Navigating Polkadot Content Niches
Navigating Content Niches: Recipes for Polkadot Success
TLDR: This document outlines all the progress, milestones and future plans for the Dablock initiative, related to the Polkadot OpenGov proposal #240. It includes all the related resources that are being generated and detailed reports, along with the author’s experiences, recommendations and point of views on how to approach content initiatives and the Polkadot OpenGov as a niche ecosystem.
In these initial months, along with several additional achievements detailed in the subsequent reports, we have successfully completed and extended the main milestones:
- ✅ Curated a comprehensive directory of the Polkadot ecosystem.
- ✅ Published and organized over 500 URLs of content on Dablock.com.
Index
All main headings in the index link to the corresponding section of the document. |
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- CONTEXT, REPORTS & FUTURE
- Introduction to Dablock
- Dablock Brain Sheet
- Report 1: Dablock as Polkadot Resources Hub
- A Comprehensive Directory and Research of the Polkadot Ecosystem
- An MVP for a Niche Content Portal Covering the Polkadot Ecosystem
- Report 2: LV as Content Creator
- Workflow for Individual Content Creators
- Content Produced During 2024
- Report 3: Dablock as Content Agency
- Product vs Business
- Product First, Business Second
- Future of Dablock
- Phase 1: Survive
- Phase 2: Resurgence
- Introduction to Dablock
- EXPERIENCE & PROJECT TIMELINE
- Main Errors to Avoid, Lessons Learned & Advices
- Dablock First Steps & Fund Management
- Set-Up for Independent Creators
- Management, Activity and Legal Entity
- Team and Delegation of Tasks
- Contributions to other initiatives
- LV Tech Talk at Sub0
- DaBlock DAO community and approach
- So, Where is DablockDAO?
- VISION, OPENGOV & CONTENT INITIATIVES
- Input/Output Management for Creators
- Experience with current OpenGov Mechanics
- Facilitate Access to OpenGov for Small Initiatives
- Bounties and the figure of Curator
- Pending Words
- Polkadot OpenGov Trends
- Content Isolation & Niche Communities
- Use of AI in Initiatives Funded by the Polkadot Treasury
- OpenGov Vibes
1. CONTEXT, REPORTS & FUTURE {#1.-context,-reports-&-future}
1.1 Introduction to Dablock {#1.1-introduction-to-dablock}
On November 25, 2024, we received a first funding thanks to the proposal #240 to the Polkadot DAO Treasury to support the Dablock initiative and its activity by directing/creating content, managing web portals, and advising/training creators and marketing teams that are already native or entering the Polkadot ecosystem.
In this topic I will share the progress with DaBlock and document my experience as an active creator, educator and continuos learner focused on the Polkadot ecosystem over the past and next years:
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Working with Dablock as a content agency specialized in Polkadot.
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Educate ambassadors, developers and advanced users of the Polkadot ecosystem in good practices for content creation.
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Advise professional creators, project teams and native ecosystem initiatives.
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Generate free-use guides and resources aimed at creators and media teams in the web3 industry.
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Scaling Dablock.com as an informational portal and Polkadot ecosystem directory.
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Categorize & link:
- All the elements that make up the Polkadot ecosystem.
- Resources of interest to all types of profiles.
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Manage and direct content strategies to achieve organic visibility.
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Generating content under my personal brand LV for YouTube channels and secondary social networks.
— Side quest: Form DablockDAO to involve the community in maintaining DaBlock.com content and directories and DaBlock decision making (see Dablock Community).
I hope that these publications, the experience and points of view shared serve as a reference for future ecosystem initiatives.
1.1.1 Dablock Brain Sheet
Before starting, you can find more details of the initiative’s progress along with thousands of useful links, all the resources and all the curated elements of the Polkadot ecosystem at the following link: 🧠 Dablock.com brain.
This resource is for all creators, portals, agencies, and teams in the ecosystem to take as a reference and starting point, since it can save you dozens if not hundreds of hours of work.
