Are you a digital artist brimming with creativity but unsure how to step into the booming NFT market? You’re not alone. Many artists have asked, “How can I become an NFT artist and effectively monetize my work?”
That’s where our comprehensive guide comes in. It’s your step-by-step roadmap to the world of NFTs, covering everything from creating your digital art to marketing it effectively.
Just like you, many artists were once unsure about entering the NFT space. But by following the strategies outlined in our guide, you can successfully transition and gain recognition and profitability for your digital creations.
So, are you ready to embark on your NFT journey? Let’s dive in!
What is an NFT Artist?
An NFT artist is a digital creator who uses blockchain technology to mint their artworks as NFTs. These NFTs represent a digital proof of ownership and authenticity, making each piece of NFT art unique and valuable.
As an NFT artist, your role is not just about creating art, but also understanding the dynamics of the NFT marketplace and engaging with the NFT community. This is a crucial part of learning how to become an NFT artist.
Is Being an NFT Artist Profitable?
One of the most frequently asked questions about becoming an NFT artist is: “Is being an NFT artist profitable?” The answer is, it can be. Several NFT artists have gained significant recognition and financial success through their NFT art.
However, like any other profession, the profitability of being an NFT artist depends on various factors such as the quality of your art, your understanding of the NFT market, and your ability to effectively promote your work.
The Road to Becoming a Successful NFT Artist
In the NFT art world, your creativity is your greatest asset. But to truly succeed and understand how to become an NFT artist, you also need to understand:
- the technical aspects of creating and selling NFTs
- choose the right NFT marketplace for your art
- build a strong network within the NFT community.
In the following sections, we will delve deeper into these topics to provide a comprehensive guide on how to become a successful NFT artist.
15 essential steps on how to become a successful NFT artist
Becoming a successful NFT artist requires a strategic approach and carefully considering several essential steps. Here are 15 crucial guidelines to help you navigate how to become an NFT artist.
Step 1: Learn about NFTs
The first step to becoming a successful NFT artist is learning about NFTs. Learn about their origin, how they work, and what they offer. Non-fungible tokens provide more than just digital asset ownership. Several utilities can come with one asset, and NFTs help potential buyers access them.
Conducting proper research on the space will help you discover what’s trending, the major artists in the industry, and how best to push your art. And there are NFT royalties that help you make more from each secondary sale.
Step 2: Choose your niche
When you spend some time in the NFT space, you can easily choose an area to specialize in. There are many areas to focus on, including nature, fiction, fantasy, animals, futuristic designs, and more. If you enjoy reading mangas, you can create custom manga-style profile pic collections or create breathtaking nature-themed video clips like Clementmor1.
Ensure you pick a niche you genuinely like and have a profitable market segment. This is important so you don’t start changing your pattern later. It might confuse your audience.
Jumping into different niches will also leave you with a scattered audience base, which leads to low engagement, which won’t convert when you finally decide to sell your NFTs.
Step 3: Choose a design format
Now that you’ve picked your niche, choose a design format for your NFTs. While most NFTs on the market are digital arts, other use cases exist for these unique tokens, including music, written content, or even videos.
You might need specialized software to help you create the design you wish to showcase.
Step 4: Choose a file format for your NFT
Now you need a file format, and it depends on the design of your NFT. Below are the various NFT designs and their accompanying file formats
Images: jpeg, png, PSD, pdf, AI, EPS, etc
Audios: mp3, wav, WMA, AAC, FLAC, etc
Videos: WMV, AVI, AVCHD, Mkv, mp4, etc
Step 5: Create something unique
Once you have chosen your design format, it’s time to create something original. The key here is to be creative and think out of the box. Don’t copy someone else’s NFTs because they’ll look too similar. Instead, try to find inspiration from somewhere else.
One way to do this is to create one art piece per day until you have enough pieces to show off. Another angle you can take is creating your NFTs using a generator. It’s faster and helps you create NFTs in bulk.
There are also several NFT creator apps for Android you can use to create your images. You can find some on the iOS store.
