shortened and retitiled to address the scope of work being aimed primarily at research and branding efforts instead of Marketing’s usual remit.
Audience Research & Communications Proposal (Cycle #1), November 2022 – February 2023
Team: Research & Communications
Operations cycle: #1
Period: 1 November 2022 – 28 February 2023 (4-months)
Amount: 51,300 USDC
Destination: API3m.eth
address signers:
Tom
Marcus
Ryan
2/3 Multisig
Outline
We will undertake research to understand API3’s target market; providing the findings to an external agency who will create a brand guide, while internally creating a communications strategy and delivering a writing guide based on the data.
We will implement a pay-per-piece system to incentivize writers on the team.
We will deliver templates to be used in slide decks and presentations.
We will provide writing support to the teams across API3.
Why focus on audience research now?
In order for a team of content creators to make cohesive contributions expressing a strategic message, they must share an understanding of the message, its purpose, and the persona to embody.
In order to formulate these most effectively, we must understand who we are speaking to.
We propose to study the following groups :
- API3 DAO contributors
- Developers (as sourced from previous research email list)
- Affiliated project internal teams (Contacted through TG groups)
The purpose of the study is to understand the distribution of the 16 personality types and preferences of affiliation towards the 12 character archetypes within our audience.
The 16 personalities have a greater impact on communications, while the 12 character archetypes have greater influence brand presentation. Together, they will inform the overall marketing strategy.
Understanding the 16 personality-type distribution will immediately affect our communications strategy, as we will gain an understanding of how our audience:
- … interacts with their surroundings
- … sees the world and processes information
- … makes decisions and copes with emotions
- … approaches work, planning, and decision making
Understanding how these groups identify with the 12 archetypes and whether or not they want to affiliate with a brand that mirrors them or plays a supporting role will help an external branding agency frame API3’s identity, while also providing additional insight into the voice of communications.
Read this for more details on how I believe these two sets work together.
Scope
The Marketing Team functions as the communications branch of API3, creating value by delivering a brand-aligned message across media and channels. Research into our target audience is needed in order to ensure engaging marketing and communications strategies.
Cycle 9 outline
Deliverables Cycle 9
- Target Audience Research
- 16 Personalities distribution
- 12 Archetype affinities
- Communications strategy
- Project Management: coordination between API3 and an external firm (TBD)
- Presentation Deck template upon receipt of branding guide
- Content
- Hygiene posts
- Content calendar and SOP developed with Ben
- Announcement SOP
- Writing/Editing support for other teams
- Templates for slide decks and presentations
- Social Media Management
Timeline
Preplanning
We have implemented Linear for our team to increase transparency and accountability, as well as facilitate inter-team cooperation. Anyone with the link to the board will be able to assess our progress throughout the cycle.
Phase 1
Research is lead by Tom. Advised by iH5Qs (a consumer research agency), he develops the questionnaire for internal, business, and developer research groups.
Tom handles API3-internal sampling, reaching out to team leads to disseminate, and messaging the email list (provided by Ben/Tamara) for developer research respondents. Dave distributes the questionnaire to BD connections through TG.
Can/Tom meet with Ecosystem and BD to discuss templates.
Can develops explainer graphics and icons while reading existing docs and articles.
Alongside this, Can and Marcus work on introductory level educational content. Tom edits Marcus’s content creation (detailed below), guiding style and setting up processes and expectations.
Tom and Can support other teams (writing/graphics). Marcus moderates community channels.
Tom manages social media (Twitter, LinkedIn); works with Marcus on Reddit, and collaborates on Discord with other team members.
Phase 2
Internal respondents to the questionnaire will likely be the first statistically relevant group.
Because we believe external projects will mirror our own team’s composition, from this data we can begin to build and implement 16-personality/archetype-driven communications strategies.
Tom steps back oversight of Marcus’s content creation as track record is established.
Content creation, publication, social, and community efforts continue.
Phase 3
External data becomes statistically relevant.
Can and Tom compile data into a deck for external agencies.
Heikki to contract an external marketing agency.
Marcus pushes content creation with little oversight.
Content creation, publication, social, and community efforts continue.
Phase 4
Tom works on PM responsibilities, aligning external agency and API3.
Content creation, publication, social, and community efforts continue.
Team reviews efforts over Cycle 9 and plans for Cycle 10
Team Member Roles
Tom
We expect Tom to spend 20 hr/wk on administration, research and content.
Administration
PR/Announcements
Working with Heikki to develop a SOP for PR/Announcements so no steps are missed. For the purpose of this proposal, the general concept is as follows.
- Messaging
- Work with those developing the tech to understand:
- Target audience
- Selling points
- Content
- Layman’s blog post subjects (work with Marcus)
- Number of posts per channel
- Goal of each post
- CTAs
- Work with those developing the tech to understand:
- Logistics
- Schedule responsibilities (when is who doing what)
- Channels of distribution: Twitter, Press, Blog, Reddit
- Assign writing responsibility to individuals
- Assign publishing responsibility to individuals
- Working with external PR
Project management
- External Agency
- Timeline of deliverables (api3.org + brand guide)
- Organize new site and branding implementation with Product and Technical teams.
- Marketing
- Prioritization
- Understand team tasks and responsibilities and how they fit into API3 big picture
- Adapt task list to changing needs of API3
- Organization:
- Linear
- Lead issue creation and attribution
- Check weekly with team on status of issues (todo, in progress, complete… etc)
- Share bi-weekly WPRs for whole team
- Interteam liaison
- Ensure support work is understood by team until there is a system in place for tracking direct communication of tasks between teams and content creators
- Create SOP for inter-team communication, tracking, and accountability.
