Marketing & Launch Prep
A successful launch starts long before minting opens. This page covers pricing strategy, community building, co-marketing with Art Blocks, and launch coordination.
Project Pricing
Pricing is one of the most consequential decisions in a project launch. Consider:
- Market conditions — Crypto markets are volatile. What's a realistic price that honors the work without overreaching?
- Primary audience — Are they crypto-native power users, retail collectors new to generative art, or a specific community you've built?
- Project demand — Is this a highly anticipated release or a quieter community-first drop?
Recommended Approach by Demand
High demand / broad attention: Use a Dutch Auction mechanic. This allows the market to discover the right price rather than leaving money on the table for secondary flippers or disadvantaging the artist. A Dutch Auction with Settlement is particularly equitable — all buyers end up paying the same final price.
Community-first / rewarding established fans: Consider an allowlist for early access, followed by a public phase at a set price or a short Dutch Auction.
Exploratory / first release: A moderate fixed price with good communication about what to expect is often the simplest and most transparent option.
The Art Blocks team is happy to talk through pricing strategy based on your specific context. Reach out to your account manager.
Pre-Launch Mints
It's tradition for artists to keep mint #0 from a new project. You can also pre-mint a small number of tokens for:
- Private buyers
- Specific community members
- Promotional use (airdrops, giveaways)
If you plan to pre-mint tokens, be open and honest about it with your community. Set the mint price at the anticipated sale price or Dutch Auction resting price for any pre-minted tokens.
Building Your Community
Art Blocks has a collector community, but Engine partners should not rely on it as their primary audience. Build your own community alongside the Art Blocks ecosystem.
Discord
Discord is the primary tool for building and maintaining a crypto-native community. Set up a server with:
- Basic conduct rules
- Channels relevant to your project (announcements, general chat, art discussion)
- Moderation
Art Blocks can share the Discord bots and tools we use in our own server. Contact your account manager for details.
X (Twitter)
Twitter/X is where you find your audience in public:
- Participate actively — tweet, reply, share works in progress
- Engage with responses — collectors who share your work are your best advocates
- Follow the community — other generative artists, collectors, Web3 thought leaders
- Consistency matters — regular posting builds a following over time
Additional tips:
- Gift tokens to supporters who genuinely engage with your work
- Create supplementary content that gives context to your upcoming platform — essays, videos, process documentation
- Partner with other creators for cross-promotion
Co-Marketing with Art Blocks
Art Blocks Engine partners benefit from association with the Art Blocks brand. Here's how co-promotion works:
Default: Engine partner communications are amplified by the @ArtBlocksEngine Twitter account at the team's discretion.
Occasional flagship amplification: The main @artblocks_io account may amplify partner communications that align closely with Art Blocks' brand identity and use generative minting technology in innovative ways.
Brand assets: Partners are permitted to use approved Art Blocks brand assets (provided by Art Blocks) on their website and promotional materials. Contact your account manager for the approved asset pack.
Do not rely on Art Blocks amplification as your primary growth strategy. Build your own audience.
Vibecheck
If you're planning a unique drop mechanic, distribution strategy, giveaway, or anything non-standard, Art Blocks can offer a perspective from our experience in the industry.
We've seen what works, what doesn't, and what can backfire — even with good intentions. If you're unsure how the community will receive a decision, schedule a vibecheck call with your account manager before going public.
This is especially valuable for:
- Novel auction mechanics
- Unusual pre-mint or allowlist structures
- Pricing strategies in unusual market conditions
- Community-sensitive announcements
Launch Checklist
Before opening minting:
- Project is activated on mainnet
- Token #0 is minted and visible on your platform
- All frontend integrations are tested end-to-end
- Minter is configured and tested (open/close state verified)
- Payment splits and royalty splitter are set correctly
- Social channels are set up and warm (pre-launch engagement)
- Discord is ready with moderation in place
- Brand assets approved for use on your site and promotional materials
- Art Blocks team is informed of your launch date and timing
- Co-promotion timing agreed with Art Blocks account manager