‍Thinking about launching your own NFT collection?

After three years of helping hundreds of creators and refining our methods, we’re now ready to share our 5-step guide for launching a successful NFT project.

By the end of this article, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to kickstart your project with confidence. 😎

Most NFT collections don't make it through their first year

An estimate of 90 to 95 percent of all NFT collections is worthless after their first year.

dAppGambl, a cryptocurrency analyst firm, has published a research which found that 69,975 of the 73,257 NFT collections it examined, have a market cap of 0.

“This statistic effectively means that 95 per cent of people holding NFT collections are currently holding onto worthless investments,” Vlad Hategan, NFT gaming specialist at dappGamble writes in the report.

This isn’t meant to discourage you, but it shows that building a lasting project that truly benefits its holders is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and planning. But if you do it right and everything falls into place, you've got fireworks!

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Branding and Storytelling

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All five steps are equally important, but Branding & Storytelling forms the foundation of your project. It defines who you are and shows the world why you exist.

This is true for all brands in every sector, but it is especially key for success in NFTs.

The value of NFTs is often tied to the brand’s perceived value. This means that the value comes down to the price that the public is willing to pay for an NFT, rather than a set value like a loaf of bread, which is worth $2.50. This price is easily explained and understood as reasonable by everyone. The same thing can't be said about successful NFT collections.

In fact, 9 out of the 10 top NFT collections on Ethereum succeed because they are great brands. Most of them don’t even offer utility—they’re simply brands people love and want to be a part of.

Now, good branding doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s more about clarity: about knowing who you are and who you’re not. Consistency in this is crucial.

Learn to say no to things that don’t align with your brand identity.

We recommend looking into Carl Jung’s 12 brand archetypes to help define your brand identity. Pick one and stick with it.

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To make things a little bit easier, start by answering these questions for your brand:

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Why are you doing this?
• What problem are you solving?
• Why should people care and join you?

Only after you’ve answered these questions, you should dive into design—logo, colors, typography, and so on.

If you’re looking for a great resource to master branding and storytelling, We highly recommend Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. It’s not just about branding; it’s a fantastic guide to business and marketing—one that will leave you marking up nearly every page. ✍️

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Community

Web3 is all about community.

Unlike Web2, where ads drive sales, NFTs sell because of the community behind them. You need to create a brand or movement that people want to join. But beyond that, you need to make real connections.

Many projects fail because they try to automate community-building. Founders coming from Web2 often believe this can be outsourced or simplified. And that’s a mistake. Because a single NFT holder is worth a thousand followers, and you need to earn that trust.

As a Web3 founder, you can’t delegate building your community. And you shouldn't want to, because it’s the best investment you can make. You’ll meet interesting people, expand your network, and learn more about your holders. This will help you build a client-focused, not product-focused, business.

NFTs will make you a better leader and founder.

If you do this right, you’ll build a true community. And when tokenized, that community will be your ultimate competitive edge!

So don’t launch your NFTs until you’ve hit these milestones: at least 300 followers, 30 one-on-one calls, and the support of at least three other communities.

Strategy

There’s no single rule for how you should leverage NFTs, but here’s what we’ve learned in the past few years:

1. NFTs should be exclusive and scarce—something for your most loyal supporters. If someone wants to follow you, they can easily do that on social media. NFTs, however, are something more special and unique.

2. Consider Batch Minting over One-Shot Minting. Batch Minting means releasing NFTs gradually as your community grows. This helps to maintain a healthy balance between your project’s earnings and the value of your NFTs.

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You don’t need to sell 5,000 NFTs right off the bat. Even if that’s your max supply, you can start with just a 100. That will bring you your first 60–70 unique holders, who will feel like they're part of something exclusive with NFTs that actually hold value.

3. As for pricing, aim for somewhere in between $35 and $75. In our experience, it’s better to price higher and have fewer NFTs than to do the opposite. A good rule of thumb is to sell only half or one-third of the NFTs you think you could sell.

For example, if you think you could sell 600 NFTs at $45 each, only sell 200. The unsold 400 NFTs represent your brand’s value surplus.

In the above case, you’ll start with $9,000 (200 x $45) and leave the potential $18,000 (400 x $45) for your community to earn in secondary market sales. Some people will sell, some will hold, but all will benefit.

Utility

When it comes to utility, keep it simple.

Think of one main benefit that everyone can easily understand, and add two or three secondary benefits. Avoid overpromising—only offer what you know you can deliver, given your time and budget.

You can share all the benefits upfront or release them gradually to build interest. But before launching, everyone should know the answer to this question: Why should I buy your NFT?

The answer should be clear and concise, ideally in one sentence that highlights the main benefit the holders will gain.

Right now though, utility isn’t the main factor driving NFT value due to the lack of advanced infrastructure. Our advice is to focus mostly on community and brand for now, but keep an eye out for opportunities as many DApps are being built to address this infrastructural gap.

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Art

Last, but certainly not least, the art.

Art is deeply tied to branding and is often one of the biggest drivers of value for any NFT collection. People usually hold onto NFTs they love and sell the ones they don’t.

Great art takes time and care. It communicates commitment, passion, and a long-term vision. Outstanding art alone can make an NFT collection successful, while poor art can ruin even the best project.

If you’re going to invest money in one area, let it be the art. Find a great designer, pay them well, and spend the time necessary to create a piece you’d want in your own wallet. There’s a reason some projects pay over $10,000 for a PFP art collection.

Finally, make sure you create a well-designed one-pager. People don’t have time to read lengthy whitepapers. A beautifully designed one-pager summarizing these five points will be your best sales tool. Plus, it will help you refine and condense your ideas. Share it with everyone!

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Conclusion

These were the five steps you need to follow to launch a successful NFT collection.

We've covered Branding & Storytelling, Community building, Strategy, Utility, and Art.

It's going to be a lot of hard work, but we all know how well Web3 can pay off. If you succeed in creating a successful Web3 brand, all the time and effort you invest will pay off.

If you want to read more about launching an NFT collection, check out the Kabila Academy. It covers everything from strategy to the technical details.

Thanks for reading, and good luck on your NFT Journey!