In a very noisy landscape, it can be difficult for NFT creators to gain attention leading to sales of NFTs. And, due to an environment in which fast cash grabs often appear to be the norm, many newcomers make the mistake of taking a short-sighted sales approach. For those committed to the long-term, a much more holistic approach to marketing is needed to establish oneself as a successful NFT creator as indicated by the following tips from crypto artists.
Seth Godin is a huge influence in understanding marketing both on and offline. His holistic perspective holds that almost every public action you take contributes to marketing your product or service. From this perspective, creating a portfolio, introducing yourself to other creators, and sharing your story, can all be considered aspects of marketing.
The following marketing tips for NFT creators were gathered from crypto artists, including myself, primarily from Twitter. Many of the single points will be discussed more thoroughly in future NFT Creator columns.
Create a Home Base
Every creator should have a home base, ideally a website, under your own control. A Linktree page or a CryptoArtNet listing are great tools and can be a good starting point, but you ultimately want to provide everything a press contact or potential collector needs to consider engaging further in one place. As CECHK explains:
“Have a portfolio/website: this is super important. When you are submitting to someplace you will have a complete portfolio to submit. Also, a website adds credibility to your ‘brand’ as an artist.”
Join the Community
There are so many options to connect with fellow NFT creators and collectors, many of whom inhabit both categories. However, at the end of the day, Twitter is the de facto social network of NFT Land. It can be a bit overwhelming to newcomers but it is worth the investment of time.
However, as GЯIFF notes, don’t waste time seeking famous people’s attention on Twitter. Focus on fellow creators and building community. In addition:
“Beware influencers whose sway is not positive, that doesn’t benefit you.. use crypto twitter to get inspired & share your work w[ith] those who like it .. look for mutual respect & don’t chase those that don’t offer it.”
Link Directly to Your Art and Sales Accounts
In addition to having one link on your social media profiles that will lead folks to your home base, link out to your NFT sales accounts as well. Don’t make people search. That rarely ends well.
If you announce new work, don’t simply say it can be found in a particular marketplace. Share a direct link to the art. Cut down on every step possible between someone discovering your art and having the option to buy your art.
NFT Pricing for Newcomers
Don’t overprice if you’re new to the space, even if you get paid a lot to do the same thing for the ad, tv, or movie industry. As FVCKRENDER points out:
“Tip for new faces in the NFT space, If you put your reserve price high because you think your a top shot, I’m sorry but you’re blocking yourself from so many amazing collectors that are not necessarily ‘whales’ that would cherish your work so much and share it to the space.”
“After you get some good sales, crank that fuckin price and live the life you deserve.”
Show and Tell Your Story
A lot of crypto artists have been encouraging other artists to tell their stories to connect with fans and collectors. However, a Twitter thread by Ouriel Ohayon got me thinking more about the many ways that can be done. For instance, I’m a writer so I tell the story of my art in writing. Though there are many ways to do so visually.
Three great examples include:
- Cory Van Lew’s video of his process from physical painting to NFT;
- Alexa.art’s sequence of images of the creation of a digital painting;
- and, CECHK’s masterful approach to story-telling about the characters shown in her images.
Shilling and/or Sharing on Twitter
The advent of shilling threads on Twitter changed the NFT marketing game in ways both good and bad. The key tip for creators is to only shill or share art in threads that ask you to shill or share your art. Many crypto artists have expressed strongly negative feelings about off-topic sales tweets in their comments:
“One big suggestion to new artists. Don’t shill on posts that don’t ask for shilling. If you randomly shill wherever then you will kill your chances to even be seen. Most people block this behaviour.”
“I totally agree. Sorry for yelling, but DO NOT SHILL UNDER MY POSTS, DON’T SHILL IN DMS! I’m so tired of explaining it. There are so many kind people posting encouraging tweets like this. First, look at ppl’s tweets, then share your art. Please.”
In Closing: Always Do You
I think Mad Dog Jones makes one of the most important points in a very helpful thread on Twitter that begins with this tweet:
“One of the hardest parts about the NFT space is having to adapt my pace. My art takes months to create. Designs, high concepts and stories. Sometimes I feel like I can’t keep up, but then I remember, my high standards are what got me to where I am. Never bend to pressure. Do you.”
This is a rich statement included here because finding your own path is the best way to establish your identity and build your brand while maintaining your sanity. It’s true that you may sometimes have to push the boundaries of your comfort zone by promoting yourself and learning a bit of business. But, if you haven’t learned to push your creative boundaries while making art, you might find yourself learning a thing or two from the marketing process.
Featured Image by Edar via Pixabay