It also serves as a central document where I am organizing all the ideas and work related to Dablock. So you can closely track the Dablock initiative in that Google Sheet along with this topic in the Polkadot forum where I will be sharing reports and points of view.
The Dablock core document is currently composed of the following 10 sheets:
- DOT Dapps: This sheet includes a list of Dapps projects building in the Polkadot ecosystem with their logos, elements, specifications, categories, subcategories, web, GitHub, documentation links, and additional information such as related legal entities and teams.
- DOT Ecosystem: Details various components of the Polkadot ecosystem including initiatives, organizations, core developers, creators/educators…
- DOT Events: This sheet lists events and talks related to Polkadot, including the name, date, URL, and additional details such as review status and descriptions
- DOT Resources: List of tools and resources for developers, including blogs, documentation, learning resources, podcasts, and newsletters, each with relevant URLs and categories.
- Web3 Glossary: Glossary of Web3 terms, providing definitions and explanations of various concepts within the Web3 and blockchain space.
- Creators Tools: Tools and resources aimed at content creators within the Web3 Industry, potentially including software, platforms, and best practices.
- *Project Timeline: This sheet outlines the timeline of key milestones, deliverables, and deadlines for Dablock projects. This includes dates, tasks, and responsible parties.
- *Content: Content pieces related to Dablock, such as articles, blog posts, tutorials, or marketing materials. It includes columns for the title, category, URL, review status, and descriptions.
- *General Pages: List of general pages in the Dablock website. It includes columns for the title, category, URL, review status, and descriptions.
- *OpenGov: This sheet reflects the participation of LV and Dablock-related entities in the governance of Polkadot, Kusama, and other ecosystem networks. Specific proposals, the network to which they belong, the date, the track, the requested amount, the voter, the vote (AYE, NAY or Abstain), and the associated comments are presented here.
1.2 R1: Dablock as Polkadot Resources Hub {#1.2-r1:-dablock-as-polkadot-resources-hub}
This section details how DaBlock serves as a central repository for Polkadot-related content, providing curated directories and resources for different initiatives, creators, and powered users within the ecosystem.
In summary, the strategy for creating the structure and categorization of content for the Dablock portal revolves around grouping all crucial information, resources and elements and organizing it intuitively. The goal is to present the content in a way that would have been helpful to any newcomer to the ecosystem, ensuring curation and categorization, whether in post format, directory elements, or lists.
In the end, we have ended up differentiating two main sections of this work:
- Directory: Categorization of directory elements and main sources for the curation and generation of new content.
- Website: The creation and publication of content on the web based on the previous research and resources gathered for the directory.
All of this work is about defining a complete and ordered map of the entire Polkadot ecosystem by categorizing and linking its different elements and then adapt and show it in different acquisition media channels (X, YouTube and, mainly, aimed at content portals, as we are trying to exemplify with Dablock) and its different content formats (threads, videos, podcasts, web posts/pages. ..).1
1.2.1 A comprehensive directory and research of the Polkadot ecosystem {#1.2.1-a-comprehensive-directory-and-research-of-the-polkadot-ecosystem}
The corresponding white label directory is mainly composed of the DOT Dapps, DOT Ecosystem, DOT Events and DOT Resources sheets. In the end, the length and details of this directory and ecosystem research have been considerably extended from what was originally proposed, with the research & directories track taking more prominence and time than expected during these first months (see Project Timeline sheet).
The objective is that this research serves both to originally work on the Dablock portal, and so that at the same time it can be used by other portals in the ecosystem, marketing teams, content creation initiatives, individual creators…
✅Currently more than 1,000 items have been curated and classified, along with their related links, with the DOT Dapps and DOT ecosystem directories being one of the most complete and updated.
