When to Use Paid Ads vs. Organic for Blockchain Products

Hyperion Guilds Marketing Guild
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I Tried Paid Ads. I Tried Organic. Here’s What Actually Worked (and When)

When we launched our first blockchain product, we went all in on paid ads.
Big spend. Big expectations.

We targeted wallets holding certain tokens, ran campaigns on Web3-native platforms, and watched the impressions roll in. Within 48 hours, we had thousands of clicks. Our Discord numbers spiked. For a moment, it felt like we’d cracked it.

But then… silence.
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People showed up. Few stuck around. We had traffic, but not traction.

That’s when we slowed down and asked:
Were we just paying for attention… or actually earning trust?

We pivoted.

We started posting on Twitter regularly. Joined Reddit discussions. Wrote breakdowns of our tech stack. Hosted low-key AMAs. It was slower, way less flashy, but over time, something shifted.

People began to engage. Our Telegram felt like a community instead of a crowd. Feedback started shaping the product. A few builders even reached out asking to collaborate.

That’s when it hit me:

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Paid ads buy attention.
:backhand_index_pointing_right: Organic builds belonging.
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So what works best?

Honestly? Both. But at different times.

  • Paid ads helped us launch fast and loud.
  • Organic marketing helped us grow with intention.

The projects that thrive, like MetaMask, blend the two. They use paid ads to kick things off, then go full steam on content, community, and conversations.

Have you tried either (or both)?

  • If you had to spend $10K today, would you go for ads or organic?
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In Web3, trust and community are everything. Paid ads can give you visibility, but they rarely convert to meaningful engagement on their own. We’ve seen the same: paid helps with initial momentum, but organic is what drives long-term loyalty and activation.

If I had $10K today? I’d split it:

  • $3K on targeted paid to drive awareness (wallet-level targeting, high-intent traffic)
  • $7K on creators, content, and community-led campaigns—Twitter threads, AMAs, partner collabs, maybe even a meme contest.

Because in this space, people don’t just buy into products, they buy into people and narratives.

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You are 100% right on the last point @Rosita
People buy into narratives.

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