Solana Foundation
Global Marketing & Content Retainer
Link Creative proposes a six-month global marketing retainer for the Solana Foundation: full management of organic social across the ecosystem's primary channels, a compliant Meta and Google paid media program, and a monthly content pipeline built for a global, always-on crypto audience.
Overview
The Solana Foundation is a non-profit foundation based in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the decentralization, adoption, and security of the Solana ecosystem. Its audience spans validators, developers, token holders, and ecosystem builders worldwide, and its programs — Grants and Funding, the Delegation Program, and network security initiatives — need consistent, credible visibility across every channel that audience actually uses.
This proposal covers one integrated engagement: a monthly content sprint that turns ecosystem milestones (grants awarded, delegation updates, network upgrades, ecosystem events) into distributable creative; organic publishing and community management across the Foundation's social channels; and a paid media program on Meta and Google that extends the best-performing organic content to new audiences within each platform's cryptocurrency advertising rules.
Paid media for a protocol foundation is not the same as paid media for a retail brand. Meta and Google both restrict cryptocurrency advertising and require review or certification before campaigns can run; scope, timeline, and assumptions below are written around that reality rather than around a generic playbook. This would be Link's first engagement in the Web3 / protocol ecosystem — we have said so plainly in Why Link, and built the team and timeline to match a compliance-first rollout.
Investment
$25,000
per month · management fee
Term
6
months, then month-to-month
Monthly output
30+
content assets across channels
Channels
6
X · Discord · YouTube · LinkedIn · Meta Ads · Google Ads
What we are measured on
Goals & Success Metrics
Baselines below are marked n/a where the Foundation's current channel data has not yet been shared with Link; the first month includes a channel audit that fills in real baselines. Targets are directional and will be finalized against that audit, not guessed.
Grow a global, engaged community
Expand reach and engagement across X, Discord, YouTube, and LinkedIn among developers, validators, and ecosystem builders — the audience the Foundation's programs depend on.
Make Foundation programs visible
Give the Grants and Funding program and the Delegation Program a steady, recognizable presence so eligible builders and validators actually see and act on them.
Build a compliant paid channel
Stand up Meta and Google campaigns that extend proven organic content within each platform's cryptocurrency advertising policy, rather than running paid media that risks account suspension.
| Metric | Today | Target (month 6) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined social followers (X + LinkedIn + YouTube) | n/a — pending channel audit | 20%+ growth over term | platform analytics, month 1 audit sets real baseline |
| Engagement rate on ecosystem content | n/a — pending channel audit | top-quartile vs. comparable protocol foundations | social listening + platform insights |
| Grants / Delegation program referral traffic | n/a | tracked from month 1, growth every month | GA4, UTM-tagged links |
| Compliant paid media live | not running | live in approved markets by month 2 | Meta Ads Manager + Google Ads, post-certification |
How creative, production and performance work as one
Approach
Our recommendation
Run content, organic, and paid as one compliance-aware loop. Every month we turn real Foundation news into content, publish and read what the community responds to, and extend only the top-performing, policy-compliant creative into paid — so the paid budget is never spent on unproven or non-compliant messaging.
Content sprint sets the pace
A monthly production cycle turns grants announcements, delegation updates, and ecosystem milestones into short-form video, motion graphics, and stills so every channel has real material, not filler.
Organic proves the message first
Every asset ships to X, Discord, YouTube, and LinkedIn before any paid budget touches it. Engagement and community response tell us which messages earn attention.
Paid extends what is proven and compliant
Only organic-proven, policy-compliant creative — brand and education messaging, never token price or investment claims — is rebuilt for Meta and Google within their cryptocurrency advertising rules.
One scorecard, monthly
A single report covers content output, community growth, program visibility, and paid performance, with compliance status and next month's plan called out explicitly.
3 service lines · 15 deliverables
Scope & Deliverables
Scope is organized by service line. Each line lists what ships, how often, and what sits outside the engagement, so there is no ambiguity about what the monthly fee covers — this matters even more for a compliance-sensitive paid program.
