An NFT can be anything that sells in the real world, from art and music to memes, gifs, documents, and more. According to data, NFT sales increased to $10.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021.
Making money with NFTs is simple, but not simple. Purchasing NFT art and memorabilia is one way to get engaged. However, especially if you want to buy a high-market-value blue-chip piece, this normally requires some upfront expenditure.
The next best alternative is to create and sell your own NFT art. You could have the next major NFT on your hands with the correct content and marketing. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! While we can’t guarantee that your NFT will be a success, this course will teach you how to sell your NFT artwork, collectibles, and other items.
The first step in marketing your NFT is to think of a brilliant idea.
Let’s face it: the NFT industry is fiercely competitive. With new NFT projects being released practically daily, there’s no way yours will stand out until you offer something fresh to the table. Let’s start with a look at some of the most popular NFT categories and why they sell.
Art
Art is one of the most popular NFT categories, as well as one of the most expensive. If you want to sell your NFT paintings, the greatest strategy is to shock and astound your audience. All of the scene’s finest musicians do just that.
Beeple, the most well-known artist in the NFT scene, creates pieces that are frequently unpleasant, obscene, and include contentious political personalities. Among other things, he famously comments on our “modern, tech-obsessed lives” and commercialism. Even people who aren’t involved in the NFT community are interested in these topics. However, as a well-known artist, it may be difficult to follow in his footsteps.
FEWOCiOUS, Christie’s youngest artist, is 18 years old and defines his work as “a mirror into his emotions.” His most famous collection depicts his background as a transgender person in an oppressive environment, tugging at the community’s heartstrings. He also has a particular style that includes dreamy and vibrant caricatures. His use of vibrant colours, combined with his heartbreaking background, is ideal for the art world, and collectors are eager to compete for his pieces. Maybe you have a tale to tell… It’s a lot easier to sell NFT art that has a deeper purpose.
Collectibles
NFTs in the area of collectibles are also selling like hotcakes. Collectibles, such as those from the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Cool Cats, and 0N1 Force, are popular within the NFT community. Limited edition trading cards and designer clothing are examples of collectibles. Their uniqueness, scarcity, and certificated provenance add to their worth. We’ve noticed a big increase in collecting only to use them as profile images. Like a Gucci jacket, the NFT community now flaunts their collectibles as a form of bragging rights.
Another appealing element of collectibles is that they usually come in 10,000-piece collections. Your community will be able to flourish naturally as a result of this. Even at 0.05ETH a piece, releasing 10,000 projects could net you a substantial sum of money.
Music
Perhaps you’d want to mint music! NFTs were used by several well-known celebrities to release their songs. Grimes, a Canadian musician, DJs 3LAU and Steve Aoki, and, of course, Snoop Dogg are among them. In addition, Kings of Leon, an American rock band, released their entire album as an NFT this year. Music NFTs will most certainly take off in the future, despite their infancy. Maybe you’ll be a trailblazer!
Files
The sky is the limit when it comes to NFTs! You can also sell information using NFTs. Take the NFT project Loot (for adventurers), for example, which consists of virtual “bags” containing various digital adventuring gear. Because it left it up to the community to vote on the utility, the collection was an instant hit.
Poems, writings, and even books are examples of genuine NFTs. For example, poet Arch Hades sold a handwritten poem for roughly $70,000. Tim Boucher, an author and illustrator, sold his books as NFTs. Even having a formatting fault, a source code for the World Wide Web sold for $5.4 million. Digital documentation of Nobel Prize-winning inventions brought in more than $50,000 – the list goes on and on.
It’s important to remember that NFTs aren’t just for digital stuff; they may also represent physical objects. Beeple and FEWOCiOUS, for example, supplied physical reproductions of their artworks as part of the NFT.
Damien Hirst famously demands that you burn his NFT before obtaining the actual copy. In addition, several fashion NFTs have included tangible items.
Appealing to a crypto audience is a good idea.
It’s crucial to know what attracts a crypto audience when brainstorming ideas for NFT art or collectibles you wish to sell.
