How can I engage my community after my NFT collection mints?

So you’ve created an engaging and exciting NFT collection, you’ve built loads of hype pre–drop and you’ve had great success on minting….but what’s next?

The secret to long-term NFT success is to keep  people engaged. In fact, we think of NFT collectors as a community - deliver for them and they’ll deliver for you, helping you to keep a collection alive and interest going. So, how do you build a strong NFT community and how do you remain connected and committed to each other?‍

1. Do what you say you will, when you say you will

When creators launch collections, many also lay out their roadmap for the months and even years ahead. They might tell communities when new batches will drop, when new utilities will be added and when special bonus features will be available.

The most important thing to do in the period post-mint is to deliver on these promises. When holders see that you’re delivering what you say you will, when you say you will, they’re happier, more engaged and more likely to say great things about you. Word of mouth is really important in the NFT world - and being trustworthy is the number one way to get it.

Not sure where to start with your roadmap? We think that adding utility - real-world value - to NFTs is a great way to keep communities engaged and sticky. From bonus features to exclusive access to events, you can read more about adding utility to your NFT collections here: Five utilities to keep your communities super engaged.

2. Deliver for your OGs

A really important factor for the ongoing growth of a project is to properly reward early supporters. The people who find the project early, and who support you before you get NFT-famous, are also those who give your project momentum and keep it going long after mint. 

For example, pre-sale and whitelists can help NFT creators effectively build an incentive for early supporters - and exclusive bonus features and extras can help early buyers feel that extra bit special. 

We think that a great way to deliver value for your OGs is by giving them special utilities, such exclusive content or features. Check out the Bored Ape Yacht Club for inspiration - the creators dropped a serum to the wallets of the earliest NFT holders, allowing them to inject their digital apes and spawn a super rare mutant version which they could keep, swap or sell. Last year one particularly rare mutant serum sold for more than $3 million - that’s some pretty big secondary sale business!

And it doesn’t just have to be early supporters you’re rewarding - you can also create more utilities for those who own a lot of your NFTs, to say thank you for their ongoing loyalty and to boost the number of NFTs they buy from you.

3. Bet big on organic growth 

We think that authentic engagement is the secret to success, and there’s no harm in letting the collection, the fans and the plan breathe a little. Of course there are many times when creating healthy engagement in the community is the best thing to do, but when it’s too pushy, it might well backfire. In fact, and back to point one, the most important thing you can do is to deliver against your roadmap. By doing what you say you will, you're likely to make your collection attractive for the long haul.

But when it comes to driving hype, some of the most successful projects are those which use word-of-mouth to drum up curiosity, or by releasing teasers that get people talking. And of course there are a number of ways to drive excitement and organic growth - using platforms like Discord and Twitter, which are massive in the NFT community. For example:

• Twitter giveaways - It’s a simple way to start getting traction on Twitter, climbing the algorithm and getting those important eyes on your work.
• Competitions - Everyone loves a chance to get creative, so it’s perhaps no surprise that caption or meme competitions often gain great traction within platforms like Discord. Prizes can be OG status, a place on the whitelist or even a free mint - keeping users engaged and sticky!
• Partnerships - Connecting with other projects with a similar fanbase can be a really  good way of broadening your community, and bringing people in who are more than likely going to stick around. ‍
• Teasers - Who doesn’t like a little teaser to get your audiences excited. This can happen across all platforms too, drumming up curiosity and excitement before something new drops.

4. Throw the baton over to your communities

Want to empower your communities? Why not let them suggest and build utilities for you? We know, it’s a new way of thinking BUT it’s gonna be good. Tropee lets anyone build any utility for any collection. We’re banking on a better future where communities power the future of collections, creating new ways to make NFTs valuable and sought after, particularly on the secondary market.

Think beyond the mint

If you’re going to be a success in the NFT world you need to think beyond launch, and harness interesting and effective ways to build a strong community around a project. For creators, the real money is made on the secondary market and it's key to have a sustainable strategy to keep your collection alive. 

And - when you reach a milestone on your roadmap- or launch something new -  do it with a bang. Update communities on what’s happening now and next - and use marketing tactics like press releases, advertising and social campaigns to make sure everyone knows what you’re doing and when. And add the Tropee logo to your webpage - it’ll tell your communities that you’re firmly on board with utilities and that they can expect great things to come