WAKE UP Hivians! Marketing and Advertising is Necessary:
This isn't a blog about Candy Crush. Wait for it...
I'm a Candy Crush addict. It keeps me busy and sane. Data exposes that there are a huge number of other people trying to stay sane as well.
In 2020 Activision Blizzard reported 273 million users playing Candy Crush and 2700 million downloads in 2017 (293 million users 2017. No download data is found for 2020). People must be downloading the game on every screen thing possible, then deleting it, then downloading it; the user to download ratios are unpaired. In 2020 Candy Crush generated a mass revenue of 1190 million, from the 77 million in 2012.
I don't have cable services at home, like most. That means that I don't really see commercials. I don't watch YouTube and the only ads on Prime Video are FOR Prime Video. This leaves me with one source of video ads; Candy Crush. And, I do see those ads because I want the extra boosts and lives.
A few days ago I saw an ad for Odysee, a video streaming app similar to .... well, all vid streaming apps. Odysee is crypto earning. I downloaded it and fell in love instantly. After looking up the who's, what's, how's etc. of the Odysee app, I learned that it is a Sun development. I felt weird and traitory so I backed away slowly.
Now, millions of people also saw that video as a trade for the stripey candy boost. They downloaded the app, as I. And right now, they are on their merry little video crypto way to possibly their first door into the blockchain and crypto universe.
What does this mean? In my opinion, it means that Hive is just shy of becoming MySpace to Facebook. Hive and it's users need to start doing some PROPER advertising NOW or just say to hell with it all and walk away now.
Yes Burger King and McDonalds co-exist and that's a great (or not- ew. I'm a Harvey's and Sushi woman!), but I don't have to list any examples or arguments that the internet realm does not work like the burger world. It's rare that two similar services dominate, or at least not for long.
There's some huge challenges here:
additionally, if Sun were wise, he would nourish that network with Activision-Blizzard (and I'm betting that he's doing exactly that exactly right now) because they own Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk's, Spyro/Skylanders, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, and Candy Crush Saga (did we say that already?). That's basically covers almost all demographics of consumers- age, gender, lifestyle, etc. As if advertising on Candy Crush with celebrities' isn't enough, the probability of getting in Facebook's bed and also advertised to game players of all the previously listed (and most popular) games-
you can say good-bye Hive and stop wasting your time, OR all these skilled, intelligent, and financially able Hive holders can stand up and hustle ass NOW. Not tomorrow. Not next week. NOW.
I'll be bold and say it, I don't understand why proper quality advertising hasn't been sprinkling Hive branding all over the digital world already. Sleepy time is over. I don't intend to be buried due to neglect of advertising and marketing, especially when that is where my education, experience, and skills are. How shameful it would be if I didn't say something and do something. Are we all waiting for someone else to develop the marketing plans? Who? This is a decentralized network. We are all the "someone else".
Now, I read a great small blog about marketing for Hive here: @ura-soul/marketing-hive In fact, this post coupled with my memory and concern of the Odysee app is what kickstarted my Flintstone feet.
I would like to add and comment on a few of the points in Ura Soul's important message.
Marketing Hive is a challenge
I'd like to ask you, 
My personal thoughts (perhaps pending deletion following your response) is that Hive definitely presents a unique approach to advertising and marketing because of it mass complexity and diversity. That said, I have many ideas that just manifested into my mind simply on a whim. Marketing should NOT try to encompass all the info; different apps, crypto explanations, blockchain, etc and I'm not even sure what. Crypto and blockchain speak should be for only a certain type of user/buyer and not confusing the minds of a blogger or video creator. Pick a service/site/dapp that is going to draw the most attention, easiest, fastest. dTube! I can list all the reasons, but I'm not. Then what? Bloggers/Writers. What else? Photographers and artists. Those three content creator types practically form most of the internet. Those three types are also the people who already have massive communities and and friends that they are part of.