Using symbols and characters that are well-known in the crypto field is a good and safe idea. Bitcoin iconography has been employed by several well-known artists, including Beeple. Shiba Inu Dogs, Anime, and, of course, Apes are also popular choices. The Doge Pound, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Waifusion are all good examples.
The ability to migrate is another advantage of NFTs in the crypto realm. Selling animations and moving pieces is considerably easier with digital art. XCOPY took advantage of this by including neon colours and flashing graphics throughout his paintings. Dead Freaks, a collectible endeavour, features brightly coloured vampires and werewolves. They are nevertheless a major hit in the industry, despite their smaller volume. Perhaps using moving or flashing visuals will help you sell your NFT!
Finally, memes are very popular among the crypto community. Lushsux, a well-known Australian street artist, is currently one of the top-grossing NFT artists. His “strategic trolling” and offensive memes are primarily to blame. Furthermore, NFTs based on popular memes such as Rare Pepes, Disaster Girl, Sad Doge, and Disapproving Kid have all sold for a significant amount of money. Do you have a meme in the works? Or perhaps an unrivalled sense of humour? That might be your greatest chance at selling an NFT.
The most popular NFT collections have Utility
NFTs are fundamentally investments, which means that their holders are looking for a return on their investment. The usefulness and longevity of a project can make or ruin a collection. As a result, membership privileges are included with practically all top NFT collectibles. Members of BAYC, for example, get access to the Bathroom, a communal graffiti board where holders can paint whatever they like. Other bonuses include a block of land in The Sandbox, a riverboat casino in Decentraland, and multiple NFT airdrops.
Gary Vee, the inventor of VeeFriends, likes to use the word “utility” as a buzzword. Some holders gain exclusive access to Gary, while others get a lot of free NFTs. Holders can also view the adult cartoon series StonerCats, which stars Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Jane Fonda, among others.
The Best Collectibles CyberKongz is a company that sells governance tokens. Governance tokens, in essence, grant holders voting rights over the project’s future evolution.
NFT utility IRL
The benefits don’t stop at virtual ones; many projects also provide tangible advantages. BAYC just finished its first annual Ape Fest, which included a merch drop and a yacht party. The Wealthy Penguin Island Club, on the other hand, provides members with access to a real-life island as well as a digital nomad networking hub.
However, you might provide more than just experiences. WiV Tech, for example, connects NFTs to wine bottles. As a result, they recently launched the Bored Wine Company, which allows BAYC members to invest in real-world fine wine bottles. Metacask and Barrel Fi, for example, both release NFTs that look like a bottle of whiskey! The latter even gives holders a say in how the bourbon is aged.
Finally, Hypomo, a real estate firm, has built a platform that connects NFTs to real-world real estate! Someone in Germany attempted this last year but to no avail. However, perhaps you will be the first person to sell their home as an NFT!
In a sea of CryptoPunk rip-offs, don’t be a copycat.
After reading about all of these incredible collections and their numerous advantages, you might wonder: why not take an existing top NFT collection, make minor adjustments, and resell it under a new name? Reconsider your position! You are not the first to think about this, believe us. Copycat collections abound, including SolPunks, SolApes, Metal Clad Punks, and a slew of others.
Even though “Fast Food Punks” and “Bored Mummy Waking Up” have the popular “Bored” and “Punk” tags, the stats reveal that these compilations never outperform the originals. FastFood Punks is not even in the top 500 collections on DappRadar, whereas CryptoPunks is second on the list of top collections by all-time sales volume (at the time of writing). Similarly, whereas BAYC has gathered a total of 206.4K ETH in OpenSea trade volume, ‘Bored Mummy Waking Up’ has only managed 3.3K ETH.
Being a copycat can, admittedly, be lucrative. But keep in mind that the goal is to come up with a new NFT idea, not a rip-off of a current top collection. You’re simply deceiving yourself if you think shoppers can’t see through a ruse.
If you master these skills, your NFTs will be a sound investment.
It doesn’t matter how beautiful your NFT work is if you can’t sell it. What is the key to success? The importance of valuing your consumers cannot be overstated. There are a few things you can do to ensure that a buyer regards your NFT as a sound investment.
