An Initial Coin Offering, or ICO for short, is a new and emerging way for venture capital-funded companies to raise capital. An ICO usually represents the first time a company has ever offered its stock or cryptocurrency to the general public.
In a campaign, a company can essentially pre-sell its cryptocurrency to venture capital investors in exchange for financing the company’s operations, once it is over, the investor will have received their capital back as well as a piece of the company. It’s a win-win for everyone.
However, as with any new fundraising method, there are certain criteria you must meet in order for it to be successful, if you are planning an ICO for your startup, or if you are interested in investing, then you will want to read on.
What is an ICO?
It is a fundraising method that looks to raise as much capital as possible for a new cryptocurrency venture, it’s essentially a pre-sale for your cryptocurrency that you sell to investors before it’s released to the public.
The beauty of ICOs is that you can often raise far more capital than you would from a traditional venture capital offering.
How Does an ICO Work?
During an ICO campaign, you raise funds in the form of cryptocurrency or tokens, you use this money to create your own cryptocurrency token.
This token is then distributed to investors during an ico marketing campaign, investors purchase your token in the hope that it will increase in value, once the ICO concludes, the token is listed on one of many cryptocurrency exchanges where people can buy and sell it like a regular asset.
The Key to Successful ICO Marketing
The most important thing to remember when marketing your ICO is to be bold, be memorable as well as be creative.
There are a million different ways to market an ICO, but the most successful ones will be those that are fun and engaging.
You don’t want people to yawn and put your campaign in the too-hard pile, try to find ways to make your ICO stand out from the rest.
Quick Summary
An ICO is a new and emerging way for venture capital-funded companies to raise capital, it’s essentially a pre-sale for your cryptocurrency that you sell to investors before it’s released to the public.
Once the ICO campaign is over, the investor will have received their capital back as well as a piece of the company, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Important ICO Considerations
Before you take any money from anyone or launch an ICO, you must consider a number of factors, this includes, but is not limited to, determining if your idea is good, if your team is competent, and if you have a viable product.
If you plan on raising funds, you must also comply with all relevant securities and trading rules and if you are planning on conducting an ICO, you will need to consider the following:
- Set a clear goal for the funding goal of your campaign and if you don’t, it may end up being much lower than you had planned.
- Create a detailed business plan that includes the financials of your company.
- Conduct market research to identify appropriate markets to target.
- Build strong partnerships.
- Be sure you have a strong product.