Looking for a way to earn more income from your content? Find out why running Patreon campaigns may be your best option here!

What is Patreon?

Patreon is an online membership platform. It enables content creators to set up their own subscription service featuring exclusive content and rewards. For instance, many YouTube vloggers have a Patreon platform offering subscribers a first look at new content, as well as bonus footage and higher interaction with the hosts. Whilst making money from YouTube or other sites, this service allows creators to earn a monthly income.

Why Patreon Campaigns?

The idea of someone appealing to the public for financial support in trying to reach a goal or kick off a new endeavour isn’t new. Crowdfunding campaigns are often held on sites like Kickstarter, and focus on a single, one-time goal. This has proven to be an effective way of raising an awful lot of money, but what if you want to continually raise money based on your creative output, in order to be able to continue to create that content? Enter, Patreon campaigns. Patreon facilitates the ability to earn income on a per-month or per-creation basis. Just as you pay a TV license, or Netflix subscription, many content creators rightly believe their efforts deserve financial reward. If you enjoy watching something and want to see more of it, donating through Patreon is the best way to ensure that.

How to Create a Strong Campaign?

So, how do you create an effective Patreon campaign that will draw viewers in and kick off that earning? This isn’t a form of passive income, and in some ways should be viewed as a job in itself. If you are asking people to hand over their hard-earned cash, you need to make it worth their while.

Build an Audience

The content creators who pull in the thousands of dollars are the ones who already have a loyal following. Patreon won’t draw in new viewers, so you need to first ensure that you’ve got an enthusiastic audience already. If you’re not quite there yet, find out how you can gain YouTube subscribers for free.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Get

If you are planning to launch a Patreon campaign, you need to let the people know! If you don’t appeal to your audience and state your case, you won’t get much interest in your campaign. Create a video announcing your plans, and make sure to be concise but excited. You want to create anticipation and a real buzz amongst your following. Providing a teaser of some perks and bonuses a subscriber can expect if they donate is a great way to pique their interest.

Tiers and Tiers

Setting up several tiers of rewards is a great idea for appealing to a wide range of audience members. A large chunk of your audience will happily agree to donate a couple of dollars a month, and so the rewards you offer for this should be something that would appeal to a broad base. From here, start thinking about more tailored rewards you can offer to the smaller percentage of people who are willing to donate more and spend big. These can be things like personalised content, experiences, etc.

Stay Consistent

The thing that makes Patreon different to something like Kickstarter is that it’s aimed at content creators who are continuous with their output. The monthly earnings model supports ongoing projects, rather than just large one-offs. Because of this, you need to stay on top of your content schedule and keep your audience engaged. In the same breath, do be careful not to alienate your non-Patreon viewers, as you never know when they might change their mind and decide to donate too!