NFT: The new infrastructure of the Internet's future

The era of NFTs has quietly arrived. Although often ridiculed as high-priced small images, NFTs are in fact an important infrastructure for the future of the internet. They can provide market insights while protecting privacy, creating communities and organizations, and offering the necessary data architecture to build the vision of Web3.

Visionary companies are actively integrating NFTs into their technological systems. Brands from the NBA to Coachella are experimenting with NFT integration. Some applications demonstrate advancements in membership economies, while others tend to leverage this technology without involving Web3 commitments. As a developer of NFT solutions, I believe companies can integrate NFTs in three ways, moving towards a future that emphasizes community-driven efforts.

Build Membership System

The first step is to establish a membership system and community. For example, issue NFT membership tokens to loyal members and provide access to an internal community. NFTs can also be issued to early supporters (such as the first 100 purchasers).

Through this mechanism, companies can provide their most enthusiastic audiences with priority access to products, news, content, or special features. At the same time, identifying the core user group helps to obtain important feedback and understand their needs.

This type of membership mechanism can help companies maintain user enthusiasm and strengthen the brand ambassador effect. Companies can even grant core users NFT tickets as entry credentials to community spaces, where users can communicate, provide feedback, and influence business development. The NFT membership mechanism not only strengthens the connection between the company and its core community but also enhances the community's driving force for the business.

Provide early bird or exclusive benefits

The NFT-based membership mechanism can unlock various possibilities, such as offering early bird or exclusive rights. For example, a certain sports brand can provide early purchase rights for new products through NFT membership. Members who purchase specific shoe models can also qualify to participate in designer meet-and-greet events or Q&A sessions.

This is not limited to online activities. NFTs, as a flexible infrastructure across platforms, can provide a seamless experience for offline community events as tickets. By verifying NFT membership, one can participate in online Q&A sessions with designers and also visit their design studios in person.

Empowering Members with Decision-Making Power

Through NFTs, companies can also give members a voice in decision-making. After opening various permissions, brands can invite members who have participated in multiple sales (NFTs will record this information) to vote on design proposals in development. This interactive approach deepens the connection between the brand and its core community: members gain more power and influence, while brands stimulate more interest and boost sales.

Reward Community Leaders

A deeper integration method can grant members an influence over the project's direction. For example, member NFTs can record data on participation in sales and voting, allowing companies to invite certain members to participate in product and design discussions, strategic meetings, and more. This helps to coordinate the pace between the community and the business, and rewards the contributions of community influencers.

Companies can also provide various interactive channels based on member interests. Some may wish to participate in design decisions, while others may prefer to act as brand ambassadors. Regardless of the chosen method, active community members can earn rewards. Each member possessing an NFT can unlock infinite possibilities.

Promote Cross-Community Collaboration

As more companies integrate NFTs and emphasize the importance of membership mechanisms, cross-community collaboration will become a field full of opportunities. Brands and communities will be able to carry out unprecedented activities, such as promotional events targeted at specific NFT holders from other companies. Compared to traditional customer acquisition methods, this kind of community integration is more human-centered, less intrusive, and highly anticipated.

The transformation towards a membership-based business model is revolutionary. Some companies may gradually experiment, while others may adopt a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) model, completely entrusting their business to community ownership and operation. The NFT-based membership mechanism allows companies to flexibly experiment with community engagement and make gradual adjustments.

In the development process of many industries, human factors have suffered serious setbacks, and social trust in enterprises has also declined significantly. Membership mechanisms are powerful tools that companies can use to become more community-centered and reverse this trend. This is the dual benefit brought by NFTs, while also opening up new economic growth avenues for enterprises.