So, I suppose I should mention up front that while I still hold a bit of Jupiter, I plan on exiting my position as soon as I’m able. Unfortunately, my coins are currently trapped on Mainnet and have been for an entire month, since the Kucoin JUP wallet is under maintenance, and there is no other exchange that accepts JUP mainnet currency and no alternate way to bridge. The inhouse Jupiter bridge that used to exist was compromised a few months ago in a completely separate debacle that I won’t go into. Anyhow, I wouldn’t mind if it had just been a couple of days, but not having access to my crypto for this length of time is unacceptable for me. That the project appears to prioritize other apps and initiatives while thinking it’s perfectly fine to have a single point of failure for the network is a logical red flag and indicative of (in my view) poor contingency planning. Basic functionality should always come first.
Furthermore, in Jupiter’s official Telegram I was told by the community admin to “stop complaining” about the situation, that it was “really annoying.” (I responded…telling them not to worry, because as soon as the bridge was fixed I would simply sell my remaining holdings, never write any more articles promoting the project and that they would never have to hear from me again). I do think there’s a good chance Jupiter will be successful in its niche, and that the price will surge at some point, irrespective of the above or any other issues. The team is very hardworking and dedicated. They will absolutely keep building.
Having said all that, a few weeks ago I took it on my own accord to put together a brief paper with some marketing suggestions for the project. I have no idea whether anyone from the actual team read my suggestions or if any of these ideas will ever be implemented. I decided to re-post them here though, because they may be of value to other projects which have overlapping fields of focus.
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In this brief document, I have put together a list of marketing suggestions which I believe are consistent with Jupiter’s vision and would help the project gain traction and visibility in the spaces it aims to be targeting. All of these suggested items can be easily implemented, but I will leave it to Jupiter to determine which ones are worth pursuing further.
I. Alternative Social Platforms
Since the success of Metis appears to be a high priority for the project, I have kept it at the forefront of my mind when considering potential marketing initiatives. The people most likely to (initially) find value in Metis are those who are concerned with free speech, anonymity and privacy. Such individuals can usually be found in political dissident communities. Jupiter should consider advertising on alternative social platforms like Gettr, Gab, Minds, Parler, Poa.st, etc. There are dozens of these types of sites, but as far as I know Jupiter has yet to advertise on any of them. Even if paid ads are off the table due to budgeting limitations, Jupiter should at least maintain a presence on these platforms and post generic, informative, product related videos and other content. Even sites like 4Chan could be utilized to greater effect.
II. Video Platforms
Youtube
Jupiter has a Youtube channel obviously, but it seems as though it could benefit from being promoted more aggressively. The channel still only has around 600 followers, a number which is quite low when compared with the subscriber counts of other crypto projects that have been around a similar length of time. Promotional videos for Jupiter applications like Metis and LEDA as well as interviews with Sigwo should be advertised heavily, not simply shared a single time on Jupiter’s official social media. There are a plethora of video marketing services ranging from sketchy Fiverr gigs to more professional agencies, with a lot of mid-tier options in between. I would not recommend promoting each and every video but would focus on a select few which are slick, product oriented and impressive.
Odysee
Jupiter for some reason still does not have a channel on Odysee (the platform formerly known as LBRY), Odysee is a video platform which uses blockchain technology and is a competitor of youtube. The platform is dedicated to free speech. Odysee is popular with political activists of nearly every type and also attracts a substantial amount of people from the crypto community. Its userbase consists of exactly the demographic that Jupiter’s offerings would resonate with. Jupiter should maintain a channel on Odysee. They even allow (or did at one time) you to sync your channel with youtube, so
that your videos will appear on Odysee automatically when you upload to youtube. Odysee has grown immensely in popularity over the past year.
Rumble
Rumble is another video platform worth investigating. Like Odysee, it is also oriented to free speech but to a much lesser extent. The site is essentially a “republican boomer” equivalent to Odysee. It attracts a similar audience as sites like NewsMax. Jupiter should consider having a channel on Rumble, or at the very least advertising on one of the more popular channels.
Bitchute
Bitchute is yet another “free speech” video platform. It is devoted to free speech, yet contains more controversial content than the other sites. Jupiter may not wish to have its brand associated with the site, but it is still worth mentioning as an option,given that many users of Bitchute would likely be more interested in Metis than the average person.
III. BPSAA
The BPSAA is “The Blockchain Privacy, Security & Adoption Alliance,” a collaborative group of various crypto projects and entities dedicated to privacy, anonymity, etc. Jupiter should consider joining
the BPSAA, as it aligns with Jupiter’s ideals and values. The BPSAA also offers a lot of synergistic potential for networking, partnerships and cross-promotion between different member projects. With its flagship app Metis, Jupiter can contribute a valuable and genuinely unique niche to the collective.
IV. Sigwo
More effort should be taken to promote Sigwo and increase his prominence in the public eye. Prominent blockchains almost always have iconic leadership figures which the public associates with them. Ethereum has Vitalik. Cardano has Charles Hoskinson. Ravencoin has Tron Black. Stellar has Jed McCaleb… the list goes on. Jupiter should use podcast publicity, press releases and especially memetics to elevate Sigwo’s standing of notability to the same mythical level as these other individuals. A series of Jupiter memes should feature Sigwo,and be circulated aggressively until he is just as recognizable as other crypto stars. This “cult of personality” nod gives the project added gravity, and the public will begin to perceive Jupiter as being on an equal footing with some of these large, rival enterprises. Of course, Jupiter is “the people’s blockchain” so being associated with a central figure may seem counter-intuitive to that message, but it can still be appropriate if such a figure is positioned as a champion of the people.