It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that influencer marketing is the marketing medium of the future, trailblazing unique, mutualistic opportunities between prominent public figures and the brands they choose to promote, and vice-versa. As the industry takes on new modes of identity, it naturally adapts to other evolving, innovative fields -- an extremely important one being the cryptocurrency market.
The worlds of influencer marketing and cryptocurrency are, in fact, rapidly converging. Digitization continues to revolutionize the way consumers and producers interact, and many influencer marketing startups are now jumping at the opportunity to raise funding via initial coin offerings (ICOs).
For instance, Mattr, a top influencer marketing startup, is now utilizing blockchain technology for its marketing contracts and agreements, while indaHash, an influencer marketing app which connects over 300,000 influencers from 70 markets with global brands, has introduced their own indaHash Coin. Streamtoken.net, a blockchain-based token modeled on decentralized streaming, is even seeking to directly compete with the centralized payment models of YouTube, Twitch, Periscope and Netflix.
To make sense of this convergence and to offer more insight for those who desire to get their feet wet in the Bitcoin investment domain, I spoke to leading tech entrepreneur and cryptocurrency influencer Oliver Isaacs.
Isaacs is one of the UK’s leading serial entrepreneurs and tech influencers, garnering a total social media following of a few hundred thousand followers. A London School of Economics graduate and founder of Amirite.com, Isaacs has become a respected figure in the tech world as well as a leading advisor to social media influencers, Fortune 500 CEOs and tech investors alike. Due to exceptional determination and savvy investing, Isaacs has been able to purchase a number of virtual currencies at staggeringly reduced prices, such as the NEO coin and Ethereum bought for only $14 in early 2017. Today, the NEO coin costs about twice that at $30 per coin while an Ethereum is even pricier, topping off at around $300.
Isaacs has made quite an impressive name for himself for someone still shy of 30. Here are his top five resources for the beginner Bitcoin investor:
Become familiar with the cryptocurrency market.
Before jumping head-first into Bitcoin as an investor, Isaacs recommends becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Bitcoin in general, such as building an understanding of the terms “Blockchain,” “Bitcoin,” “Ethereum,” “Neo,” “Litecoin” and “ICO.” The best way to do this, he said, is through bitcoin.org.
“[Bitcoin.org] gives a solid introduction of Bitcoin in general,” Isaacs said. “I suggest visiting the merchant associations listed there to find current newsgroups, insights and forums on cryptocurrencies.”
Be up-to-date on all things cryptocurrency.
Like with any industry you decide to become a player in, it is crucial to be a student of the game. Isaacs reminds us that the Bitcoin industry is no different.
“I would definitely advise reading daily cryptocurrency sites and media outlet sites covering all things cryptocurrency to keep on top of the daily news,” Isaacs said. “It’s important to fully grasp and understand the fundamental and technical analysis of different coins, and the sentimental analysis, which involves the psychology of the market.”
As for his personal favorite sources, Isaacs lists CoinTelegraph, CryptoInsider, CoinMarketCap and CoinDesk as his daily providers of cryptocurrency insights, opinions and breaking news. He adds that these sites also give important insights into the varying characteristics of different coin management teams.
“Like all business, management quality matters in this space too,” said Isaacs. “I would recommend beginner investors look for currencies (like Ripple, Dash or NEO) that are run by a full-time, professionally managed and experienced team that has a vision to grow, as opposed to those which are run by developers.”
Utilize Bitcoin.directory.
Finding a site that can condense a web full of data into one simple location is always a convenience, and Bitcoin.directory does just that for the crypto web. Providing a fully fleshed-out list of Bitcoin news, tools, exchanges, graphs, shopping and more, Bitcoin.directory is a valuable asset that Isaacs recommends for anyone considering a future in Bitcoin investment.
“It is an excellent resource, full of socially curated submissions from the public covering topics ranging from the basics to technical analysis charts and graphs to comparisons of Bitcoin wallets and exchanges,” said Isaacs.
Tap into cryptocurrency Facebook communities.
“There are numerous, excellent groups on Facebook and the Telegram app covering crypto topics ranging from my personal favorite, All Things Cryptocurrency, full of a great group of people, to investors and to tech influencers.”
Along with All Things Cryptocurrency, Isaacs also recommends The Cryptocurrency Academy for a wealth of “excellent advice, thoughts, and analysis.”
Use Reddit subreddits to start building a portfolio.
“Almost every cryptocurrency has its own subreddit such as (r/litecoin, r/ethereum, r/monero), which is a great way of discovering unknown coins and start diversifying your portfolio,” said Isaacs. “I strongly believe it’s important to hedge against volatility. Much like investing in the stock market or FX, you should diversify your portfolio as a risk management technique.”
For subreddit starting points, Isaacs suggested /r/bitcoin (for discussions on Bitcoin in general), /r/ethtrader (Ethereum investing forum) and /r/BitcoinBeginners (for topics for beginners in bitcoin, general cryptos and blockchain).
Like anything you are considering investing your time and money into, Isaacs encourages you to do your research in order to be able to independently deduce the potential trajectories of the digital currencies market. In order to successfully do so, Isaacs concludes with the following eight characteristics to look for when investing:
• A strong technological soundness
• Liquidity and security
• Exchanges must be willing to store the coin in virtual wallets
• High potential for future growth and scalability
• The team in charge of future development and processes possesses a solid track record
• Any key points, marketplace advantages or likely changes in the future
• The ability of the currency to resist manipulation.
As the worlds of influencers, freelancers, content creators and entrepreneurs keep rising in our collective conscious, so is their inevitable interface with payments via an international, digital proxy currency, such as crypto.