The following 20 fields are taken into consideration when adding and updating new elements to the DOT Dapps directory, which is the one most extended:
Field | Description |
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Logo | The official logo of the project or element, used for visual identification and branding on the platform. |
Element | The name or title of the project, application, or protocol being described. |
Specifications | Polkadot App, Kusama App, Mainnet, Infrastructure, Smart Contract, Testnet, *Dapp, Miscellaneous & Protocol. |
Categories | DeFi, Tools, NFTs, Social & General Purpose. |
Subcategories | AI, Wallet, DEX, Lending, Prediction Market, RWA, Block Explorer, Data/Indexing/Storage, NFT Marketplace, Gaming, Development Tool, Liquid Staking, DAO Tool, Metaverse, Bridge, Identity/Privacy, IoT/DePIN, Staking & Miscellaneous. |
Website | The official website link of the project or element. |
X Profile | The official profile or handle on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter). |
Github Repository | Link to the project’s GitHub repository, where source code and project updates are maintained. |
Dablock Link | Direct link to the corresponding page on the DaBlock platform, providing more detailed information or resources. |
Description | A brief overview or description of the project or element, summarizing its purpose, functionality, and significance within the ecosystem. |
Status | Active, Announced, Tested, Unmantained, Unmantained?, Inactive. |
RSS Feed | Link to the RSS feed or the official blog for ongoing updates and news related to the project. |
Linkedin Profile | Official LinkedIn profile link for the project, providing professional networking and company information. |
Related Legal Entity 1 | The first associated legal entity related to the project, providing details on the organization or corporation involved. |
Related Legal Entity 2 | The second associated legal entity related to the project, if applicable. |
Related Token | The native token associated with the project, if applicable, including ticker symbol and blockchain. |
Ambassador Program | Links to the project ambassador program if it has one. |
Community Channels | Direct link to the project community channels |
Docs | Direct link to the project official documentation |
Related Token | Project related tokens |
It is an open-use resource, a tool to generate, organize and even automate content. With this, portals like dablock.com, new similar or more general content portals, existing projects like parachains.info, media initiatives, individual content creators like youtubers or even the so-called “KOLs”, can use it as a resource to update information, configure complete content calendars or even replicate, adapt and show the whole research and directories in their own content platforms.2
All of these graphs can be found in the Dablock brain sheet.
The importance of good foundations and research prior to production
Without a doubt this has been one of the most complicated tasks to maintain over time and at the same time, from our point of view, the most important when generating new content due to the large number of changes that occur in the ecosystem in short periods of time and the importance of these. It is very easy to make mistakes when creating certain content such as list type content, hence the importance of having a good base study and, above all, a clear categorization and definition for the different elements that make up the ecosystem.
Still, the original intention from Dablock is to continue updating and optimizing the public directory structure and categorization of elements, since it can become a parallel task to the creation of new content.
The original Google Sheet will continue to be used for now. Once the directory management is migrated to a public repository on GitHub, we will begin expanding and updating it from there and automate the other platforms.
References taken for curating the directories and content
As a starting point for the curation of the directory, work began in 2023 initially taking as reference portals such as the substrate website projects directory, various previously existed resources from the Web3 Foundation, parachains.info, dotmarketcap.com among several others, including directories of sub-ecosystems within Polkadot such as Moonbeam, dtmb.xyz… as shown in the initial PoC of the Dablock portal.
A big part of existing resources from these portals were presented with significantly outdated lists and elements, so it was important to study each specific profile as best as possible when curating a complete ecosystem directory, specially to link all the elements between them (Dapps <-> Initiatives <-> Organizations <-> Tech Stack <-> …).
We must recognize that it is impossible to always have a directory of an ecosystem as complex as Polkadot’s in a 100% correct way amid so much change in narrative, such as the volatile and ephemeral nature of the elements and brands. Hence, later on the website for Dablock, a more general structure of urls and categorization of elements was proposed.
Once the first main elements of the ecosystem have been organized and categorized into a first skeleton for the directory, the main sources of information to update the current elements and add new ones are:
- Polkadot Forum: A central hub for discussions and updates related to the Polkadot ecosystem. From my point of view, the true heart of the ecosystem.
