Welcome to Farcaster 101, a 12 part educational series designed to introduce marketing professionals to the fundamentals of Farcaster. Presented by GM Farcaster in partnership with Snickerdoodle, this series will help you understand what makes Farcaster unique and how to grow your brand presence on the platform. Each webinar is accompanied by a blog post summarizing key insights and additional resources. Plus, we offer weekly office hours for personalized support.

Welcome to Module 10 of our Farcaster 101 series! In this installment, we're diving into the art of content creation on Farcaster. Whether you're a brand, individual creator, or community builder, this module provides actionable advice to help you craft engaging content, leverage creative tools, and thrive in this unique ecosystem.

This module will cover:

1. Casting basics and tools

2. Spotlight on top content creators

3. Brands on Farcaster and the intern phenomenon

4. Bots as content creators

5. Tips for your first 100 casts

Think of a cast as Farcaster's version of a tweet or post—short, impactful, and versatile. While primarily text-based, casts can include:

• Photos, gifs and videos

• Frames that enhance your content visually and allow for interaction

• Links to external sites without algorithmic penalties

If you're new, using frames and other built-in tools can help you get started with ease.

While Warpcast is the most popular client today, other tools offer unique functionalities:

• Supercast.xyz: A paid tool for power users offering features like scheduling, threading, and boosting casts.

• Anser.social and Yup.io: Great for cross-posting content to platforms like Farcaster, Lens, and Twitter.

Pro Tip: Cross-posting can save time but consider tailoring your content for each platform to resonate better with the unique cultures of different platforms.

Studying successful creators can inspire your own strategy. Here are some standouts on Farcaster:

• Naomi (@AfroChicks): A British triple-jump champion who documents her journey on-chain. With a blend of videos, NFTs, and HyperSub monetization, she’s built a vibrant community of over 19,000 followers.

• Murtaza Hussain (@mazmhussain): A journalist covering global news. By filling a unique niche, he’s grown his audience to 24,000 followers.

• Kate Kornish (@katekornish): A classical musician sharing her artistry, with over 2,500 followers.

Key Takeaway: Lean into your niche and share authentically. Humor, expertise, and a consistent voice can make all the difference.

Brands on Farcaster often adopt a playful, community-driven approach known as the "intern strategy."

The "intern" concept in Web3 social media marketing is where a brand's social media presence is styled as though it's run by a chaotic, slightly rogue, yet endearing "intern." This approach often carries an air of self-awareness, humor, and relatability, aligning with Web3’s ethos of experimentation and community-driven authenticity.

Examples include:

• Polymarket: Known for its signature bucket hat.

• Magic Eden: Shares relatable GIFs and memes, using a character named Emmy.

• Shibuyafilm: Casts and replies like an individual person more than a brand.

Farcaster founder Dan Romero casted his approval for the Farcaster brand interns:

• Controlled Chaos: Posts mistakes, typos, or questionable decisions, like "oops, the intern accidentally leaked alpha" or "the intern went rogue again." 

• Humor and Relatability: The persona makes the brand approachable, like it’s part of the community rather than towering over it. Self-deprecating jokes or memes are common.

• Community Engagement: The "intern" often interacts with the audience in a way that feels casual and conversational.

• Subversive Brand Strategy: Instead of a top-down marketing tone, it allows the brand to feel human and fallible.

• Decentralized Nature: Web3 is about breaking traditional structures, and this strategy undermines corporate rigidity.

• Early Adopters: The audience is typically tech-savvy, irony-loving, and receptive to meta-humor.

• Community-Driven: It mirrors the collaborative, sometimes messy, vibe of DAOs and other Web3 projects.

But be careful! When executed well, interns reflect authenticity and builds community trust. But requires careful balance to ensure it doesn’t veer into tone-deafness or actual brand damage. 

Farcaster bots are evolving from utility tools to engaging content creators. Here are a few:

• mfergpt: A shitposting bot that also summarizes daily Farcaster news.

• askgina.eth: Provides answers on crypto and Farcaster-related questions.

• aethernet: A philosophical bot that came from the higher community, sparking deep conversations.

Brands can create their own bots to enhance community interaction and maintain a 24/7 presence.

Starting can feel daunting, but the key is consistency. Here are tips to get your casting flywheel going:

• Experiment with formats: memes, word games (e.g., the Ouli channel), or polls.

• Post memes. Farcaster leans into internet and crypto culture, but be clever not toxic. The memes channel is a good place to start.

• Reply to others: Dive into conversations to build connections. Replyguys channel is a good place to start.

• Explore Farcaster games like Yoink, a playful way to engage with the community.

• Focus on consistency over perfection. Engagement will follow as you find your rhythm.

• As a marketer you likely want to start tracking metrics and engagement, but our advice is don't even look at metrics for the first 100 casts. Use the first 100 casts to get comfortable casting and to find your voice.

This module equipped you with tools and strategies to start creating content and building your presence on Farcaster. Up next, we’ll explore channels and communities in Modules 11 and 12.

Have questions? Join our office hours or tag us in a cast!

• The Snickerdoodle State of Farcaster 2024 report

• Dune dashboard with insights into top creators

• Check out supercast.xyz for advanced features for power users