Creating your first NFT project is a thrilling adventure that allows you to put your creativity and innovation on full display. But the real work begins once you’ve gone through with minting your NFT: NFT promotion.

The goal is to generate as much buzz around your brand as possible to create hype and sell out the full collection as fast as possible. Easier said than done, but not impossible. Pudgy Penguins is a perfect example as we sold all 8,888 of our NFT characters in the first 24 hours!

That’s why we put together this guide on how to promote NFT collection as a means of giving back and empowering the next generation of creators. We’ve curated a list of great free tactics for promoting NFT projects along with paid possibilities to help you hit the ground running:

• Social media
• Forums
• Podcasts
• Marketplaces
• Word of mouth
• Content creation
• Giveaways 
• PR and paid advertising
• And much, much more.

Ultimately, though, successfully promoting your NFTs starts with a unique concept that people will actually be interested in. You can do all the promotion in the world, but if you’re not bringing something to market that gets people excited, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.

So, we’ll assume you’ve already read our guide on how to make NFTs as an entry point. That being said, let’s start with a brief overview of why proper NFT promotion is so important. 

The Role of NFT Promotion in a Project’s Success

What is an NFT without proper promotion? Just a jpeg file that never sees the light of day. You worked far too hard to get to this point to let poor promotion be the reason your project fails.

Contrary to what you may have heard, NFTs are still alive and well. However, there are also more great examples of NFTs than ever before, and the competition is only going to get stiffer as mainstream brands adopt these digital collectibles into their own offerings.

This is why you need to go above and beyond to get your project in front of the right audience and stir up some noise. Otherwise, even the most promising collections may go unnoticed.

The goal is to start building a community around your project from Day 1, well before you’ve even minted your first item. Getting people excited about what’s to come will help you start making sales as soon as the time comes. 

This community will serve as the backbone for long-term growth, providing word-of-mouth exposure, increased credibility, and loyalty. It will ensure that short-term hype doesn’t fade, and that your project becomes a lasting fixture in the market.

As you’ll soon discover, though, promoting NFTs is not something you do just to get the ball rolling. It’s an ongoing process that you’ll need to stay on top of to keep your project top of mind with enthusiasts and collectors everywhere. 

That being said, figuring out how to promote your NFT is quite a responsibility. Should you outsource it to the experts, or are NFT promotion services not worth the cost?

Are NFT Promotion Services Worth it, Or Should You Learn How to Promote NFTs for Free?

There are two paths you can take when it comes to promoting NFT collections: promoting the project entirely on your own or hiring NFT promotion services. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each method.

Paid NFT Promotion Services

Hiring help saves time and gets you access to a professional network that can boost your collection’s visibility quickly. These services often have connections with influencers, platforms, and media outlets to amplify your project’s reach. 

They may even have experience in crafting strategies that target your specific audience, guaranteeing that your promotion efforts are optimized for success. This also ensures a cohesive experience for your audience at every step of the funnel.

However, paid services can be costly and don't always guarantee results. With an oversaturated market, there’s no magic formula to success, and spending money on promotion doesn’t necessarily mean your NFT project will take off. 

The cost to create an NFT can already be a bit much. So if you’re working with a limited budget, you might be better off learning how to promote NFT for free.

DIY Promotion

Taking the reins of NFT promotion on your own can be a rewarding and cost-effective alternative. You’ll have more control over how your project is perceived in the public eye since you’re the one in charge of communicating your brand's voice and messaging.

This can be a better option even if you have the money for a professional NFT promotion service since you are building more authentic relationships with users every step of the way.

There are so many great ways to go about promoting NFTs that will cost you nothing. You can engage in forums, spread the message on socials, and more. We’ll cover all the best ways to promote NFT collections below.

Just be sure you’re setting your expectations. This approach requires patience, consistency, and a bit of maneuverability as you learn and adapt along the way. 