Content Creation
A monthly production cycle turning Foundation news and ecosystem milestones into distributable video, motion graphics, and stills.
| Deliverable | Cadence |
|---|---|
| Content calendar tied to Foundation announcements and program milestones | monthly |
| Short-form video edits (grants recaps, delegation updates, network news) | 10 / month |
| Motion graphics and animated explainers | 4 / month |
| Ecosystem builder / validator spotlight features | 2 / month |
| Event or milestone coverage edit (remote-sourced footage/assets) | 1 / month |
Organic Social Media
Publishing and community management across X, Discord, YouTube, and LinkedIn, with monthly reporting.
| Deliverable | Cadence |
|---|---|
| Published posts across X, LinkedIn, and YouTube | 24 / month |
| Discord community engagement and moderation support | daily, business hours |
| Grants and Delegation Program awareness content | 4 / month |
| Community sentiment monitoring and monthly digest | monthly |
| Organic performance report and next-month plan | monthly |
Paid Media — Meta & Google
Brand and education campaigns built from the content library, run within each platform's cryptocurrency advertising policy.
| Deliverable | Cadence |
|---|---|
| Meta Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy authorization and Google crypto certification | month 1 |
| Campaign setup and conversion tracking (program sign-ups, site traffic) | month 1 |
| Meta and Google brand/education campaigns in approved markets | always-on from month 2 |
| New ad creative variants drawn from the monthly content library | 4 / month |
| Paid performance and compliance report | monthly |
Not included in this scope
- Any paid or organic content referencing token price, investment returns, or solicitation — prohibited by Meta and Google policy and out of scope regardless of platform approval
- Advertising in jurisdictions where cryptocurrency promotion is restricted or prohibited
- Legal or regulatory compliance review of ad creative — the Foundation's counsel signs off before paid launch
- Press/PR outreach and media buying outside Meta and Google
- In-person event production or travel (remote-sourced footage and assets only, unless scoped separately)
- Website or dApp development
Setup first, then a monthly rhythm
Timeline
Month one is compliance and setup — Meta and Google both gate cryptocurrency advertising behind review — so paid media goes live in month two, not month one. Durations are indicative and depend on platform review timelines, which Link does not control.
Weeks 1–4
Onboarding, audit & certification
Kickoff, channel audit for real baselines, brand and voice alignment, Meta cryptocurrency advertising authorization and Google crypto certification submitted, first content sprint.
Weeks 5–12
Launch & learn
Organic publishing at full cadence across all channels; paid campaigns go live in approved markets once certification clears; first optimization cycle on real data.
Weeks 13–26
Scale what works
Budget and content shift to the best-performing themes and channels; quarter-end review and renewal decision.
Named people, one point of contact
Your Team
A small, named team owns the account end to end, with dedicated coverage for the compliance work a crypto paid program requires.
Account Lead
Your single point of contact. Owns the plan, the monthly scorecard, and the renewal conversation.
- Run the monthly review
- Own priorities and approvals
Content Producer / Motion Designer
Turns Foundation news and ecosystem milestones into edited video and motion graphics every month.
- Content calendar and briefs
- Edit direction and QA
Social & Community Manager
Publishes and manages community across X, Discord, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
- Publishing and captions
- Community engagement and moderation support
Paid Media Specialist
Owns the Meta and Google authorization process and runs campaigns within each platform's cryptocurrency advertising policy.
- Certification and account setup
- Campaign build and optimization
Designer / Editor
Turns raw material into finished, on-brand assets and ad variants across formats.
- Asset production
- Ad creative variants
6-month retainer · USD
Investment
All figures in USD, billed monthly in advance. This is a management fee for content, organic social, and paid media management; ad spend on Meta and Google is separate and funded directly by the Solana Foundation. One integrated plan is offered, matching the full scope requested.
Full-Service Retainer
RecommendedContent + organic + paid media, all channels
$25,000
per month
- Monthly content sprint: 10 video edits, 4 motion pieces, 2 spotlight features, 1 milestone edit
- Organic social across X, Discord, YouTube, and LinkedIn — 24 posts + daily community management
- Meta and Google cryptocurrency advertising authorization and campaign management
- 4 new ad creative variants / month once paid media is live
- Monthly scorecard covering content, community, program visibility, and paid performance
Term
6 months
Total for term
$150,000 USD
Matches the scope requested: one team covering every social channel, both paid platforms, and the content pipeline that feeds them, at the agreed $25,000 monthly management fee.
Recommendation
The Full-Service Retainer is the only plan on the table because the requested scope — all socials, Meta and Google ads, and content creation — is already the full engagement. The one variable outside Link's control is platform review time for cryptocurrency ad certification, which is why paid media is scheduled to go live in month two rather than day one.
Media budget
Suggested starting media budget: $15,000–$25,000 / month across Meta and Google combined, sized down from that range in month one while certification is pending and scaled once campaigns are live. Media spend is not part of the Link fee and is paid directly by the Foundation to each platform.
Payment terms
- Monthly fee invoiced on the 1st, due net 15.
