Many artists share a dislike of marketing. In NFT Land, marketing is often associated with endless shilling on Twitter and spammy contact techniques. Yet marketing, in essence, is simply getting the word out about who you are and what you’re doing so that interested folks can find you- something we all do as a normal part of being human. While marketing is an active process, so-called passive options, like online galleries for NFTs, are also available to expand your web presence and lead fans and collectors to you and your art.
Hub and Spokes
In the aughts, an approach to marketing one’s DIY or indie music career took hold which has remained popular for artists and creators ever since. The basic concept is that one establishes a home base, ideally a website, to feature one’s work and all news about your art activities and related pursuits. Once established, one would then point links from all other places where one has a presence on the web to that home base full of delightful art and information about you, the artist.
This approach is sometimes called the “Hub & Spokes” model. Music industry executive and investor David Dufresne sums up the concept:
“Your full band website (and, to some extent, your mailing list) is the hub of your online world, and your different profiles on social networks and music sites are the spokes.”
In addition to social networks and music sites, any site that can lead back to your home base can be of use, from Linktree and CryptoArtNet to the online gallery and portfolio-centric sites described below.
NFT Galleries for Your Expanded Web Presence
While online art galleries and portfolio platforms aren’t new, a fresh wave has emerged in NFT Land. These online galleries typically rely on one’s wallet address to gather images automatically and sometimes allow the artist to curate a more limited selection of art. A variety of 3d gallery options are currently available.
For marketing purposes, these galleries should include a profile with a link back to your home base, at the very least, and the option to click on the art and be taken to its marketplace page, adding a direct sales component. In addition, such gallery platforms should have features for casual browsers to discover your work.
6 Online NFT Galleries for Creators
Showtime is likely the best known of these sites, somewhat like a well-designed Instagram with the ability to include NFTs from both the Ethereum and Tezos blockchains. Having introduced gasless minting on Polygon in September, Showtime recently announced its NFT marketplace.
Arium offers highly customizable 3D gallery spaces with a focus on virtual events. Checking their Instagram and Twitter for events should give you a sense of Arium’s attraction for artists pushing crypto art forward. Part of that attraction may well be due to the elements not typically found in such digital galleries, such as the ability to upload media files in addition to NFTs and even to Livestream.
Cyber is another popular 3D gallery provider that draws on OpenSea exhibits for displays. You can find out more about the galleries here and explore current shows from the homepage.
JPG is an “NFT curation protocol” allowing for the curation and display of Ethereum-based NFTs in galleries created by creators, collectors, and curators. JPG also relies on OpenSea to access NFTs for display. You can browse their Exhibitions here.
DNS may well be best known for their involvement in the recovery of Hic et Nunc. Refreshingly focused on the Tezos blockchain, DNS “turns your crypto wallets into a social profile.” You can explore the results here.
3XR is the third 3D gallery space app on this list. It got a boost last summer when Mintbase integrated its galleries as a feature for the stores on its platform using the Near blockchain. I’m closing with 3XR because they just launched what is currently my favourite 2022 NFT idea, turning digital galleries into NFTs. Plus, they have a royalty split for all artists involved.
Building During A Downturn
Despite the strong start to 2022’s NFT Market, given recent events, if Crypto Winter is here, then NFT sales will be affected to varying degrees. In downturns and times of chaos, it’s often good to step back and assess what you’re doing. Part of that process should, at some point, include looking at the structure of your web presence. Ideally, you’ll be easy to find by casual surfers and easy to access because all roads lead back to your home base. For NFT artists, online galleries are not just an excellent tool for showcasing your art. They can also be a way of marketing yourself as an artist with a strong introduction to one’s work that leads back to your world of art.
Featured Image: Screenshot of A. L. Crego’s Visual Massage in Arium.