The 'big marketing reveal' to regular people (not investors) should be simple. It's not complicated to say 'hey over here a new service you might prefer;
you have options. And many people are ready to try new services, just waiting for someone (hello, Hive) to give them new opportunities. Research and credible sources are not required when I say that people are sick of Facebook and it's ignorant, juvenile, messy hoarder ambiance spiced with that bad attitude and creepy crawly privacy pissing service.
So, I might be missing something (probably) but I don't see a challenge at all.
since proving a strategy takes budget and defining a clearly amazing strategy is not simple to do without some experimentation that takes time/money. Usually, we would have access to detailed analytics data from website traffic to help us assess our approach, which we do not currently have for Hive - but we can still devise intelligent strategies and make prescient observations.
Yes and no, and no and yes. None of this is untrue yet, there's also other truths. First, I will repeat myself from the previous paragraphs, it doesn't need to be too complicated at first. Just something. Anything. Instead of all of nothing.
There are some strategies that don't necessarily need a lot of planning and consideration (not more than average)- like a short video on Candy Crush. Those metrics are practically guaranteed. What about influencers? YouTube Influencers!! ding. Again, excessive planning for months and budget is not necessary for those, and many other types of marketing. Additionally, secondary data can be researched to get a general benchmark of possible/probable approach outcomes. Success can be measured in more ways than just website analytics. In fact, I believe that too often, too many people/businesses default and over focus on website data causing a massive loss of perspective. I could write a small booklet on ways of measurement. No worries.
Successful marketing involves a combination of psychology, communication, maths, science and attention to detail.
Certainly. Agreed. I'd like to add, 'successfull marketing involves placement, target market evaluation, and in this case, HASTE!'.
people are often hard to dislodge from their current social networks
YES! People are tired of accounts and passwords for that and this and those and what? why? They also don't want to leave their friends and content. How oh how do I know this? Because those are the reasons that I keep bouncing back to Facebook. But, many people are ready to move on. Why haven't they? No where to go? Confusion?
Truth be told, Hive isn't new user friendly. Many people do their best to warm welcome others and help out, but once someone sees a feed full of jibber-jabber politics and economics, drama, etc. It's a turn off. There's nothing wrong with the feed, but maybe somehow new users need to know to just ignore all that until they are ready, if ever, to learn how the lightbulb works.
I'll tell you, it wasn't until a few weeks ago that it all clicked in that all these sites and dapps and such are actually DIFFERENT sites and communities that are connected (duh Ana, blockCHAIN). I think a lot of people are confused as to "what is the site" or "what is the app". This was never quite explained to me and I bounced around busy and steempeak and that film review site that is gone and I've forgotten the name, and dlike etc. I kept thinking, 'whyyyyy so many different sites for the same thing?'
The blockchain needs to be tossed to the backburner and just market one thing per one campaign.
Some Benefits - Ana's List:
No shadowban, Facebook jail, deleting posts, censorship of media, deleting your account, losing passwords and never getting them back (I'm looking at you Google! GRRR), or hacking. <<< this should be top tier. These are the things that people are frequently complaining about.
Clean, respectful community. No unwanted DM pics. Genuine people that come together to be a bigger whole as one.
Your content. Yours. No one will delete your account and steal years upon years of users created quality (or not so quality) content.
Magical mystical money! Posting, reblogging (sharing), voting (likes), and basically all activity can earn money. For some, it's fast and plenty, for other's it is slow and steady. But for everyone, one day they will open their wallet and see coins that can be converted to fiat currency. Or better yet, let it sit and forget all about it. Let the coins add up like a forgotten change jar. Watch the stock go up (and down, and up... sometimes) and then one day, maybe 2 years later you see that you have $1000 or $5000 or more. and more.
One login and password (unless you want more) for one site/service, or many sites. Hive blockchain isn't a 'website' or an 'app' alone. It is the internet. It is a community that is built on a chain of servers (computers) that switch around all day so that your sites and apps always work. Also, so that no one owns anything. There's no big entity like with Facebook, Google, etc owning a single part of the Hive Blockchain internet.
