1+1=3

“I don’t sell my NFTs because it would be like selling my friends” That’s what I heard a year and a half ago in one of my first degen Twitter spaces. I remember thinking, “there are a lot of crazy people out there”.
The next day I bought an NFT, changed my profile picture, made a tweet and suddenly my Twitter account was bursting with messages welcoming me, giving me advice about the project, what’s coming up and what to expect. Even the founder sent me a message welcoming me and letting me know that he was there for whatever I needed. I went from having 30 followers to 300 in one day and I was even able to have conversations with a content creator that I admired.

The worst thing was that the very next day the floor price tripled (full bull market) and I did not sell it because I wanted to continue being in that group. I basically didn’t want to sell my new friends. And today I say friends, understanding the weight of the word because with several I keep talking and remembering those times as if 10 years had passed.

I entered the NFT space to make money flipping JPEGS and stayed because of the people that I met.

I have so much fun hosting Founder’s Friday. The NFT Venues community is something else.

Communities are the center of any pfp collection (profile pic). They go hand in hand with the founders/team when creating a project. So how do you create and, perhaps more importantly, how do you sustain such a strong digital community?

Define your audience. Who are you talking to? Or rather, who is your community for? Why would they choose you among the thousands of options out there?
For someone to choose you among so many offers, they have to feel that you are speaking to him/her. And the better you know your audience, the easier it is for them to become your fans.

For that, it is key to have a clear branding. The message you want to give as a brand has to be simple so that it is easy to adopt & replicate. Why does One Direction have so many teenage fans? It’s because their lyrics are relatable and the fans feel like they were written specifically for them.

Once you have an art and branding that you love, the following question arises, how do I retain the members of my community?

I could write a lot about this and I run the risk of simplifying everything too much, but hey, we are all risk takers so let’s see how it goes

Sense of common purpose. With a clear direction, it is easier for the community to explain the message and, above all, add value. They have to be involved in the project so that they feel it as their own and feel that they are being listened to.Be present. As a project leader NOTHING beats being present talking to your community, having easy and above all difficult conversations. Nobody can do what you do and nobody knows the project as much as you do, so the key is to be genuine and again, to be present.The more you give to your community, the more they will give back to you. Simple but not so easy.They are financially and emotionally invested. Let’s not forget that by setting an NFT as our profile picture it becomes our digital identity. It’s not just a financial asset, it’s proof that you belong to something you’re proud of.Be genuine. Building and leading an NFT community takes a lot of time and I think it’s impossible to sustain a community that doesn’t resonate with you. The difference between founders who breathe the culture of the project and community builders who are leaders because it is their job and have no emotional connection with the message (branding) is very clear.

To simplify even further, basically the 3 pillars of any community are Adding Value, Giving Support, and Having Fun. Whether it’s on Twitter spaces, gaming sessions, Discord chats, or in-person meetings, these three pillars must always align with the message you want to convey.

PRO TIP: It is key that they are always on the same day and at the same time so that people can organize themselves. Consistency is everything.

Elements to consider:

Set up goals. It can be super detailed as x number of active people on discord or abstract as certain values are respectedCommunities are built 1 by 1. For a community to work, you need 1000 fans, not 1 million or 100,000 followers. And you find your true fans 1 by 1If you only do giveaways (a widely used strategy) then people are going to be for it. It is more effective to give incentives for participation/engagement as “Community member of the week”

For example. In June of last year there were 2 important NFT events in Amsterdam and NYC and ZenAcademy organized official meetings for its community. But a mod who was in Australia asked Zeneca (founder) if they could have an “official” meeting for those who were there and, without asking, ZenAcademy paid for the drinks. Although for ZenAcademy is close to nothing, those people are going to be their super fans and are going to tell their friends about it.

To conclude, the reality is that no one has the perfect formula. Numerous projects have established incredible communities, each through their own distinct approach. And it makes sense because strong communities are unique. However, I’ve gathered and tested these elements myself, and can confirm that they work. I would love to hear your opinion and experience.