Growing X and Telegram community by 87.1K+ new members

Challenge: Growing a strong, engaged community organically without relying on shilling or giveaways.

By implementing strategic initiatives, we boosted Ithaca’s community, attracting upwards of 87.1K new followers on X and Telegram in two months. By leveraging a points-based airdrop, strategic KOL partnerships, and compelling content creation, we didn’t just increase numbers—we built a loyal and active following that set the stage for Ithaca’s success in the competitive DeFi space.

We combined value-driven campaigns, influencer power, and relentless execution to deliver undeniable results:

61K+ Twitter followers
17K+ new Telegram announcement channel members
8.9K+ new Telegram discussion group members
866K+ total campaign reach
346K+ impressions from KOL campaigns

About the client

Ithaca is a non-custodial, composable options trading protocol. It uses a unique auction-based matching engine to enhance liquidity and offers flexible, custom options strategies. Designed for both beginners and experts, Ithaca provides a secure and efficient platform for advanced options trading.

Services provided

Marketing strategy
Airdrop management
Social media marketing
Telegram ads
Telegram group promotions
KOL campaigns management
Design

Timeline

Started working: April 2024.
Time worked: 2 months
Campaigns together: 10+

Gameplan

The goal was simple but ambitious: secure 50K+ new followers on X and 5K+ new members on Telegram without relying on shilling or giveaways. Instead, we leveraged a points-based reward system to drive real engagement.

The strategy we put together:

Point-based airdrop: We put our heads together to brainstorm, strategize, and promote Ithaca’s airdrop, ensuring it was a key driver of community engagement.
KOL partnerships: To amplify our reach and boost credibility, we teamed up with KOLs who could help us get the word out to the right audiences.
CIS region focus: Knowing the importance of regional targeting, we honed in on the CIS region. We crafted promotional content that spoke directly to that audience.
Content creation: We didn’t just churn out content. We developed compelling, targeted pieces that resonated with the community and attracted new members.

Social media growth

Twitter

Goal: 50,000 new followers

Benchmark: 22,000 followers

When LKI first teamed up with Ithaca, their Twitter account was struggling. Posts were barely hitting 1K impressions, and the followers they had weren’t engaging at all.

We turned that around. By launching value-driven campaigns like the airdrop and the $100K community fund, along with educational content aimed at beginners, we grew the account to 80K+ followers. Followers who actively interact, comment, and use the protocol daily.

To achieve this, we implemented two key business strategies:

Our approach included:

Daily posting schedule (2+ posts per day)
The mix of content included long-reads and short tweets focusing on two major areas:
- Airdrop and other value-driven campaigns.
- Onboarding users to the platform via educational content on options.

Community growth in 2 months

Goal: 5,000 new & active members in the discussion & announcement channel

Benchmark: 1,000 members

To hit the numbers Ithaca wanted on Telegram, we had to commit 100%. We brought in a dedicated Community Manager to build and maintain hype, posting strategically about the airdrop and the Argonauts Initiative. This move kept the conversation going and, more importantly, it redirected the community’s focus toward value-driven product campaigns. The result was a serious uptick in engagement and participation.

But we didn’t stop there. We launched a targeted Telegram ads campaign with 16 different creatives, testing and refining until we nailed it with the top 2-3. This drove the CPM down to just 0.8 TON. We also tapped into paid Telegram channels to drive traffic across all platforms, funneling a ton of new followers into Ithaca’s Telegram.

The results speak for themselves:

Results of a 1-month Telegram ads campaign

Takeaways

Keep it tangible: Focus on content that offers real value to the reader. Whether it’s winning something, getting a bonus, or boosting their earnings. That’s what keeps people coming back.
Cater to beginners: Our top-performing content made it clear: the audience loves beginner-friendly info. Posts like “3 easy ways to start trading on Ithaca” really resonated. Zero in on beginner-centric content that’s easy to digest but still highlights the platform’s flexible and customizable options strategies.
KOLs = gold: The biggest spike in followers came from our KOL collaborations. KOLs are a powerhouse for growth, especially when they consistently engage with diverse communities.
Ads need tweaking, but they pay off: While our Telegram ads started slow, strategic adjustments turned things around. The upward trend in engagement let us know we were on the right track, and continued optimization put us on course to exceed targets.

Airdrop management

Objective

The goal here was to maximize user participation and engagements during Ithaca’s Airdrop Season One resulting in more than 50% of points claimed in just 2 months.

How we did it:

Campaign strategy & creation: We worked closely with Ithaca’s internal team to brainstorm and build the airdrop campaign from the ground up. Our goal? Craft a strategy that perfectly aligned with their vision and packed a punch.
Review & advisory: We didn’t just set it and forget it. We conducted thorough reviews and provided expert advice every step of the way, making sure the airdrop execution was as smooth and impactful as possible.
Social media content creation: We created engaging social media content that showcased all the unique features of Ithaca’s airdrop events.
KOL & Telegram group promotion: We spread the word and drove traffic to the gamified airdrop through multiple channels, including Telegram, Instagram, and Twitter.
Quest campaigns & partnerships: By tapping into existing partnerships and launching new ones — and by leveraging Galxe & Zealy quests — we funneled traffic straight to Ithaca’s airdrop.

Sneak peek at high-performing airdrop content:

KOLs

We rolled out two waves of KOL marketing campaigns, each one targeting different audiences with specific goals in mind.