If Facebook were jail, and Google were a walled in city, than the Hive Blockchain is off grid living with privacy, security, and a sense of escape from the clawing monsters we have come to accept. Escape the chaos, brainwashing, and disrespectful version of internet services that you thought you had no choice. Shake that Stockholm syndrome off and find mental health and happiness on the Hive Blockchain.
people have less choice when seeking people of like mind
I'm not sure that I agree. There is a limited variety of groups/tribes I suppose but still variety.
I don't think that there is fear of loss of time if people are already tweeting their faces instantly off (See it? < see what I did there? lol). I think the key thing is to ensure that the user is stimulated enough that they don't miss Facebook or Reddit. A big staying factor will be reliant on users managing to inspire their friends and family to sign up for Hive, so their real life social circle isn't missed. Because of this, it is wise to research and profile the perfect primary and secondary target segments. We want the persons who exclaim loudly when they like something, and inspire, motivate and even insist that their best friend, mom, workmate sign up as well.
Perhaps a first 500 people should almost instantly be fed huge votes so that they want to show everyone "look at how much money I made!"
Time Consuming - Learning to use crypto takes too long.
Of the 4 listed threats, I think this is the only one that could be true and it's something newbies can completely overlook until they are ready. Frankly, no one really needs to know much about crypto to be on Hive. My Dad doesn't text but he still has a cell. I don't force him to text. Allow people to just post and be merry if that's what they like. The rest will eventually happen.
Feelings of Rejection - I might realise I'm not smart/skilled enough to get upvotes.
The voting system exists in all services and people would be experienced enough to understand that there's a growing process here just like anywhere else. Yes, I do get glum when I see a great post make only $.30, but on average, I get WAY more votes on Hive than likes on Twitter and Facebook. People aren't going to be concerned about likes before they sign up (maybe when they check that great post 500 times and it's going nowhere fast).
There are plenty of threats (risks) however, which are very important to research and evaluate.
Off the top of my head:
the password. Saving it and not losing it ever. explaining to people 'no you cannot change it to kittypopo5582! and no, that's not what the "change password" button will do. (I know, I tried and thought I did something wrong when a crazy random password spewed out again.).
luring people away from their friends and family that are on other socials and then inspiring them to invite all those friends and family over here.
Inability to do much of nothing with practically no hive power to start. If it weren't for a few people here who saw me struggling in confusion of why I couldn't even comment back to my welcome comments, I would have been out of here in that instant. In fact, I almost was, and then magically I had hive power. Anyone who knows me here sees that I GENUINELY comment, frequently, and sometimes its a novelette. Those people out there who might be like me, they have no use to Hive is Hive isn't even doing the things it is supposed to be doing.
Deletion is a huge factor for many people. I created my fb account when I was 27 and I'm 41 now. In no way on this or any planet did I want to keep some of the content I posted (most of the content). We change. We grow. And sometimes we are on a weird wave length and may say some weird things that must be removed right away.
I know that deleting is not a option because of all the different servers, or something, but we can edit so there must be a way to fix this HUGE threat to new users.
Right right, I hear you, one can just delete all the words and title. That strategy only works for infrequent post removals. I imagine that a 19 year old might wish to delete many, or all of their blogs after 5 years of improving their writing abilities.
This would be a lesser immediate threat but the work around should be instantly explained to all users before they get past the door.
Whoa!!! Breath. Sip. Blink.
One of my strongest skills in marketing was researching, creatively thinking, and writing extensive detailed business marketing reports. LOVED IT! I'm going to start mocking up and micro version for myself to get some things rolling. I can do some things alone, but I can't, nor should I, do everything alone. I need help and am calling out to those of you with applicable skills, connections, finances, and ideas to reach out to me.
Note: I'm not taking on a strong leadership role.... let me not mis-communicate.
Last, some of you can probably reach into those pockets to invest in the advertising and marketing. I'm poor- poverty poor. I'm aware that some of you are doing very very well. If you aren't going to invest in marketing and advertising, then I just don't know what you are doing here at all.
Lets put what we have to offer together and show Sun that we can play the branding game too.
Who's in?
(I fear that I'm going to be overlooked and thus look like that last kid on the team that isn't picked. .... pick ... Hive).
