What Is NFT Shilling? (The Truth About this Marketing Tactic)

If you have ever bought or sold an NFT and are active on social media, then you’ve likely heard of shilling. Shilling is a controversial method of marketing. If you shill “too hard”, it can actually have a negative effect on your promotional efforts.

The term was popularized in 2021 at the height of the NFT bull run. Nowadays, shilling an NFT isn’t encouraged as much as it used to be. Below is everything you need to know about shilling NFTs including where to shill, how, and when it might a bad move.

What Is Shilling Marketing?

Shilling is a marketing tactic used to promote NFTs. Common characteristics of shilling include posting about your NFT on social media constantly, sharing links to it, and mentioning it whenever possible. Shilling is often viewed as a spammy way to market your NFT.

In other words, it is a term used for indicating that you are marketing or advertising your NFT.

Shilling is actually a name of currency from the old-world English coinage from the 17th and 18th centuries. ‘Shill’ is also a word used in casinos for a long time and is interpreted to mean ‘stooge’.

Shilling sometimes has a bad rap to it, as the term is associated with misleading and disrupting a game in a casino. In a casino, it is used for a gambler who plays using the casino’s money in order to keep the games going when there are not sufficient players.

But in the NFT world, shilling can be just posting or sharing a link about a project you are interested in. As long as it is based on something logical and factual then there is nothing wrong with it. It is basically the marketing and promotion of your crypto asset.

So why do people shill their NFTs? In most cases, many do it because either they believe in a project and there are some who are there to make money. Like any industry, there are scams in the NFT world as well and you have to take precautions if you are a buyer.

People online tend to be suspicious of any NFT shilling nowadays. There have been some NFTs that have been certainly hyped up. There are also a few people shilling and getting paid for it. They do not reveal this and mislead the people they influence.

John McAfee was in news for doing this with cryptocurrencies. He has been accused of accepting payments to promote cryptocurrencies and investments. 

But, if you are promoting NFTs and giving people information or helping them understand a specific NFT’s value, there is nothing wrong with that.

Where Can You Shill an NFT? 

There are many places to shill your NFT. The most common are social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also use Telegram, Discord, and even Reddit. Anywhere NFTs are discussed they are likely shared as well.

To shill on Facebook it would be good to ensure that you have joined a few groups where the members are looking for NFTs and discussing them ardently. A post with a write-up on the background and value of the NFT you want to shill, along with a link is more than sufficient. Ensure that you do not post multiple times and create a nuisance. Once is enough and if people are interested you can send them more details.

Instagram is a great place to shill an NFT. You can use Instagram stories to build an audience and promote the NFT.

Using Twitter is a good idea, as one tweet can reach a large audience. It is a quick and effective way to let the masses know about your NFT.

You can also shill them on forums and chat rooms. They may not be as effective as using social media as people may become wary. There are many scams that are marketed through forums and chatrooms.

Telegram is an excellent platform for a shilling as a good portion of the crypto community hangs out there. In fact, Telegram is the primary channel with the maximum number of crypto users. Creating a channel there can be a great way to spread the word while you are shilling NFTs.

Discord is great as well, there is the option to create different chats within the same channel.

You can also shill on NFT marketplaces as well. Rarible, OpenSea, and Nifty are all avenues to promote your NFTs.

Why Shill Your NFT? 

If you are excited about an NFT project you can further develop its value and create a buzz by shilling. Some do it because it is a good project and it is a great asset to own and genuinely want to inform others. But some might be trying to shill to keep increasing prices till they can sell their NFT for a profit.

Maybe you have invested in an NFT and you want to ensure that you get a higher price on your NFT or you are excited about sharing a specific NFT project. Shilling will help you get people to notice and in some cases increase demand so that the NFT value increases as well.

Imagine you bought an NFT for $1. Now you may want to sell it and make a profit. But for that, you need to boost the prices. When people know more about an NFT the overall demand and value increase.

You may promote the product through Instagram, Twitter, and Rarible, talking about it and creating a buzz. Your efforts could increase the value and demand. So after shilling, the NFT may increase in price to say $5. 

Seeing the value increase from $1 to $5 can also get more buyers interested as now it seems to be a profitable buy. 

Take Crypto Kitties for example. It is a novel idea and so much buzz was created around it that its prices increased rapidly in a short span of time.

How To Shill Your NFT

Shill your NFT by choosing which platform you will promote your NFT on (social media platforms are good places to start.) Next, find a collector who is requesting people to shill their NFTs. Then, post a bit of info about your NFT along with a link where it can be viewed. Additionally, shill your NFT by posting to your own profile.

When it comes to shilling it is all about creating engagement and interest. You need to respond to any questions or comments, share pictures, and create a story so that you engage people. You can speak about the value of NFTs promoting the one you like in a non-intrusive manner.

Details and facts can be conveyed to interested buyers when they find your posts and links and request further information.

A great idea is that, rather than promote NFTs, it is actually better if you position yourself well in the NFT community. You can use these tools to establish your authority as an NFT expert rather than just promoting a few links.

You will create a long-term advantage in an increasingly crowded marketplace. You can create a buzz by tapping into social media networks along with platforms such as Reddit, Discord, Clubhouse, etc. You can even create multiple channels on these to increase reach. But try to avoid spamming and flooding people with your posts.

Holding AMA sessions on Quora, Facebook and Youtube can be a great way to promote NFT projects. AMA stands for ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions that you conduct at a fixed time on a specific day of the week consistently. Here you can build an audience and answer questions or give information on NFTs that your audience wants.

Create some hype, engage the audience and respond with professionalism each time they have a query.

Remember that you are actually selling something that is valuable. Your style of communication can affect the perception of the NFT. Be wise and cautious while shilling because if you lose credibility, it can be difficult gaining the community’s trust again.

Is Shilling an NFT Bad?

There are abound people who buy NFTs and try to increase the value by hook or crook. All they want is to dump their NFTs by creating false hype. There are sometimes hundreds and thousands of messages on social media trying to shill NFTs.

But flooding the internet with your NFT links may not be the most ideal way to shill your NFT and you may even create a bad name for your project or brand. You can do it though. I have personally gone through tweets and dropped a link to anyone requesting an NFT shill.

The most important thing to do when shilling an NFT is, to be honest, open, and ready to accept criticism. Overall, the NFT community is very supportive and you will likely receive positive feedback as long as you are professional and friendly to others.

People shill all the time. Shilling is actually sharing some information about an NFT. If it is factual and true then there is no reason why it shouldn’t be done.

You are letting people know about a product. Whenever you are selling or marketing, shilling is what you do. If you are receiving positive feedback from shilling and you have not misled anyone, there is nothing bad about it.

Social media, telegram, and even Youtube can be great platforms for shilling. But, you need not be limited to those alone.

You can look at other avenues such as marketplaces and listings where NFT enthusiasts hang out. You do have to ensure that shilling is done with caution and take care so that the perceived value is not lowered by your shilling.

Most of all, have fun and make sure you support others who shill their work as well. You can help others who are shilling by sharing their posts, providing constructive criticism, and liking their work. If you really enjoy someone’s shilled NFT, you can invest in it yourself to support the creator.