Even if you got into Foundation or not (Not listed as creator) this writeup would help you.
Now let’s assume you have got into Foundation.
What’s next?
Next step is when you list your work as an NFT for sale.
If the goal is to make millions & retire on an island, I would have to stop you there:)
Mind you only about 20% or even less are often sold on these platforms (source: fnd.info)
So how can you be in that 20%?
You come to the right place. Read on.
You see, Foundation or any other out there are just “platforms”. They offer a cool place to list your work and make it easier for folks to buy, making it easier to share as a link.
These aren’t a Distribution channels(like twitter/IG/Facebook), meaning no random stranger would come and discover your work. Nor do they bid on your product unless there is a motive.
They offer a beautiful page, and list like a beautiful gallery.
Foundation is like Substack or Patreon, where creators themselves have to share their patreon or substack link to get supporters in. No user browse Substack or Patreon like we browse Twitter or Facebook (both are distribution) and support people there. It’s a place where creators can get support from their fans.
I hope now you understood Platform vs Distribution.
If you look closely at the arts or NFTs being sold on Foundation or other you can observe some patterns.
The art that goes for 5 or 6 digits (even 7) digits makes headlines and goes viral. Some are memes too. Foundation is said to work well for Memes and Single arts. But not all of them get sold (source: fnd.info).
Another pattern which you could observe is that even if the creator has 100s or 1000s of “followers” only about 2 or 3 people bid their art. Why is that?
NFT space is a new concept and people are still trying to understand the capability. It’s like the internet back in the 90s. It would take a while for people to completely comprehend this.
The chances of 2 or 3 people that bid on the art are someone the creators know in the offline world or someone who knows the creators authenticity, vulnerability, personality and uniqueness. They are the die hard fans, who would be there through thick and thin. They would be the ones who would first book a concert ticket if the creator is hosting one. (read: https://a16z.com/2020/02/06/100-true-fans/)
The objective is to nurture and build relationships with 10 or 20 of the true fans. Even if you have 100 or 1Million followers on Social, Take the time to build that 10 or 20 true fans as ultimately they would be the ones who would be supporting you at the end of day. Not anyone else.
“Even if it is 10 or 20 true fans that’s all it’s needed. Build a set of super fans for your work. The follower metrics are just vanity, they help but the depth of bond with your true dans determines your success. Spend time interacting with them, helping them out and add value as much as you can without expecting anything, add them on closed telegram, whatsapp,IG community. Show authenticity , vulnerability, and Personality. The collectors or bidders on these NFTs are not random. They already have built relationships over time which gets compounded. Like any good relationships things compound.”
When listing your First NFTs think of it like a product launch. Like Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone to the world. Each and every minute part of the show is crucial. Making headlines is a must, they can’t miss it. Making a great product is one thing, Building up the hype is a whole other game.
Here I have made a small checklist which you can copy-paste, and customize to your requirements.
https://trello.com/b/78mZXnqK/nft-marketing-checklist-for-foundationapp
(might update this later, treat this as a first shitty draft)