To begin with, self-doxxing lends credibility to your enterprise. While many in the NFT industry choose to remain anonymous, it isn’t especially appealing. Take, for example, what happened to the Raccoon Secret Society! Providing your buyer with your identity and professional experience might help to improve the profile of a project.
Next, a well-designed, responsive website with a wealth of content is essential. Make sure your FAQ answers all of the potential purchasers’ inquiries. Then, to back it all up, create a strong Roadmap. Simply put, a roadmap is a future strategy – something that every investor seeks. To give you an example, BAYC had a great roadmap in place and is currently working on its second.
Finally, think about how much control you’re willing to hand over to your neighbours. Perhaps you’d like to build your own DAO. Another wonderful way to engage your audience is to donate a portion of your profits to a communal wallet. It’s also conceivable to provide your active holders with a share of secondary sales or voting rights.
The Humanoids NFT collection is a nice example. They’ve put 15 ETH into their communal wallet already. CryptoDads also offers a great plan as well as a dedicated community wallet. The monies are totally under the control of the community.
Don’t forget about promotion
Consider the following scenario: you have the ideal NFTs, a website, a utility, and even a roadmap. You must first promote NFTs before you can sell them. Thankfully, there are numerous options. The stages to promoting your NFTs like a pro are as follows:
Your Friend is Social Media
Having all of your social media accounts is crucial, just like any other business. Yes, your NFTs should have accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media platforms. If you want mainstream audiences to recognise you, you should also link all of your social media platforms to your website.
Furthermore, joining NFT-specific groups on these social media sites will significantly increase your community engagement. You never know, you might make some new friends!
The NFT community, on the other hand, is largely found on Discord, Twitter, ClubHouse, and Telegram. Twitter venues, like Clubhouse, are great for communicating with the community in real-time. NFT celebrities and artists frequently organise sessions that you may attend and even talk in! This is a fantastic method to get the word out about your collection to those who are interested.
Find people or the press who have more clout than you and ask them to write a review for you! Numerous NFT influencers, crypto bloggers, and even NFT-friendly celebrities may be willing to promote your collection for a fee or in exchange for something. Consider the likes of Paris Hilton or Elijah Wood promoting YOUR NFT! That is how an NFT is sold.
Hiring Discord and Reddit shillers are two other paid options. However, be careful who you recruit, as uninvited DMs are frowned upon, and many people have gotten tired of the constant shill culture.
You can also get free press without spending any money. Many crypto media outlets will gladly accept press releases and may even run your content for free! Naturally, we receive a lot of news that way at NFTevening, and you may always try your luck by submitting them to us yourself. Also, remember to register your event to our NFTcable calendar.
Do you have a shady feeling? We’re not going to inform anyone (probably)
Guerilla marketing is the final, and possibly least ethical, strategy. Sending an NFT to a well-known and doxxed wallet is simple. Because of the blockchain’s transparency, everyone will be able to see your NFT, giving you free publicity. These obtrusive NFTs, on the other hand, are no longer visible through OpenSea. Plus, Vitalik Buterin is well-known for opposing it, thus we strongly advise against it.
Here’s how minting works before you sell your NFT!
You must now select a minting method. Before the public mint, most projects arrange a pre-sale for early investors. So, how do you assure that there is a fair distribution and that it doesn’t wind up in the hands of a few crypto tycoons? There are several options.
Whitelists and NFT Mint passes
To begin, there are mint passes. Mint passes are a separate NFT (digital ticket) that entitles the holder to enter the sale. These are frequently made in limited quantities to limit the number of people who can participate in the sale. Furthermore, because the transactions are staggered, there will be no gas cost increase, as we have seen with certain previous launches, such as Stoner Cats.
Another excellent strategy is to set a whitelist that allows only a limited amount of people to participate in the pre-sale. If you’re going to build a whitelist, you’ll need to decide on the criteria for who gets on it. Some projects provide them at random to fans who like and share their content. Another approach requires members of the community to reach level 4 in their Discord server. This is a good strategy because it drives your potential buyers to interact with one another. Additionally, it keeps your community active.
Others, such as Mekaverse, had neither a whitelist nor a pre-sale. In truth, there was no pre-sale at all for Neo Tokyo Identities. People on the whitelist were the only ones who could mint. In addition, people had to answer a series of puzzles and riddles to be added to the ultra-exclusive whitelist.