Here’s a quick comparison of the best apps to create your NFTs.
| App Name | Android | iPhone | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFT Art Creator | Yes | Yes | Allows you to create and sell your digital art as NFTs. |
| NFT Creator for OpenSea | Yes | Yes | Lets you create NFTs and list them on the OpenSea marketplace. |
| SketchAR | Yes | Yes | Allows you to draw NFTs and convert images to NFTs. |
| GoArt | Yes | Yes | Turns your photos into NFTs with a variety of artistic filters. |
| Fotor | Yes | Yes | A versatile photo editor that can be used to create NFTs. |
Step 6: Pick Your Blockchain
Choosing the right blockchain to launch your NFT is a crucial decision that can impact the success of your project. Different blockchains offer different features, and the best choice depends on your specific needs and goals. Here’s a comparison of some of the best blockchains for launching an NFT:
| Blockchain | Description |
|---|---|
| Ethereum | The most popular blockchain for NFTs, known for its robust smart contract capabilities. |
| Solana | A high-performance blockchain with low fees, becoming a preferred choice for many NFT creators. |
| Flow | Designed for games and digital collectibles, Flow is the blockchain behind NBA Top Shot. |
| Cardano | A blockchain platform with a strong focus on sustainability, which recently entered the NFT space. |
| Binance Smart Chain (BSC) | Known for its low transaction fees and high performance, BSC is becoming a popular choice for NFT creators. |
| Polygon | A layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, offering faster and cheaper transactions. |
| Aptos | A scalable and efficient blockchain, Aptos is designed for high-performance applications like NFTs. |
| Sui Network | A blockchain network that offers a range of features for NFT creators, including low fees and easy integration. |
You can check out our list of the best NFT blockchains to help you decide.
Step 7: Choose a marketplace to sell your NFTs
Now that you’ve chosen a blockchain, it’s time to find the right marketplace for your NFT.
A variety of marketplaces cater to different types of NFTs, from artworks to video clips and Tweets. Some popular options include Opensea.io, Rarible.com, NiftyGateway.com, SuperRare.co, etc.
Check out our comprehensive list of the best NFT marketplaces.
Step 8: Get a Team or Outsource if You Want to Go Solo
Embarking on the journey of how to become an NFT artist, you’ll need to decide whether to assemble a team or go solo.
Successful NFT projects often involve teams comprising a lead, artists, a coder for website and contract deployment, and a marketer. Each member brings unique skills, contributing to a robust project.
However, going solo can also lead to success. As a solo artist, you’ll have the freedom to express your vision but be prepared for the significant work involved.
If certain tasks are outside your skill set, consider outsourcing. This could involve hiring a freelance coder or a marketing expert.
Step 9: Build a community
Building a community of loyal fans is crucial for the success of your digital art. These are the individuals who will appreciate and potentially purchase your work. Here are some steps to help you build and engage your audience:
- Choose the Right Platforms: Twitter, Discord, and Reddit are excellent social media platforms for artists. Start by creating an account on these platforms to connect with potential fans.
- Grow Your Following: Once you’ve set up your accounts, focus on growing your followers. Share your work, participate in discussions, and engage with other users to increase your visibility.
- Keep Your Audience Engaged: It’s not enough to just gather followers; you need to keep them interested. Regularly update your social media accounts with new content and interact with your followers to maintain their interest.
- Host Interactive Sessions: Consider hosting Twitter spaces or AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions on Discord. These interactive sessions allow you to engage directly with your audience, answer their questions, and build stronger relationships.
- Run Giveaways: Giveaways can be a fun way to engage your audience and attract new followers. You could give away digital prints, merchandise, or even an NFT of your art.
- Showcase Your Work: Regularly share your artwork on your social media platforms. This not only showcases your talent but also reminds your followers of the unique art you create.
- Prepare for Your Launch: As you engage with your audience, start preparing them for your ultimate launch. Share sneak peeks of your work, discuss your process, and build anticipation.
- Connect on a Personal Level: Lastly, make sure your audience falls in love with you as an artist before they fall in love with your art. Share your journey, your inspirations, and your story to create a personal connection with your audience.
Step 10: Timing Your NFT Launch
The timing of your NFT launch can significantly impact its success. Launching your NFT during holidays or special events, when people are more likely to purchase collectibles, can increase demand.
However, it’s crucial to plan ahead and not wait until the last minute. The longer you delay, the less likely potential buyers may remain interested.
Therefore, strategizing the perfect moment for your NFT launch is essential in learning how to become an NFT artist.
Step 11: Marketing Your NFT
After launching your NFT, continuous promotion is key. This might seem like a daunting task, but it can be as simple as employing a variety of strategies. Here are some effective ways to promote your NFT:
- Regular Updates: Keep your audience informed by regularly updating your social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) with news about your NFT.
- Sharing Links: Share links to your NFT listings on your social media platforms, in relevant online communities, and on your personal website if you have one.
- Telegram Bot: If you’re using Telegram, consider creating a bot that automatically shares updates about your NFT. This can help keep your audience informed without requiring constant manual updates.
- Collaborations: Collaborate with other artists or influencers in your niche. This can help you reach a larger audience and attract more potential buyers.
Remember, different promotional strategies may yield varying results. For instance, Tweets often generate higher engagement rates than direct messages, making them a particularly effective promotional tool.
Step 12: Engage with other NFT artists and content creators.