- Web3 Foundation Grants, DV and DF Programs: Projects funded and supported by the Web3 Foundation in one of their diverse programs.
- Governance Forums: Platforms such as Subsquare and Polkassembly with an interface showing insights into governance initiatives, proposals, active bounties…
- Active Referral Profiles on X: Technical, educators and native media profiles on X that actively share and discuss updates and news within the Polkadot ecosystem.
- Various Sources (Github, Reddit, Linkedin…): Platforms where several Polkadot community members share projects, discuss ideas, and networks.
By leveraging these sources, we ensured the directories remained comprehensive, up-to-date, and reflective of the latest developments and contributions within the Polkadot ecosystem.
1.2.2 An MVP for a Polkadot Niche Content Portal {#1.2.2-an-mvp-for-a-polkadot-niche-content-portal}
Set-Up and Redirections
After a first design and structure proposed in the first website presentation linked at the proposal #240, the interface design and the first url structure of the directory and content have been redesigned, trying to make it as easy as possible to maintain and scale over time and, at the same time, be as intuitive as possible for new users.
- When re-structuring the urls from the first poc, the keyword parachain has been completely removed and a categorization with more general concepts like other popular portals that work with similar directories such as Alchemy has been taken as a reference.
- When considering the categorization of posts, tags structure, etc. Other popular news portals have also been taken into account such as Cointelegraph, Coindesk… Although the same approach has not been applied here for the categorization of content since, despite the both references mentioned being able to be considered too as “content portals”, the approach for dablock.com has to be very different due to the ultra niche nature, expected scope, available resources and work methodology.
About the user experience, as detailed in week 15 in the Project Timeline sheet, in the future, among any of the many possible scenarios, it is important to continue optimizing the WPO. Although at first glance it collects good marks in the tests with Google Page Speed.4
Screenshot from Google Page Speed.
Portal Structure & Cornerstone Pages
The portal interface and menus have been made as simple and intuitive as possible, while at the same time trying to link any element of the Polkadot ecosystem in less than 2 clicks.
1. The three main landing pages to navigate the portal are:
These pages try to introduce the other main sections, directories and featured pieces of content.
2. Next are the cornerstone list type pages by topic. Instead of publishing them as if they were a post, they have been published as a main page, example:
- TOP 10 Polkadot Multisig Wallets (dablock.com/polkadot-multisig-wallets/)
- TOP 15 Polkadot NFT Marketplaces (dablock.com/polkadot-nft-marketplaces/)
From these pages the elements of the ecosystem are introduced and linked directly (example, from the first url mentioned: dablock.com/dapps/nova-wallet/). The goal is to rank these trying to respond as best as possible to the user to searches such as: “best polkadot ecosystem wallets”, “polkadot NFT marketplaces”, etc.
In this Google Sheet it is possible to consult more information about the main pages of this type that are already published, revisions, etc.
