How to Promote NFTs: Nine Best Practices for a Successful NFT Drop

by Anvil Media‘s Kent Lewis

The world of NFTs has grown exponentially since breaking into the mainstream in 2021. I officially boarded the NFT marketing train with a charity fundraiser event and mural last Summer. We also kicked off our first client project with a global computer hardware and software manufacturer, which allowed us to fine-tune our NFT marketing skills. In this article, I share nine insights we’ve gained along the NFT marketing journey and hope the insights will be your boarding pass to join us on the NFT train. One of the first revelations I experienced expanding our digital marketing prowess into the NFT world, was how similar NFT drops were to Kickstarter campaigns. We helped launch a product on Indiegogo years ago, leveraging many of the core strategies still relevant in today’s blockchain-based virtual worlds. The tenets of a successful NFT launch also draw parallels to viral marketing strategies of 20+ years ago. In short, the secret to a successful NFT launch is to go viral quickly and let the algorithms and buzz drive the campaign over the top.

For the majority of makers looking to monetize NFTs, however, a viral launch can be elusive, so we recommend building a foundational launch plan that covers the core channels and methods NFT enthusiasts typically use to discover new products. The strategies, tactics and channels outlined below maximize the opportunity for a successful NFT drop when executed properly.

Create an NFT Roadmap Launch Plan

Whenever I’m entering into a new channel, I always make sure to understand the community before I engage. That was true for social media platforms the last 20 years, virtual worlds like Second Life and even Wikipedia. The communities built around NFTs are no exception. Before we launched our NFT Mural project, we did our research. I even purchased my first NFT through the mural project to make sure I understood the entire experience as a consumer. When planning an NFT drop, research the best NFT drops and learn from their successes (and mistakes). Create an NFT Drop Roadmap based on best practices. Your Roadmap or Launch Plan should include the following components to be successful.

Build an Email List

One of the most effective strategies to maximizing a successful NFT drop is to build and curate an email list. While the list may start with friends and family, you’ll want to grow it quickly by incorporating a signup on your landing page and use a host of strategies to grow subscribers. If you’re on a budget, I recommend taking advantage of 2,000 free sends a month via MailChimp. You can always move to a paid plan as you grow the list. Beyond promoting the email subscription via the landing page and social media, consider reaching out to NFT industry media (blogs, publications and discussion boards) and influencers. We’ve also used advertising to grow a launch list quickly. To simplify, consider a generic email list, but if you’re open to segmenting, consider developing a dedicated whitelist for early NFT promotion. A whitelist typically consists of qualified buyers interested in first access to the drop. Don’t forget to build out a drip campaign to ensure subscribers are aware of the drop date and associated details.

Create a Teaser Video

I’m a big fan of video marketing, and NFTs lend themselves naturally to the medium. Facts tell, but stories sell, and the best storytelling vehicle available to NFT creators, is video. A good teaser video will tell a memorable and compelling story about your NFT: what is it, why should I care and how can I get it? Not only should the teaser generate awareness and interest, but it should also be reimagined for a variety of platforms and purposes. In terms of duration, I recommend a 2-minute video for your landing page and YouTube, a 1-minute version for Facebook, thirty-second spot for Instagram and TikTok and creating shorter 6 to 15-second ads for YouTube and similar video platforms. Don’t forget to strip out still images for the landing page, Pinterest, Twitter and even LinkedIn. Craft a Compelling Landing Page Like any other digital marketing campaign, you need to create a page to which you can drive traffic (from organic social and search ads) to generate awareness and interest. The NFT landing page should include compelling video/imagery and copy as well as a call-to-action (CTA) that may include subscribing to receive updates on the NFT drop. The objective is to secure the largest possible list of opt-in emails of anyone interested in your NFT drop, so you can notify them once the product is available. Once the drop is live, you can update the site to direct visitors to the active marketplace to purchase.

Engage the NFT Community

Now that your landing page is live with embedded video and email subscription functionality, it’s time to get the word out. There are a host of NFT-centric community platforms or subgroups you can join and monitor before engaging. It is critical to understand each NFT community’s rules and make the time to add value before making an ask or plugging your drop (and landing page). Here is a shortlist of possible NFT communities on which you can engage: Reddit, Quora, Discord, Telegram, Bitcointalk, VeeFriends, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Pay to Play

For the past 20 years, we’ve specialized in building highly targeted advertising campaigns on Google, Meta, Microsoft and other platforms for clients. NFT drops should have a dedicated ad campaign to amplify reach, including popular search and social media platforms. Since there are very few dedicated ad networks that target the blockchain/crypto/NFT communities, consider hiring NFT influencers to promote your drop. The NFT community is quite tight and relationship driven, which may allow for a shorter turnaround time when engaging influencers, but best to play as far out as possible.

Get on the Calendar

This is a fairly straightforward but important reminder. NFT drops are a relatively new phenomenon, but there are still a few dedicated locations to which you can submit your drop as an event, including NFT Drops Calendar and NFT Calendar (which you can also follow on Twitter and Instagram). Don’t forget to add your drop to other event calendars relating to your discipline (art, music, etc.), industry vertical (marketing, design, footwear, etc.) or local community.

Go Virtual with Events

The pandemic has forced us to embrace virtual and hybrid events. To help address this change in behavior, social platforms have expanded capabilities, especially around live events. We recommend building a live virtual event around the NFT drop to maximize buzz and engagement. There are a host of platform options, which should map back to your target audiences’ preferences. Popular livestreaming options include: Twitter Spaces, Clubhouse, YouTube Live and Facebook Live. If you’ve bought into the metaverse, or believe your target audience is vested in virtual worlds, explore hosting a metaverse event on a popular platform like Cryptovoxels or Decentraland Marketplace. The additional buzz may outweigh the cost and effort of crafting a presence in the metaverse, even with lower attendance and engagement rates than social platforms or physical events.

Go to the Press

Despite the declining efficacy of press releases in securing media coverage (or even rankings in search results) the tactic still has value. In an ideal world, you would be able to leverage relationship with the “NFT media” with a simple email announcement. Unfortunately, editors are too busy to read your email pitches. The best way to ensure coverage is to help editorial staff by providing a thoughtful press release that does the heavy lifting for the busy writers and make yourself available for interviews. Even if the press release doesn’t rank in search results or gain pickup in mainstream media, it can be a vital component of your content marketing strategy. The ultimate goal of an NFT drop marketing campaign is to achieve “featured drop” status on your marketplace, which drives exponential awareness, engagement and sales. Utilizing the strategies and tactics outlined above as part of your NFT Drop Roadmap will maximize success, and revenue. If you have any questions about NFT launches or would like help, feel free to reach out.