The impact? Ithaca’s Twitter account and Telegram channels saw a steady stream of new followers, who were interested in trading and options.

KOL airdrop promotions

Partnered with influential KOLs to amplify airdrop and makes sure it reached the right people at the right time.

CIS TG Promotions

Strategy

Why the CIS region? We’ve found that the best follower growth comes from KOLs who are consistent and speak to a variety of communities in different languages. The CIS region is known for its tech-savvy and highly engaged audience. It’s a hotbed for crypto adoption. Our strategy was all about tapping into this region’s enthusiasm for digital assets and community-driven initiatives.
Promotion angles:
- Argonauts: The Argonauts Initiative is Ithaca’s way of discovering and supporting emerging traders within its community. This isn’t your average trading contest. Participants get $1,000 each from a $100,000 community fund to trade with, and they keep 30% of any profits they make. It’s about giving traders real-world experience with real money, using the Ithaca Protocol. Each trader manages their own dedicated wallet, so they have full control and get practical experience. We made sure to highlight how the program is perfect for active, curious community members eager to learn about the markets. And with new applicants accepted all the time and inactive participants swapped out, the program stays fresh and dynamic.
- Airdrop: Ithaca Airdrop Season One was another key angle. We promoted it as a fun and rewarding way for community members to earn points by doing what they love. Ttrading, placing orders, earning badges, inviting friends, and more. All they had to do was trade a minimum of $20 in digitals, 0.2 ETH in options, or 1 ETH in forwards to activate their points. We also highlighted the 24-hour rolling leaderboard, where the top 100 participants could win a random booster badge.

By focusing on two main angles that were all about action and tangible rewards, we drew in a massive wave of interest to Ithaca from exactly the audience we were targeting; traders and airdrop hunters.

TG Ads

Objective

To utilize targeted TG advertisements to boost engagement and membership growth.

Strategy

Promotion angles:
- Argonauts: We kept the narrative of exploration and innovation alive, inviting members to join the Argonauts Initiative program.
- Airdrop: We hyped up the excitement around Ithaca’s airdrop events, highlighting the benefits and encouraging users to jump in.

Execution

We rolled out distinct ads with varied copy across targeted channels, focusing on the Argonauts and Airdrop campaigns. These angles were a no-brainer. They’re tangible, action-oriented, and offer clear, attractive features that users can take immediate advantage of, with instant results.

The results were spot on. The ads pulled in new users who were genuinely interested in the product, and you could see it in their engagement. They weren’t just passive followers; they were active, interacting with the community and dropping comments.

Campaign details

Initial CPM: 0.5 TON
Adjusted CPM: Increased gradually to 0.7-0.8 TON due to slow initial performance
Budget: $3,536

Performance overview

The Telegram ads performance exceeded all industry expectations. In just three days, the cost per 1 Telegram member dropped from $1.7 to $0.4. This swift improvement highlighted the effectiveness of our targeted approach, paving the way for continued success.

Key insights

Ad copy variations: We crafted multiple versions of ad copy, each specifically tailored to different audience segments, such as beginners, seasoned traders, and airdrop hunters. This allowed us to test which messaging styles resonated best with each group. Content that emphasized the tangible rewards of the Argonauts Initiative resonated more with experienced traders, while simple educational tips about trading on Ithaca appealed to beginners. By analyzing the performance of each variation, we identified the top performers and doubled down on messaging that emphasized immediate, actionable benefits, driving higher engagement. This approach enabled us to fine-tune the copy and ultimately achieve over 519,819 ad views and a strong 4.26% CTR.
CPM adjustment: We started with a CPM of 0.5 TON and gradually bumped it up to 0.7-0.8 TON to counter that slow start. This ensured the ads got the visibility they needed to start engaging the audience effectively.
Engagement trends: Although the ads got off to a slow start, engagement picked up momentum as the week went on. By the end of the first week, they were performing right in line with industry standards. The upward trend suggests that with continued optimization, we could see impressive results.

IMPRESSED BY THE RESULTS?

See the Graphic Highlights
from the campaign

Final insights

In just 2 months, our strategy helped Ithaca pull in over 87.1K new followers on Twitter and Telegram. And we did it all without relying on giveaways, using a powerful mix of airdrops, KOL campaigns, and targeted ads to get people genuinely interested.

Real value-driven content: By focusing on content that offered real, tangible benefits – such as the Argonauts Initiative, where traders received $1,000 to trade, and the points-based airdrop, we attracted users and engaged them meaningfully. The announcement channel gained 17,349+ new members, and the discussion channel had 100+ daily messages, maintaining high activity.
KOL collaborations: Partnering with KOLs, especially in the CIS region, was a game-changer. These KOLs delivered 346,300+ impressions through 44+ posts, significantly boosting engagement. Their credibility and consistent engagement in multiple languages helped us in reaching 60.9K new Twitter followers for Ithaca.
Educational content: We posted educational content about options trading, breaking complex topics into digestible bits of information. This resonated with beginners and led to an engagement increase of 57.3K views, 983 likes, and 370 retweets on high-performing tweets.
Consistent engagement: Through strategic campaigns, including 16 ad creatives tested and refined to top-performing versions, we maintained momentum even during market volatility. Engagement stayed strong, keeping the community lively and driving over 8.9K new Telegram members into the discussion channel.