Title | Main Keyword | URL | Review 1 |
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Web3 Glossary | Web3 Glossary | https://dablock.com/web3-glossary/ | Pending |
Web3 Marketing Glossary | Web3 Marketing Glossary | https://dablock.com/web3-marketing-glossary/ | Pending |
11 Resources to get into the Polkadot Ecosystem | Web3 Jobs | https://dablock.com/web3-jobs/ | Pending |
TOP 5 Polkadot Ecosystem Events | Web3 Events Polkadot Ecosystem Events | https://dablock.com/web3-events/ | Pending |
40 Resources to Learn Polkadot Technology | Web3 learn Learn Polkadot Technology | https://dablock.com/web3-learn/ | Pending |
TOP 5 Polkadot Ecosystem Podcasts | Web3 Podcasts Polkadot Ecosystem Podcasts | https://dablock.com/web3-podcasts/ | Pending |
TOP 5 Polkadot Ecosystem Newsletters | Web3 Newsletters | https://dablock.com/web3-newsletters/ | Pending |
TOP 10 Polkadot Ecosystem DAOs more Active | Polkadot DAOs Polkadot Ecosystem DAOs | https://dablock.com/polkadot-daos/ | Pending |
TOP 10 Polkadot OpenGov Initiatives | Polkadot Initiatives | https://dablock.com/polkadot-initiatives/ | Pending |
TOP 35 Polkadot Validators Active in the Ecosystem | Polkadot Validators | https://dablock.com/polkadot-validators/ | Pending |
TOP 7 Polkadot Ecosystem Memecoins | Polkadot Memecoins | https://dablock.com/polkadot-memecoins/ | Pending |
TOP 5 Polkadot Liquid Staking Projects | Polkadot Liquid Staking Projects | https://dablock.com/polkadot-liquid-staking-projects/ | Pending |
TOP 5 Polkadot System-Chains | Polkadot System-Chains | https://dablock.com/polkadot-system-chains/ | Pending |
TOP 10 Polkadot Gaming Projects | Polkadot Gaming Projects | https://dablock.com/polkadot-gaming-projects/ | Pending |
TOP 10 Polkadot Lending Protocols | Polkadot Lending Protocols | https://dablock.com/polkadot-lending-protocols/ | Pending |
TOP 15 Polkadot Media Channels | Polkadot Media | https://dablock.com/polkadot-media/ | Pending |
TOP 5 Polkadot Bridge Projects | Polkadot Bridges | https://dablock.com/polkadot-bridges/ | Pending |
TOP 3 Polkadot Testnets | Polkadot Testnets | https://dablock.com/polkadot-testnets/ | Pending |
TOP 10 Polkadot Core Developers | Polkadot Core Developers | Pending | |
TOP 30 Polkadot DeFi Projects | Polkadot DeFi Projects | https://dablock.com/polkadot-defi-projects/ | Done |
TOP 40 Polkadot Tools | Polkadot Tools | https://dablock.com/polkadot-tools/ | Done |
TOP 15 Polkadot NFT Marketplaces | Polkadot NFT Marketplaces | https://dablock.com/polkadot-nft-marketplaces/ | Done |
TOP 10 Polkadot Multisig Wallets | Polkadot Multisig Wallets | https://dablock.com/polkadot-multisig-wallets/ | Done |
TOP 25 Polkadot Ecosystem Wallets | Polkadot Wallets | https://dablock.com/polkadot-wallets/ | Done |
Polkadot JAM Chain Explained | Polkadot JAM Chain | https://dablock.com/polkadot-jam-chain/ | Pending |
All urls published on dablock.com
Below is a brief summary of all the urls published on the dablock.com portal until now. In the sitemap there is a live-time updated list with direct links to all pages and posts.
The following table explains the main structure and categorization of the URLs of the dablock.com portal, which attempts to organize the information in the most global, agnostic, simplified and user-friendly way possible for new users entering the Polkadot ecosystem.
