Steem needs marketing. No one disputes that.
It is the what, where, how and most importantly who that becomes more tricky.
Marketing can take many forms and have many flavours.
Advertising, social media, mailshots, influencer campaigns can be all be part of a good marketing mix.
One part of marketing that is often missed is Public Relations (PR).
Steem in the Media
When I started Steem News back in 2018 one of the sections was coverage of Steem in the press and media around the world.
Steem received quite regular mentions particularly in the crypto media in those days. This all helped build the profile, awareness and visibility of the platform.
Ever since then I have kept a tracking service running to spot any articles that include references to Steem or Steemit.
These days unfortunately such mentions are very, very rare indeed.
In December 2018 when Steem News started, Steem was in the top 50 on CoinMarketCap, so the crypto media often came looking for stories.
Since then Steem has slipped down the rankings to the low 300's so we need to work harder to get coverage.
That is where a pro-active Public Relations campaign comes in to play.
We need to take our stories about Steem to the crypto media.
A Steem PR Service
Over the six years I have been producing Steem News I have often wondered if I could take it further.
Could Steem News be a starting point to takes news about the Steem platform into the wider world by feeding stories to crypto news outlets.
With the current developments like @the-gorilla's revamping of Steemit.com and new apps like SteemPro it feels like the platform is at a point of rejuvenation where greater exposure and awareness would bring definite benefits.
A PR campaign for Steem could operate at three levels...
Globally - targeting the main crypto news outlets like CoinDesk and Cointelegraph.
This would be for stories about the platform as a whole - such as the eight anniversary of steemit.comNationally - targeting the media in individual countries where Steem has significant activity.
SteemFest in Korea would be an example of a story at this level.Local & Regional - targeting local and regional news and media outlets in countries where Steemians are involved in projects at a local level.
The project @ubongudofot is running to install solar PV systems in schools in Nigeria would be a suitable story for this level of PR work.
There would be some considerable initial work to be done in terms of building up lists of media contacts, and establishing a network of Steemians around the world to help with translating and local targeting.
Once up and running I think we should be looking to get at least one or two stories in the main crypto media each month, along with regular weekly coverage at national, regional and local levels.
This sort of PR work of course won't bring a million new people to the platform nor double the price of STEEM overnight, but it will help.
It will help rebuild the awareness, the visibility and the credibility of the platform and its community.
Steem has been going for 8 years - and it is still going strong.
There are not many in the crypto world that can match that.
What do people think?
Would running a PR service for Steem be useful?
Are there enough 'good news' stories on Steem to make this idea viable?
If the answer is YES I will draw up a plan.
Thank you