The good news is we’re here to help after having successfully navigated NFT promotion ourselves. So, you don’t have to go through it alone! Learn how to promote NFT collection below.

How to Promote an NFT Collection: The Best Ways to Gain Visibility and Traction for Your Project

The need for effective and unique promotional strategies cannot be overstated for all the different types of NFTs, from art to games and everything in between. 

There are so many avenues worth exploring, most of which don’t cost a cent. On that note, let’s start with a few tips on how to promote an NFT collection for free.

Get Your Socials Set Up

Social media is everything in promoting NFT projects. After all, nothing says NFT like a profile picture! So, start by making sure you have a solid presence on all the most relevant sites:

• Twitter: A hub for NFT conversations. Regularly tweet about your project, share sneak peeks, and engage with your audience by participating in trending discussions. Use relevant hashtags like #NFT, #CryptoArt, and #NFTCommunity for better visibility.
• Instagram: Share visuals and stories about your NFTs to build a brand identity. Collaborate with other NFT creators or brands for shoutouts and collaborations.
• Discord: Set up a Discord server for your community and encourage engagement by hosting AMAs (Ask Me Anything) or giveaways. It's a great way to build relationships with early supporters and keep them updated on your project.

These are the most important platforms, but you can even create Facebook pages, TikTok accounts, Pinterest boards, and more. The possibilities are endless. 

Build Your Website

While most NFTs are sold on third-party exchanges, known as marketplaces, you still need your own website. This creates professionalism and trust in your project. It also gives you a place to offer additional information on what your project represents, its values, its utility, and more. 

Make sure the website is user-friendly and visually engaging. Use simple, intuitive navigation so visitors can easily explore your NFT offerings and learn what makes each unique. Better yet, let users purchase an NFT from your website by linking to listings elsewhere.

Talk About Your Project Any Chance You Get

You have to be your own biggest advocate. If you can’t get excited about your project when it comes up in conversation, how can you expect anyone else to?

Whether you're attending virtual meetups, sharing on social media, or even talking with friends, always take the opportunity to spread the word about your NFT project. Join NFT and blockchain-related events and Twitter Spaces to talk about your collection. 

Use Forums to Generate Hype

Speaking of talking about your project, one of the best ways to promote NFT collections is via forums, like Reddit, Bitcointalk, and any other specialized NFT communities for that matter.

Don't just post about your project once. Engage in conversations, answer questions, and share updates in a way that adds value to the discussion. 

Make sure you’re providing value rather than simply promoting your project. Members of these forums are used to founders coming in and bombarding them with marketing tactics. 

Instead, start building a name for yourself in these forums well before you promote anything. You need to gain trust first. That way your word actually means something when you tell people you’ve built something really cool that they need to check out.

Collaborate With Influencers

If you have a bit of a marketing budget to work with, influencer collaborations tend to move the needle more than just about any other NFT promotion tactic. This can give your project an almost immediate boost.

It’s important to choose the right influencer, though. Align with those who you feel accurately portray your brand and its values. Don’t just choose whoever you can afford that’s the most popular. Authenticity should always be the priority when promoting NFT.

For the best bang for your buck, focus on micro influencers. They may not have millions, or even hundreds of thousands, of followers, but what they do have is a more loyal audience base that trusts them.

Pay for PR or Other Paid Advertising Methods

Another great paid promotional tactic is PR - or public relations. There are a myriad of crypto-related news websites out there where you can distribute press releases about your project's launch. These will come at a cost, but they can stir up quite a bit of hype.

The article you place on these websites should be written in a manner that communicates the value your project brings, be it a utility or just a stunning, unique piece of art. You want to get readers excited.

You can also run paid ads on Google, social media, forums, or other websites back to your website if you have even more room to work with in your budget. This can be quite complicated, and is often best left to the professionals. 

Take Advantage of NFT Calendar Promotion

One of the best pieces of advice we have in our guide on how to find upcoming NFT projects is to take a look at NFT calendars, which list future drops. You can use these to your advantage as a seller, too.

