How to Build an Onchain Brand: Mirror CEO Denis Nazarov

Summary

This video explores the innovative use of NFTs in community building and project marketing. It highlights successful examples, such as Nicknell’s artist collective, who leveraged free NFTs and tools like Mirror to engage early collectors and expand their reach. Key strategies include using NFTs for storytelling, collaborating with brands, and cross-pollinating audiences. The video also showcases how platforms like Linea and Optimism successfully activated large communities, emphasizing the importance of partnerships. Creators are encouraged to explore Mirror for building their projects and engaging their audiences through customized subdomains and NFTs.

Takeaways

• 😀 NFTs offer a transformative way for creators to engage with their audience through ownership and participation, rather than just passive following.
• 😀 Unchained brands empower creators by offering their audience ownership stakes, incentivizing long-term participation and meaningful connections.
• 😀 Mirror is a platform that facilitates creators to build engaged communities by connecting NFTs to email and wallet addresses for easier communication.
• 😀 Through NFTs, creators can engage audiences in a more direct and high-intent manner, providing value beyond likes or shares.
• 😀 NFTs can help projects with milestones by creating exclusive, collectible digital assets that represent significant events, building deeper brand loyalty.
• 😀 Successful NFT activations include collaborative strategies, such as partnerships with projects like Zora and Optimism, which help cross-pollinate audiences.
• 😀 Nicknell, a small artist collective, used free NFTs as a way to bootstrap engagement and build an early community around their project.
• 😀 NFTs can serve as a tool for brand identity, with creators offering collectibles that become symbols of membership and participation in a community.
• 😀 Mirror supports creators by offering mint passes, subscription models, and on-chain tools to create a seamless NFT-based community-building process.
• 😀 Through programmable NFTs, creators can reward loyal supporters with unique benefits like discounts, access to special content, and voting rights.
• 😀 Successful community engagement with NFTs requires consistent interaction and rewards, as seen in examples from Linea and Optimism, which kept their audience engaged through ongoing activations.

Q & A

What is the main idea behind 'Unchained Brands' as discussed in the transcript?

The concept of 'Unchained Brands' revolves around using NFTs to transform the way creators and brands engage with their communities. It emphasizes the shift from passive audience participation to active engagement, where individuals can own and participate in a brand's growth through NFTs.

How do NFTs provide more engagement compared to traditional social media actions like liking or following?

NFTs offer a deeper form of engagement because they represent a high-intent action, where collectors actually own a piece of the brand or project. This ownership creates a stronger, more meaningful connection between the community and the creator, unlike passive actions such as liking or following.

What are the benefits of using on-chain tools for brand-building?

On-chain tools like NFTs allow for direct ownership of digital assets and enhance data transparency. They help track engagement, making it easier to connect with communities, reward active participants, and manage loyalty over time. Additionally, they provide the benefits of blockchain's openness and security.

What example does the speaker provide to demonstrate the effective use of NFTs in marketing?

The speaker uses the example of Base, an Ethereum scaling solution incubated by Coinbase. Base utilized NFTs to engage their community by releasing Genesis NFTs, collaborating with other projects like Optimism, and marking milestones such as their mainnet launch.

How did Base's NFT strategy contribute to its success?

Base's NFT strategy helped build a dedicated community by offering early access through Genesis NFTs, which gave collectors a sense of ownership. Their cross-project collaborations, like with Optimism, expanded their reach, and milestone NFTs created a sense of celebration and involvement.

What is the significance of community building through NFTs, according to the transcript?

NFTs are significant for community building because they give community members ownership, making them more invested in the project's success. This sense of ownership fosters deeper engagement and loyalty, which traditional social media interactions do not achieve.

How did Nicknell, the small artist collective, use NFTs for community engagement?

Nicknell used NFTs by releasing free NFTs as a way to bootstrap communication with their audience. They issued mint passes and allowed early collectors to access future drops, effectively building awareness and engagement through this strategy.

What role does Mirror play in helping projects build their communities?

Mirror helps projects build their communities by offering tools to create on-chain narratives, manage newsletters, and issue NFTs. Their platform allows creators to track their audience, keep in touch with subscribers, and engage them in a more organized, meaningful way.

What is the significance of using cross-project collaborations in the NFT space?

Cross-project collaborations are significant because they allow projects to tap into new audiences, create shared value, and generate excitement. For example, partnerships like Zora's collaborations with Optimism and other brands help bring in diverse community members, increasing exposure and engagement.

What is the invitation extended to the viewers at the end of the presentation?

At the end of the presentation, the speaker invites viewers to explore Mirror's tools and sign up for subdomains to start publishing content. They encourage viewers to reach out on Twitter for further assistance and guidance in building their own NFT-driven communities.