When Marketing Advantages of Blockchain Services to Individuals, Marketers Must Also Focus on "Selling" the Freedom that Come Along With These Systems.

When individuals implement blockchain platforms or services they are not only receiving the direct advantages of the platform, but also the philosophy behind the platform. 

I think one of the best examples of this is Steemit. It is obviously very important to emphasize the numerous advantages Steemit contains over traditional platforms, but it is also very important to portray the "philosophy" of using this platform, such as individuals having direct benefit from the value that they create, control over their data, and the ability to connect with others who share your similar interests. Sure Steemit allows for authors to receive rewards for the content they produce, but at a deeper level the ability for any individual to have the same ability to take part in value creation. The concept of individuals having a direct role in the monetization of the content they produce is such a profound idea that the world has been waiting for. There is no doubt that in the upcoming years individuals receiving monetary benefits from the value they create will become adopted on many mainstream platforms, but Steemit has a specific advantage compared to these firms which is the aspect of being "first" at market. I know Steemit isn't the first platform to implement aspects of users taking place in value creation, but in many ways it is the first platform to achieve the level of success it has in the market that it has.

Steemit isn't only offering a specific platform or service, but rather a completely new perspective on content value and creation.

There is something truly revolutionary within the idea that individuals are fairly and accurately compensated based upon the value they create. "Hooking" individuals on this new perspective and philosophy regarding content creation is likely to have a much greater overall impact on gaining new users and the dedication of those new users. Whether an individual has any writing or content creating experience in the past doesn't matter, but rather all individuals have an equal chance of taking part in content creation. Imagine typical news or writing websites and the resources and connections an individual would need to possess before being able to have contact with these organizations, let alone be able to write for them and share in the value created. A platform like Steemit lowers the barrier to entry for all individuals regardless of their past experience, resources, or connections and focuses directly on the content that the individual creates. Whether you are a professional blogger from the US or an individual from a remote or under developed country, in theory both individuals have an equal opportunity to produce and monetize their content. 

The elimination of firms acting as middle-men and meddling in their users affairs. 

 Blockchain technologies offer the ability for individuals to truly hold significant power compared to current traditional systems in which nearly all of the benefits created from individuals content is sucked up by large middle-men firms. When we take a look at FaceBook, it is clear that the service that they provide is vastly insignificant when compared to the benefits that they reap from the use of the platform. FaceBook as a company utilizes nearly every part of content creation and monetizes it for themselves, and in seldom cases providing minimal and disproportional rewards to the creators. Showing individuals that on decentralized blockchain platforms the true power lies with the majority is likely to be vital in bringing and exciting new users about the specific platform. For individuals to truly realize the full benefits of decentralized platforms, the major flaws of traditional platforms or services must be seen and understood by users. The only way to get individuals truly passionate about an issue such as FaceBook's continuous surveillance and observation of its users, is to present individuals with a new system that handles user's data responsibly and with their consent.

These services will allow users a much greater control over their life as a whole, and that's how the marketing of blockchain platforms needs to present them. 

Regardless of what specific blockchain platform or service we are discussing, nearly all of these services grant users and individuals a greater amount of freedom and choice compared to traditional services. Instead of presenting Bitcoin as a fast and convenient payment method, what if Bitcoin was advertised as a means of improving individual's financial freedom and the numerous advantages that go along with increased financial freedom? Instead of heavily focusing on the specific platform, service, or product that is produced, let's image presenting these platforms as a means of increasing an individuals overall freedom in all aspects of their lives.  Focusing on the specifics and advantages of the service or platform is important, but selling the image of what the platform/service will allow them is even more important. These types of marketing strategies are extremely prevalent in mainstream and traditional marketing. When you watch a Lincoln car commercial, are they marketing the car itself or are they marketing what the they want to make you feel the car will enable you to achieve a certain  idea of desire. In car commercials, the objective is often to make individuals believe that the specific car will grant them an upgrade in social status or style, rather than highlighting the product itself.

 

Even with the abundance of different blockchain systems and projects, very few have achieved success so far. 

The advantages and benefits for all parties involved within blockchain based systems are copious, but very few have generated enough users for these advantages to be pronounced. Some of the larger platforms and services have made marketing efforts, but instead of selling their platform as a means to individual freedom the marketing often focuses on the product themselves. Although the products advantages and specifics need to be advertised, but presenting blockchain systems as a means of freedom and individual power are likely to have the ability to get a larger number of individuals more enthused about the specific system. Gaining additional users is vital for up-in-coming blockchain platforms, but the passion for the platform that these new users have can be just as important. Marketing blockchain systems as means for individuals to reach a higher level of freedom can also be a great tactic to appeal to a much broader and wider range of individuals. 

The product or service offered is obviously vital, but what the platform gives its users is arguably more important. 

When I say what the platform gives to the individual, I simply mean if the platform is perceived as a means of allowing the individuals to achieve a specific goal that they desire. Whether the sought after goal is data control, privacy, or freedom, when a platform is presented in a way that makes customers believe that the specific product will move them closer to their specific goal individuals are likely to be much more receptive and intrigued by the product. One aspect that I believe isn't discussed as often as it should be in regards to blockchain technology, is the idea of being "ahead of the curve". Many individuals are likely going to be much more interested and receptive to new platforms if they feel as if they have discovered or adopted the technology before the majority of society. When individuals and users have the idea that they are ahead of the curve on a platform, their interests are much more likely to be more long term and in line with the goals of the platform. If individuals believe they arrive on a platform earlier than others will, they will also have a greater chance of behaving and acting in ways that support the adoption and success of the platform in the long term. 

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