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Content creators have the ability to generate multiple streams of income from their social media platforms through advertisements, sponsorships, and sales. Although influencers can make a lot of money this way, there are downsides to relying on a fluctuating income. This is why over 200,000 creators have decided to make a name for themselves by learning how to make money on Patreon, a membership platform that guarantees content creators a sustainable and predictable income.
Via Backlinko
What is Patreon?
Patreon is a platform that allows fans of creators to show their support by paying a monthly subscription fee in order to gain access to their content. Creators can set up multiple tiers, each one offering something different for their supporters. For example, the Daddy Issues Podcast’s Patreon has 3 tiers:
- Member Of The Family ($5 per month): Offers fans a bonus podcast every week.
- Official Child ($10 per month): Fans get put into a Discord server which allows them to communicate directly with the podcast hosts, as well as offering bonus episodes, a monthly live stream, and a live chat.
- Favorite Child ($50 per month): Offers fans access to exclusive merch and includes benefits from the previous 2 tiers.
Most of the creators on Patreon come from Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter, and invite their followers to continue their support over on Patreon. Fans are able to communicate directly with their favorite influencer, get access to exclusive content, and receive special perks.
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Why are Creators using Patreon?
Creators are using Patreon because the paywall allows them more control over monetizing their content – they aren’t reliant on brand deals or ad revenue which is inconsistent income. Patreon guarantees a monthly income for creators from subscriptions paid for by their followers – not by brands. Based on a Mediakix article, Patreon charges a 5% fee and standard processing fees, but creators take home over 90% of the money that patrons pledge to their work. Whereas if the creator was solely relying on advertisements, the revenue would be split 50/50 and they would have little to no control over what’s being advertised with their content. The bottom line is Patreon gives creators more financial and creative freedom than any other platform could.
What Type of Content are Creators Posting on Patreon vs Free Content on Social Media?
There are endless opportunities for creators to make money on Patreon in terms of what content they post whether it’s videos, pictures, podcasts, or music. But, there is a bit more freedom for creators on Patreon than other social media platforms that produce free content. For example, creators are allowed to make money on Patreon by posting 18+ content with mature or explicit themes. This would otherwise not be allowed on platforms like YouTube or Instagram because creators rely on brands and advertisements for their income, forcing them to post “family-friendly” content. Also, most platforms that produce free content have much stricter community guidelines and are given the power to penalize creators who go against it.
Want to learn more about how creators make money on Patreon? Check out this blog!
How Creators Can Use Patreon to Monetize their content
1. Create a Patreon and List it in your Bios on your Social Channels
The easiest way to guarantee your success on Patreon is to have a decent following on another social media platform. To avoid sounding repetitive while trying to get the word out to your followers, a good way to get more eyes on your page is to add a link to it in your social channel bio. That way, the first thing followers see when they go to your profile is your Patreon sign-up.
Via Instagram
2. Come up with Exclusive Content
A great way to make money on Patreon is to offer exclusive content that you don’t already offer on your other social media channels. Two creators who have been successful in putting out exclusive content are Cody Ko and Noel Miller, hosts of the TMG Podcast. They started their podcast on YouTube over 3 years ago in their living room and are now ranked 5th in overall podcasts on Patreon and earn about $100,495 per month. Over the past couple of years, Cody and Noel have mastered the art of exclusive content. Across their 3 Patreon tiers, each level offers various types of bonus content: live streamed podcasts, funniest moments videos, access to polls, “director’s cut” videos and more. Without paying a membership to view their content, their fans would only have access to 1 hour-long podcast a week.
Via Billboard
3. Advertise your Patreon on Social Channels
It’s important to create hype for your Patreon on your social channels whether it’s through a tweet, mentioning it in a YouTube video, or posting it to your Instagram story. Updating your followers about what you have planned is important because your supporters will want to be a part of new and exclusive opportunities. Posting daily or every other day is a great way to make sure your followers don’t miss out on what you have to say.
Another widely used strategy to advertise your Patreon is posting 1 or 2 minute clips of exclusive footage. Teasing your fans with exclusive content will get more attention to your Patreon and will make them more willing to buy a membership if they already had a sneak-peek. The TMG podcast is known for posting bonus podcast highlights on their Twitter and Instagram accounts.
trying tiktok food trends
watch the full ep in the bone zone: https://t.co/wjhaqSM3dw pic.twitter.com/ewj75RpI8B
— TMG (@tinymeatgang) June 17, 2021
4. Offer Incentives for Joining
To convince your followers to pay for your content instead of consuming it for free, there has to be some sort of guaranteed incentive for signing up. There are many ways you can reward your fans for becoming a patron:
- Giveaways of merch
- Discounted memberships
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Sending fans a physical good in exchange for their membership
You can now support me with an annual membership on Patreon instead of having to pledge month-to-month! AND you save 15% by doing so, so go check it out: https://t.co/rQb4yZK0Un
— NerdSync (@NerdSync) August 18, 2020
