How To Be A Community Member

Community is the secret sauce to successful NFT collections. We’ve covered how creators can build authentic communities but as a holder, where do you start? We ask our SOL NFT community:

What is community to you?

A sense of belonging. It's weird, but every collection does have its own personality and brand. It's that feeling of belonging that is at the core of community. - @MakeItAGoodNFT

At its best, a community will support and strengthen its members, who then empower their community in return. It's a positive feedback loop! - @faintdotwav

We’re all in it together, and that’s why this is so much fun. Essentially, NFTs transformed investing into a multiplayer game. I like investing, but it turns out that I absolutely love investing when I do it with a group of like-minded people. I like sharing both victories and defeats with my peers, and this comradery is how I define community. - @gaius1337

A good community breaks boundaries and creates a place for ANYONE to collaborate and "make it" together. - @Miles_NFT

It’s when a collective culture begins to emerge and underpin a project. The people drawn to the project do so because they connect with the perceived spirit, artistic expression or manifesto put forward, but they’ll stay because of the group dynamic that’s fostered.  - @CRYPTOLITJESUS

How did you pick your NFT communities?

I look for dedicated members who stick through ups and downs and solid leadership that delivers. Anyone overpromising is a giant red flag for me. I much rather have a realistic roadmap that I know can be achieved with the manpower most of these projects have. - @DOOMille

I think there are three main pointers to look out for: Leaders > Community > Brand. We are always attracted to people that are like us OR people that we want to be like. Looking at the leaders is always good way to see if the community is for you. - @Miles_NFT

Personally, I love communities with not too many people, high trust among members, smart discussions, kindness, and a lot of activity. I like having a relationship with each member, and enjoy calling such a place ‘home’. As an investor, I believe that for a project to be successful, the community needs to stay fun over a long period of time which is achievable by being both distinct and active. A successful community should initially aim for 100 raving fans, not 10k people sitting in a discord without participating. - @gaius1337

I look for a few things: Does the discord have helpful bots? Are the people positive and friendly? Can I grow the brand... am I aligned with it spiritually? For Pesky Penguins, we have "noot noot", an easy way to engage with other members. That was key... how to create easy camaraderie. - @MakeItAGoodNFT

I look at the discord server discussions, if it's only about floor price, price action in general, it's a red flag. If it's about building cool stuff, passionate and active community members having a lot of fun, and brainstorming ideas about the project, it's a win. -  @Cryptonent

Where should holders start in order to contribute to an NFT project?

Recognize the vision that the project seeks to accomplish and make sure that vision aligns with your own. Embody that vision and represent it to the fullest, in your personal way. - @faintdotwav

You really need to hang out on discord for a while to see if that's something you even want to do. After that, just ask questions and start sharing your insight. No matter what your idea, just put it out there. If there’s something good in it, somebody will usually pick up on it. - @CRYPTOLITJESUS

Start with whatever you’re good at. You’re an artist? Create a derivative with your own art style or, write a song about the project. Developer? Collaborate with the community and build something to share with everyone. Social media manager? Be a mod, engage with the community, help new people on the ecosystem. Trader? Share your analysis alpha with the community. - @Cryptonent

Ask yourself: How can I improve this? The beautiful thing about Web3 communities is that there is no boundaries. If you see an error in the FAQs, re-write it and send it to the team. If you see someone having trouble with an issue? Offer help. If you do this long enough, you'll provide one thing that everyone is looking for: value. - @Miles_NFT

Lots of holders will disappear in alpha chats and other verified only channels... but the real value add is being in general (on discord). Showing people the community is alive and what it's about. Offer to "blow them up on twitter" alongside the rest of the community as a light hazing ritual. Anything that welcomes them when they come in the front door. - @MakeItAGoodNFT

Something easy that anyone can do is be kind. By making each member feel welcomed, the community flourishes. - @gaius1337

Foster collabs between the devs and the community. It's really important to work alongside the devs. Help them communicate with the community. Ask clarifying questions. In general, the more you can foster collabs between the devs and the community, the healthier the project.  - @MakeItAGoodNFT