How to Hire Crypto Influencers for Web3 Project Growth (Sector-by-Sector KOL Marketing Playbooks)
Lever has created the following guides for deploying KOL marketing campaigns for nearly every kind of project in Web3.
At Lever, we'll argue that nearly every Web3 project has the budget to run an effective and successful influencer campaign. At the very least, every serious project should be doing something with KOL marketing!
We're watching too many builders flip bearish on their own projects, trying to time the market, or simply dragging their indecisive bear paws when it comes to launching KOL campaigns.
Either you're bullish on your project—or you're not, and KOL marketing has proven to be the most effective way to bull-post about what you're building.
That's why Lever has created the following guides for deploying KOL marketing campaigns for nearly every kind of project in Web3. This isn’t guesswork. These playbooks are shaped by what we’ve seen working across dozens of Web3 campaigns.
Each playbook is tailored to the core needs and growth dynamics of a specific sector — whether you're building a DeFi protocol, a game, or an NFT community.
As with any routine aiming for growth and gains 💪, the more reps you put in, the better the results.
🏦 DeFi
What It Is: DeFi projects unlock financial primitives on-chain — lending, trading, yield, leverage — often with complex mechanics.
Why KOLs Matter: Trust is the hardest thing to earn in DeFi. Explaining how your protocol works (and why it’s different) takes more than one tweet. Users want to hear directly from people they follow.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ 1 AMA with a DeFi-centric KOL
- ✅ 3–4 explainer videos breaking down the protocol
- ✅ 1–2 Twitter threads on tokenomics or risk/reward models
- ✅ 4–5 tweets per video, focused on benefits
- 🔄 Quote tweets and retweets from smaller creators
🎮 Web3 Gaming
What It Is: Blockchain games integrate tokens, NFTs, and ownership into gameplay experiences across genres.
Why KOLs Matter: Gamers need to see what they're signing up for. Visual content builds curiosity, while influencer commentary builds credibility in a hype-driven market.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ 1–2 influencer gameplay videos or trailers
- ✅ Livestream AMA or dev Q&A
- ✅ 2–3 TikToks or Shorts for virality
- ✅ 3–5 meme-style tweets or quote tweets
- ✅ 1 thread explaining the economy or token model
🎨 NFT Projects
What It Is: NFT projects combine visual art, culture, and token utility into digital assets people collect, trade, and flex.
Why KOLs Matter: Community = everything. NFT buyers follow tastemakers and value belonging. KOLs seed narrative and drive demand, especially during mint and reveal phases.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ AMA with founder, artist, or lore writer
- ✅ 5–6 tweet posts: sneak peeks, lore drops, roadmap
- ✅ 1–2 threads: team, utility, vision
- ✅ Meme tweet amplification + whitelist giveaway with a creator
🏗️ Infrastructure / Layer 1s & 2s
What It Is: These are the foundational blockchains and scaling solutions that power the rest of the ecosystem.
Why KOLs Matter: Developers choose where to build based on tooling, speed, and support — but reputation plays a huge role. You need creators who can speak their language.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ AMA with the founder or CTO
- ✅ 3–5 explainer videos covering dev experience, fees, speed, etc.
- ✅ 1 detailed dev-focused thread per major feature
- ✅ Amplification via dev educators and ecosystem voices
🧱 RWAs / Tokenized Assets
What It Is: Real-world assets (RWAs) tokenize things like real estate, credit, or commodities — bridging TradFi and DeFi.
Why KOLs Matter: These products sound familiar but work very differently. You need trusted creators to help audiences understand why it’s safe, how it works, and why it matters now.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ AMA with a founder or subject matter expert
- ✅ 2–3 explainer videos on the asset and mechanics
- ✅ 2–3 threads comparing traditional vs tokenized structures
- ✅ 4–6 tweets breaking out core benefits
- ✅ Q&A engagement via quote tweets
🧠 AI + Crypto
What It Is: Projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain — from AI agents to data marketplaces and beyond.
Why KOLs Matter: The overlap is exciting but abstract. Influencers bridge the gap by offering a vision of the future and concrete use cases today.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ Explainer video + AMA with a thought leader
- ✅ 2–3 visionary threads (future of AI x blockchain)
- ✅ 5+ short-form tweets with bold, digestible claims
- ✅ Optional: Live demo walkthroughs or narrated Shorts
🔐 Privacy, ZK, Identity
What It Is: These projects focus on private computation, decentralized IDs, and user sovereignty through cryptography.
Why KOLs Matter: Most users don’t know how ZK works — or why it matters. Influencers who can translate complex math into real-world implications are critical.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ AMA with a technical educator or aligned KOL
- ✅ 3–5 explainers (ZK basics, use cases, how it works)
- ✅ 1–2 threads to reinforce each video’s message
- ✅ 3–4 tweets per explainer with visuals or analogies
- ✅ Quote tweets from values-aligned creators (e.g., privacy advocates)
🧰 DAOs & Governance
What It Is: DAOs use on-chain mechanisms for group decision-making, funding, and collaboration.
Why KOLs Matter: These structures thrive on transparency and participation — which only happens when the mission and mechanics are clearly communicated.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ AMA with DAO contributors or founders
- ✅ 1–2 explainer videos (how to contribute, vote, or earn)
- ✅ Thread explaining the DAO’s mission and process
- ✅ 3–4 tweets highlighting success stories or active proposals
🏦 CeFi / Exchanges
What It Is: Centralized platforms for buying, selling, and holding crypto — often onboarding new users into Web3.
Why KOLs Matter: Reputation, compliance, and usability are everything. KOLs help build that trust and show users what’s different about your platform.
Minimum Campaign Stack:
- ✅ AMA with product lead or compliance officer
- ✅ 2–3 videos on UX, security, and features
- ✅ 4–5 tweets about promotions, listings, or differentiators
- ✅ Cross-amplification with listed projects or existing partners
Final Thoughts on KOL Marketing Playbooks
- These playbooks are the starting lines, not the finish lines.
- The most effective campaigns don’t just stick to the minimum — they layer multiple creator voices, formats, and content types over time to build familiarity, community, and conversions.
- If you’re not sure where to start, Lever can help you build the right stack.
Let’s be real: waiting for the “perfect moment to launch a campaign” is how projects get left behind. Don't be the bear caught sidelined when everything starts pumping, especially when it comes to promoting your own project.
You don’t need perfect timing — you need momentum. These KOL playbooks are designed to get you off the sidelines and into the game now. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to break through the noise.
Start small, start smart, but for the love of God, just start!
Be the Bull Your Project Needs
Every bull run has winners — not just because they built something great, but because they got loud and stayed that way.
Lever.io helps you become the strongest bull for your own project, giving you the tools, creators, and momentum to charge ahead.
Whether you’re hands-on or need a trusted team to push the pace, we’ll help you build campaigns that make others bullish on what you’re building — and make them a part of your community.