Listing your project on sites like NFT Calendar or Rarity.tools can give you direct access to dedicated collectors eager to find their next purchase. Make sure you submit the necessary details for your drop well in advance.

Get Featured on Marketplaces Like OpenSea or Magic Eden

We have a guide on all the best NFT marketplaces, which range from OpenSea to Magic Eden, Rarible, and more. Getting your project featured on these is a great way to make sure you have eyeballs on your project.

This will require a bit of active engagement on your end. Participate in community events, respond to comments on your NFTs, and build relationships with the teams behind these marketplaces. You might even be able to pay for promotion within these platforms.

Conduct Giveaways and Contests

Nothing gets people excited quite like free stuff or prizes. So, use giveaways and contests to stir up hype surrounding your project. You can incentivize users to share the details of your drop with their friends for first dibs on your NFT drop, or even a free NFT.

You could even take this a step further and collaborate with other projects to run joint giveaways, allowing you to tap into each other’s audiences. Just make sure the partnership makes sense from a legal compliance and branding point of view.

Work on Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is one of the oldest forms of promotion and it still works wonders even for something as modern as NFTs. 

This goes back to creating a loyal community around your project. The goal is to have your community do the talking for you, spreading the word near and far.

Regularly reward loyal followers through early access, special discounts, or one-on-one interactions. The more invested they feel, the more likely they are to promote your collection to others.

Content Creation

Creating high-quality content is another great way to build up the buzz for your project, and it’s entirely free. Content helps tell the story behind your NFTs, forming an emotional connection that can turn interest into sales.

This can be something as simple as blog posts explaining the process of creating your NFTs, your inspirations, and future plans for the project. 

Or, you can invest in video creation that can be distributed via YouTube, Twitter, Tiktok, etc. Behind-the-scenes content works exceptionally well for building that emotional connection. It shows that there are real people behind the project.

Ultimately, Success in NFT Creation Starts With the Concept

Like we said from the start of this conversation, successfully launching an NFT project starts well before NFT promotion. You have to create something people actually care about, or it will fade fast.

So, why do people buy NFTs? While there are plenty of NFT collectors who are simply interested in finding their next rare purchase, NFT projects with utility tend to perform better.

This could entail offering exclusive access to 

Whether it’s gaining access to exclusive communities, unlocking special features in games, or even tying physical goods to digital ownership, utility-driven NFTs provide real-world value. So, make sure you’re offering ample NFT benefits to attract people. 

You can explore other NFT use cases in our blog if you’re still in the early stages of creation. Or, you can explore some of the coolest NFT projects for inspiration in our blog. But at this point, we want to wrap up our guide on how to promote NFT collection with a few final thoughts.

Final Thoughts on How to Promote NFT for Free

That does it for our guide on how to promote your NFT collection. Effective NFT promotion is a collaborative process that requires a range of techniques, from social media marketing to simple word of mouth, influencer partnerships, and more.

Remember, promoting NFT projects is about connecting with your audience and providing value, rather than simply selling. Make sure your project stands out by offering something unique, whether it's the concept, utility, or narrative.

Our blog has more resources on how to get into NFTs, including where to sell NFT art, where are NFTs stored, why are NFTs so expensive, NFT transfer, how to buy NFT on opensea, when did NFTs start, are NFTs scams, how NFTs will change the world, what is a gas fee NFT, and more.

If you’re interested in purchasing NFTs to join this digital revolution yourself and aren’t sure what NFTs to buy, look no further than Pudgy Penguins. 

Part of what sets us apart from other projects is that we’re the first Web3 brand to offer our own physical items in our penguins store. You gain access to a variety of penguin toys, be it a penguin plush or penguin figurine.

So whether you're into NFTs or physical collectibles, there's a place for you at Pudgy Penguins. Join us in the huddle today!