Is It Better to Reveal or Not to Reveal?
You can even conduct a reveal event before the launch to let customers know what they’ll be purchasing. This, however, is a dangerous proposition. A revelation was employed by several enterprises, including The Iconics and Raccoon Secret Society, to lure purchasers into rugpulls. The finished artworks in some cases, such as the MekaVerse, were underwhelming or overly identical. People are growing increasingly sceptical of disclosures, even though they create a sensation.
It’s time to make your NFTs when you’ve completed all of your minting planning. You’ll need some cryptocurrency and a crypto wallet that you can connect to your preferred NFT marketplace. Then, by uploading the file and filling in all of the details, such as name, description, properties, and so on, you may create the NFT. Check out our complete guide on how to make NFT art for a more in-depth look at the process.
Make sure you choose the proper Marketplace to sell your NFT work.
There are numerous marketplaces, each with its own set of advantages. On music-focused markets like Catalog or Async Music, NFTs, especially from unsigned bands, sell better. Then, of course, any artist with a large following will choose OneOf as their first choice.
Similarly, for 1/1 artworks, curated marketplaces like SuperRare or Foundation are optimal. Artists such as Hackatao and FEWOCiOUS can be found in the former, whereas Shawna X, Nicolas Sassoon, and Pussy Riot can be found in the latter. These platforms are ideal for both established and emerging artists. At first, FEWOCiOUS built his entire career on SuperRare drops!
Celebrity or mainstream celebrity works, on the other hand, sell better on Nifty Gateway. Some of the celebs that have dropped their NFTs on the site include Paris Hilton, Steve Aoki, Eminem, and Calvin Harris. Consider dropping your work there if you already have a following!
On a marketplace, here’s how to sell your NFT: Step by Step Instructions
Your NFT will appear on your profile once you’ve completed it. If you’re using Rarible, you can mint the NFT while it’s still being created. Otherwise, follow these procedures to sell your NFT art and collectibles on OpenSea (the process differs slightly depending on the marketplace):
- From your Profile, select the NFT you want to sell and click “Sell” in the top right corner.
- You can choose the type of sale and the price on the listing page that appears.
- You have the option of selling it for a defined amount or holding an auction. You can also put a hold on it for a specific buyer.
- Decide on the sale’s duration.
- You must initialise your wallet if this is your first sale on the marketplace.
- Once you’ve confirmed your sale, you’re done! It’s time to sell your first NFT!
How do you keep the community alive once you sell your NFTs?
Unfortunately, the listing isn’t the end of the story. You must consistently promote your NFT to keep the community thriving if you want to bring true value to it.
Collaboration with other collections to create unique experiences is one way to do this. For example, Galaxy Fight Club has worked with Cyberkongz, Iluvium, Animetas, Wicked Craniums, and others to allow users to fight as these characters in the game. You can also release collections that span multiple genres. Check out NFT artist Sabet, who collaborated with BAYC on cross-over NFTs.
With his VeeFriends Pre-Launch Program, Gary Vee, on the other hand, has adopted a novel approach (PLP). In exchange for 555 of their tokens, new companies can have access to Gary Vee’s social media following as well as VF holders. These tokens are then distributed to VF holders as an airdrop.
Partners who aren’t just in the NFT scene
However, your collaborations do not have to be limited to NFT firms. Wicked Craniums and Skullcandy teamed to create 25 limited-edition headphones for cranium owners. You can also collaborate with a variety of philanthropic groups, which are growing popular in communities. Craniums, for example, collaborated with Sandclock Org on a new charitable collection.
You can also licence well-known characters to release NFTs, which will certainly draw more purchasers. VeVe’s Disney collection and the Doctor Who NFT packs are two examples. However, you will have to pay a significant sum of money to obtain the licence.
Finally, there are numerous options for creating and selling NFT art, collectibles, and other items. Your success, however, is determined by the NFTs you build and how you promote them. Furthermore, as the market grows, the market’s early adopters will benefit the most. So put your thinking cap on and get ready to sell your first NFT!