- Six-month initial term, then month-to-month with 30 days' written notice.
- Additional event coverage or travel-based production quoted separately.
- All finished content assets are owned by the Solana Foundation on payment.
Figures are valid for 30 days from the proposal date and assume the scope and assumptions below, including platform certification timelines outside Link's control.
What the fee depends on
Assumptions & Exclusions
Assumptions
- The Foundation provides brand guidelines, program updates (Grants, Delegation, network milestones), and a content calendar of upcoming announcements at kickoff.
- Link receives admin access to X, Discord, YouTube, LinkedIn, Meta Business Manager, and Google Ads accounts, plus GA4 for referral tracking.
- Paid campaigns comply with Meta's Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy and Google's cryptocurrency certification requirements; all ad creative is brand and education messaging only, never token price, yield, or investment claims.
- The Foundation's legal/compliance counsel reviews and signs off on paid ad creative before launch, given the regulatory sensitivity of promoting a protocol network across jurisdictions.
- Approvals on calendars, edits, and ad copy turn around within two business days; delays shift publishing and paid launch dates, not scope.
- Meta and Google's review timelines for cryptocurrency advertising authorization are outside Link's control; the month-2 paid launch assumes standard review times and may shift if either platform requests additional information.
- Ad spend is funded by the Solana Foundation directly to Meta and Google; Link does not mark up media.
Exclusions
- Any content — paid or organic — referencing token price, investment returns, staking yield promises, or solicitation to buy or hold SOL
- Advertising in jurisdictions where cryptocurrency promotion is restricted or prohibited by local law or platform policy
- Legal or regulatory compliance review — the Foundation's own counsel signs off on ad creative and jurisdictional targeting
- Press/PR outreach, influencer fees, or paid media on channels other than Meta and Google
- In-person event production, travel, or on-site shoots (available as a separate scope if needed)
- Website or dApp development beyond landing-page recommendations for paid traffic
Open questions
- Which social handles should Link manage directly, versus channels run by ecosystem partners or validators?
- Who on the Foundation's legal/compliance team signs off on paid ad creative before launch?
- Are there jurisdictions where the Foundation already knows advertising must be excluded?
- What access currently exists to X, Discord, YouTube, LinkedIn, and analytics, and who grants it?
- Is there an existing brand/voice guide, or should Link produce one in month one?
Creative · production · performance, one team
Why Link Creative
Link Creative is a Chicago performance-marketing and creative agency. Creative, production, and performance sit under one roof — the same team that produces the content runs the media behind it. This would be Link's first engagement in the Web3 / protocol ecosystem, and the team and timeline above are built around that honestly: compliance and certification come before paid spend, not after.
6
service lines under one roof
1 team
from content to compliant paid media
Chicago
based, globally capable
The social media impact has been transformative for our practice.
Dr. John Kelly
Kelly Smile Design
Professional, high quality, and genuinely invested in our results.
Sharif Maadi
Chicago's Lawyer
Related work
Kelly Smile Design
Organic social + production, integrated retainer
A single team running content, publishing, and community management as one monthly system.
Preferred Rate
Financial services · paid + creative
Full-funnel paid media with creative refreshed continuously from ongoing production — the same loop proposed here for compliant crypto paid media.
Next Steps
Three steps from this proposal to the first shoot.
Confirm scope and legal contact
Confirm channel ownership, jurisdictions to exclude, and who on the Foundation's legal team signs off on ad creative.
Sign and share access
Sign the agreement, then share platform access (X, Discord, YouTube, LinkedIn, Meta, Google, GA4) so onboarding and certification start immediately.
Kickoff
A 60-minute kickoff to lock the content calendar, confirm the channel audit, and start the Meta and Google cryptocurrency ad certification process.
Review & sign
Accept Solana Foundation — Global Marketing & Content Retainer — Proposal by signing below. Use the email address this proposal was addressed to.
Electronic signature disclosure
By drawing and submitting your signature, you agree that it constitutes your legally binding electronic signature under the US ESIGN Act (15 USC §7001) and applicable state UETA statutes, with the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. We record your name, email address, IP address, browser user-agent, and timestamp at submission; this audit trail is retained alongside the proposal.
By signing you agree to the scope, investment and terms above. Questions first? info@linkcreativeco.com
Direct contact: info@linkcreativeco.com
Link Creative · 350 W Ontario St, Suite 5E, Chicago, IL 60654 · linkcreativeco.com
Confidential — Solana Foundation · Global Marketing & Content Retainer — Proposal