Type | URLs | Overview |
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Dapps | 183 | The Dapps Directory serves as a comprehensive guide to the current dapps and tools thriving within the Polkadot ecosystem. Each entry offers detailed insights into the application’s functionality, user experience, and how it leverages the unique features of Polkadot or Kusama. This directory is an invaluable resource for users looking to explore, understand, and engage with the diverse dApp offerings within the ecosystem. |
Ecosystem | 104 | This directory encapsulates a wide array of initiatives, DAOs, agents and organizations that form the backbone of the Polkadot ecosystem. |
Main Pages | 26 | Cornerstone Pages are the essential touchpoints of dablock.com, designed to guide users through the most critical aspects of the platform. These include the homepage, key resource hubs, and pivotal content pieces that establish the foundation of the DaBlock initiative. Each page is curated to provide users with a clear, accessible, and comprehensive understanding of the site’s offerings and the ecosystem it supports. |
Posts | 207 | The Posts shared on DaBlock.com are articles, updates, and insights that cover the full spectrum of topics relevant to the Polkadot ecosystem and the broader Web3 landscape. Each post is carefully curated and categorized to ensure that users can easily navigate and find the content most relevant to their interests. |
Categories | 7 | Categories are the primary way the content posts are organized, ensuring that users can easily find articles and resources that match their interests. Rankings, Guides: Comprehensive rankings and step-by-step guides that help users navigate the best tools, dApps, and services in the Polkadot ecosystem. These resources are designed to provide clarity and direction for both newcomers and seasoned participants. News: The latest updates and breaking news related to the Web3 space, with a particular focus on significant events, protocol upgrades, and new developments within the Polkadot and Kusama networks. Interviews: In-depth conversations with key figures and developers in the Web3 and Polkadot ecosystems, offering insights into their work, vision, and the future direction of decentralized technologies. Most of this content is made by selecting the most notable interviews related to Polkadot and from the video and transcription generate derived content summarizing the key points and link all the related sources. Tech Talks: Technical discussions and presentations aimed at developers and advanced users, covering deep dives into the technologies powering Polkadot, Substrate, and other related platforms. The Tech-Talks category is where all the resources from the latest major Polkadot events are grouped, mainly Decoded and Sub0. Each post shows a small summary of the talk, the related slides and the official video. Web3 Marketing: Strategies, best practices, and case studies focused on marketing within the decentralized Web3 space, including how to effectively promote projects, engage communities, and leverage social media in the blockchain world. Opinion: Thought-provoking articles where experts and community members share personal insights, perspectives, and commentary on trends and developments within the Web3 and Polkadot ecosystems. |
Tags | 11 | Tags are used to label and organize content with specific, focused keywords, making it easier for users to find related content across the site. Tags like DeFi, NFTs, Airdrops, Memecoins SocialFi, OpenGov, JAM, Gavin Wood, Kusamarian, Decoded, and Sub0 provide a quick way to access all relevant posts and resources connected to the most trending topics in the Polkadot ecosystem, enhancing user navigation and content discovery. |
Evolution of organic visibility
Until the last week everything has been growing correctly, indexing all the main urls and growing organic visibility in search engines. In fact, I was and still am waiting for a high positive turning point once the content of the cornerstone pages that we discussed in the previous section is finished being optimized and indexed, since the intention is to start indexing as soon as possible for at least 1,000 keywords related to the DOT ecosystem.
Semrush Organic Research screenshot for USA
By not applying an off-page SEO strategy as such (only links and traffic from social networks and YouTube videos) and focusing everything on the application of good practices and content, for this type of portal in the short term it would surely be much more convenient to have deployed it simply using a keyword-domain instead of trying the hard way trying to grow the authority of a new brand-domain as such.
In any case, during the last few days, shortly after the Decoded 2024, there has been a sudden drop in the evolution of the visibility of the urls.
Google Search Console screenshot showing the impressions for the different dablock.com urls during the last 90 days
Google Search Console screenshot showing the urls indexed (green) and non-indexed (gray) for the different dablock.com urls during the last 90 days (including urls of images hosted).
This can be due to several different reasons. We will continue to monitor everything and a new report will be given at the end of August with the evolution and possible reasons for what caused this anomaly… So far my first assumption is that it is due to a latest update in Google SERPs pagination, but it is strange since it has also affected image search.
In any case, now with more than 20 cornerstone pages already published and a considerable amount of content managed, the real optimizations begin until we find the best structures and formats for Google and therefore for the users.
In the Future of Dablock section, different scenarios and approaches are discussed to optimize the reach of content with alternative strategies that could collect better results in less time, with greater automation and without the need to invest in off-page SEO and, of course, in PPC, like the mentioned above using a keyword-domain.
Other teams and initiatives in the ecosystem could also try to implement all of this based on the work done for Dablock and the directories in their own beneficial way for their project.
Dablock.com Users Activity
Below is the growth in the number of users on dablock.com and geographic location.