Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a popular way to raise the funds you need to develop your cryptocurrency or blockchain product further, and to raise awareness and interest in your project. Below is a guide to 5 things you can do to ensure that your ICO launch is a success.

Set clear goals

Before you launch your ICO, you should set out the goals of the project in a clear way. If you are unable to explain the objectives which your project hopes to achieve, you will find it difficult to get investors on board. The best way to do this is to produce a development roadmap, or to write a white paper which details the nature of your project and the value it will bring to the world.

Build a team

Launching an ICO isn’t something you should do alone. Not only will you be overwhelmed if you attempt to do everything yourself, but flying solo could also be off-putting for investors! People who are looking to invest in an ICO typically want to see that it is being run by a team of professional people, who have the range of skills needed to steer the project in the right direction so that it\'s a success. On your website, you should clearly display information about each team member and the value they bring to the table.

Set up a pricing plan

This is perhaps the most important part of your ICO launch. When it comes to pricing the tokens you will be selling to investors, you have several options:

*Undetermined price

The price of the tokens is not fixed, so investors will receive a number of coins which is proportional to the size of their investment, with those investing higher amounts receiving larger amounts of tokens.

*Fixed price

A fixed price ICO offers tokens for a set amount, and every investor will receive the same amount of tokens relative to their investment. The value of the token is normally frozen for a short period of time following the ICO, to prevent wild swings in price during the launch.

*Dutch auction

During a dutch auction, the first tokens sold are priced the highest, and the cost of investing falls as more tokens are sold. The approach encourages repeat investment as early adopters seek a better price.

Use social media and ICO listings

Social media and ICO listings are perhaps the biggest influencers when it comes to cryptocurrencies. It is essential that you create accounts on every form of social media, and post regular content to promote your ICO. You should also ensure that your ICO is listed on sites such as Zloadr.

Offer investor protection

Offering investor protection encourages people to part with their money. This can take the form of an escrow wallet, which will act as a guarantor on any money which is invested; or a fund return program in which you promise to return 100% of the invested funds if the ICO does not reach its goal.