- Linear
- Prioritization
Research
Questionnaire
- Understand 16 personalities test
- Create 12 Archetypes test based on 16 personalities
- Develop questionnaire with guidance from iH5Qs
- Develop segmentation and tracking system for data collection
- Collect data
- Distribute internally
- Work with team leads to ensure high participation rates
- Distribute externally
- Use mailing list from Ben and T to reach out to Devs
- Work with Dave to distribute over TG to business partners
- Distribute internally
Data analysis
- Understand the distribution of 16 personality types
- Breakdown by audience
- Read literature on top personalities
- Find commonalities if distributed
- Understand archetypal identity and affiliation preferences
- Breakdown by audience
- Desire to affiliate with brands
- Same as identity
- supporting role to identity
- Create communications strategy
- What is the primary, secondary, tertiary
- Personality type
- Archetype
- What are their commonalities and differences?
- Do archetypes match to personality types
- Can these be targeted depending on
- Channel
- Audience
- Can these be targeted depending on
- What is the primary, secondary, tertiary
Content
Copywriting
- Ad-hoc writing/editing support for Ecosystem, Marketplace, BD, etc.
- Editing pay-per-piece content
- 0-3 pieces of pay-per-piece content
Publication
- Content Calendar (in cooperation with Ecosystem)
- Socials
- Twitter shares and retweets
- Reddit - coordination with Marcus and others to assist in rising in rankings
- Medium
- Press
- Socials
Can
We estimate Can will spend 24 hr/wk on branding and design work.
Research
-
Lead the deck creation for external agency
-
Lead communications with external agency
-
Implement branding as designed by external agency with Technical/Product teams
- Maintain consistency across all products
- Define color, typography, spacing. (Digitally: buttons, input & forms, icons, errors prevention & status)
- Work with technical team to implement external brand guides
2D Graphic Design
-
Create a request process
-
Creating graphics for digital publication
- for Ecosystem, Marketing, BD, etc
- Proactively look for visuals to make while reading through blogs and documentation.
- Digital collateral includes: web pages, web banners, social media assets, etc
-
Creating graphics for physical products
- Handling sourcing and production
- Physical collateral includes: business cards, brochures, package design, flyers, stationary, stickers, promotional material, environmental collateral
-
Create visual templates: Presentation decks
- Wireframe
- Apply brand guidelines from external firm
-
Expansion of the icon library
- Proactively looking for useful, missing icons.
- Management of the library.
Marcus
We estimate Marcus will spend 25 hr/wk on community management, and receive API3 tokens in a pay-per-piece agreement for content creation detailed in the salary section below.
Community Management
Administrative
- Work to research, implement and maintain a contemporary presentation and organization of community channels like Discord
- Provide channel descriptions
- Add new channels if necessary, and remove inactive ones
- Share announcements
- Support-resource management
- Create and manage resources that help to clarify questions and concerns by the community, such as the API3 FAQ and troubleshooting guides
- Document questions, concerns, and technical issues haven’t been addressed yet to eventually add them to the docs
- Manage bots and webhooks
- Provide analytics
Audio Equipment Optimization
- Teach team members how to set up their existing audio equipment
- auxiliary or internal computer microphone to improve the quality of their recordings and streams
- Perform sound checks for team members recording community calls or other content
- Ensure consistency across low and high volumes
Support and External Moderator Management
- Engage on Reddit, Discord, Forum, Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube
- Handle any incoming support tickets via email
- Manage BUNCH
- Outline how to address questions and concerns by the community, and how to detect and counter suspicious activities on Telegram and Discord
- Provide assistance for the moderation team if they need input on how to handle a particular situation on our community channels
- Hold monthly meetings with the moderation team to discuss incidents within the community and provide potential feedback
Content Creation
Writing
Educational
- Blog series “Connecting the Dots”: an introduction to API3 for people with little to no technical background
Encouraging contribution
- Create case studies highlighting contributions by community members that were valuable both to the DAO and rewarded the contributor
- Conduct interviews with contributors of the API3 DAO to learn about their story how they discovered API3, why they got involved in the DAO and how they applied their meat space experience to Web3
German Translation
- Translate new technical updates by Burak and major announcements that are shared through Twitter
- Tweet the German translations from personal handle
- Translate existing API3 content if down time exists
- Submit translations to German publications
Expenses
Grants
Marcus: $2700 + pay-per-piece
Can: $2000
Tom: $3000
Pay-per-piece (PPP)
Payable in API3 token equivalent, and requested from the hot wallet. Estimating 4 writing pieces per month.
Writing
-
Technical articles and case studies:
- Tom: $0.3/word
- Marcus: $0.2/word
- Ex. Case Study: DAO Tracker would cost API3$258.4
-
Interviews edited into blog articles: $0.1/word
Miscellaneous
| Purpose | Amount (USDC) |
|---|---|
| Content | API3 4500 |
| OEV Launch PR | 7,000 |
| Advertising & Promotion | 5,000 |
| IT & Subscriptions | 2,000 |
| November grant difference | 2,000 |
| Transaction & Exchange Fees | 0 |
| Total | 20,500 |
- Content:
- PPP: API3 4,500 (Source: hot wallet)
- OEV Launch PR:
- Services already rendered
- Advertising & Promotion: 5,000
- Reserved for promoting questionnaire participation (if need be)
- IT & Subscriptions: 2,000
- IT and subscription services used primarily by the Marketing team
- November grant difference
- Difference between full and part time pay for Tom in November
- Transaction & Exchange Fees: 0
- 1.6688 ETH is in the wallet, which we will keep to cover costs