The NFT space fosters collaborations and builds a strong community where everyone thrives. As such, you should engage and support other artists and content creators if you want to get the same support when your art launches.
While big-time artists like Beeple and 3Lau may be difficult to reach, you can follow other well-established but smaller artists.
Some NFT accounts you can follow include:
Comment meaningfully on their posts, share or retweet their content, send them direct messages, and build a connection. This is especially helpful when you’re
Step 13: Offer incentives and gamification
Competition is fierce in the NFT world, with buyers constantly looking for something new and exciting.
Offering unique incentives and gamification can significantly boost your NFT project’s success. Consider these strategies:
- Whitelisting: Early access to NFT drops.
- Free Airdrops: Giving away free NFTs or tokens.
- Profit/Royalty Sharing: Sharing a portion of your NFT sales.
- Charity: Donating a part of your sales to a cause.
- Multimedia Integration: Creating a video game, comic, or merchandise.
- Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO): Giving your community decision-making power.
- Tokens and Staking: Issuing your own tokens or offering staking rewards.
- Story Building: Creating a narrative around your NFT art.
- Unique Incentives: Innovating new incentives that haven’t been done before.
Step 14: Be consistent
Whether as an NFT creator or anything, whatever you plan to do, it’s important to be steadfast. Let your target audience identify your work when they see it. Once you’ve created your unique pattern, make sure you continue to follow that pattern for a very long time.
Even if you wish to divert into something different, it shouldn’t be all of a sudden; make it gradual. Being inconsistent makes your target audience easily fed up with you and your art. You should be regular for at least six months before deciding to diversify.
Step 15: Don’t give room to discouragement
You should have at the back of your mind that success in any business doesn‘t come overnight. The day you plant a seed is not the same day you begin to reap the fruits. It takes a lot of hard work, perseverance, and self-encouragement to make it in any business.
You’re sure to encounter many obstacles on your journey to success as an NFT creator. However, it’s essential to know that the moment you begin to give room to discouragement, your downfall sets in. The more you persevere, the more creative you become in creating something unique.
What makes an NFT project successful?
When thinking about what makes an NFT project succeed, the first thing that comes to mind is its uniqueness. This means that you need to create something that no one else has ever made before. Your NFT also needs to have a deeper meaning or utility.
To ensure that your NFT is both unique and meaningful, you’ll need to put in a significant amount of effort. After all, you want to create something that people will appreciate and enjoy.
Another key factor is how well you market your NFT. If you don’t market your NFT, nobody will know about it. Also, if you don’t get enough exposure, there won’t be much interest in buying your NFT.
Finally, you need to focus on building a community around your NFT. People who are part of your community will help you build awareness for your NFT. They will also buy your NFT because they feel connected to you.
Common mistakes NFT creators make and solution
People make several common mistakes when exploring how to become an NFT artist.
| Mistake | Solution |
|---|---|
| Not having a clear vision | Have a clear vision for your NFT project and align your actions with your goals. |
| Failing to establish a community | Build a community around your NFT to increase awareness and gather feedback from users. |
| Making poor decisions regarding the price of your NFT | Consider factors like minting costs, development time, and artwork value when pricing your NFT. |
| Trying to sell too soon | Allow your NFT to mature over time and offer early purchase discounts to incentivize buyers. |
| Failing to consider the legal aspects | Understand and comply with copyright laws and terms of service when using third-party services. |
Remember, addressing these common mistakes can improve your chances of success as an NFT creator.
How to become an NFT artist – final thoughts
Remember that success as an NFT artist is not guaranteed, so avoid expecting people to buy your NFTs without reason. Show gratitude towards your buyers and remain persistent in your efforts. It’s crucial not to let NFTs consume your personal life or lead to burnout. Keep a healthy balance and prioritize your overall well-being.
How to become an NFT artist – FAQs
Can anyone become an NFT creator?
Yes, anyone can become an NFT creator. All you need is a digital file such as an image, video, or music, a crypto wallet, and an account on an NFT marketplace. However, creating successful NFTs requires creativity, an understanding of the market, and effective promotion.
How do I turn my art into an NFT?
To turn your art into an NFT, you need to digitize it, choose a blockchain platform (like Ethereum), select an NFT marketplace, and then mint your digital art into an NFT through the marketplace’s process.
Can artists make money on NFT?
Yes, artists can make money from NFTs by selling their digital artworks on NFT marketplaces. Some artists have earned substantial amounts, but success varies and depends on factors like demand, uniqueness, and marketing.
How much does it cost to start an NFT?
The cost to start an NFT varies, but you’ll typically pay for minting (creating the NFT), which can range from $50 to $100, and listing fees on marketplaces. Prices fluctuate based on network congestion and gas fees on the blockchain.