How To Set Up Tiers On Patreon

As content cosmos morphs into its own form of concern, creators look for ways to stabilize their income. Some look to social media to monetize, others make and sell trade (merch). Only there's a centuries-onetime mode to focus on creating while making coin — patronage. That'southward where having a Patreon comes into play, and if you lot're hither, you lot may have heard a footling flake about it.

Anyone can utilise Patreon as a source of revenue. Information technology has no up-front end costs, and there are merely a few things you lot need to make it successful. So, should you jump on the tendency? In this post, we'll get through everything y'all want to know most how to start a Patreon — why it was founded, gauging if information technology'south right for you, how it works, and launching your ain Patreon entrada.

Table of Contents

About Patreon
How Patreon works
Signs that Patreon is right for y'all
How to commencement a Patreon
Choosing a Patreon plan
Understanding and using the Patreon tier organization
What to offer as benefits
Setting goals on Patreon
Types of content to post on Patreon
How to promote your Patreon
Kickoff by asking

Well-nigh Patreon

Similar many cracking businesses, Patreon was founded past someone who wanted to solve a problem. Patreon's origin story goes dorsum to when Jack Conte was making videos online. He noticed YouTube monetization was unstable and largely dependent on an algorithm for views. Conte called his Stanford friend Sam Yam and asked for aid creating something that could assistance. The idea alluded to Renaissance-style patronage under which artists could create freely with financial support. They got to piece of work on a platform that immune creatives to inquire for the support they needed. So in 2022, Patreon was born.

Unlike Kickstarter — which funded large projects in advance with one campaign — Patreon allows creators to make recurring high-quality content in commutation for a monthly donation. Fast frontwards to 2022 and creators are using Patreon to brand all kinds of content with back up from their followers. Some are even well-known creators like Issa Rae, who went from making spider web series to producing the HBO hit "Insecure." So, how exactly are content creators making money to work instead of working to get paid? Let'due south encounter what goes on behind the Patreon drapery.

How Patreon works

Patreon lets your followers and fans become your biggest supporters, financially speaking. Yous might be thinking, "Aren't fans already supporters?" merely let'due south intermission that down. When you stream a song by your favorite artist, Spotify gives them less than one cent for that stream. Patreon founder, Jack Conte, would get millions of views on a YouTube video, and run across only $100. Before Patreon, creators were actually losing money doing what they loved, despite having large audiences.

Now, Patreon cuts out the third parties that take most of your profits. They implemented and proved the theory that if y'all focus on creating content fans love, those followers will pay for information technology. This model frees y'all from third-political party limitations that adjourn your artistic liberty and take all your cash.

What does Patreon get in return? Around 5% to 12% of your acquirement, depending on the benefits that y'all desire.

Signs that Patreon is right for you

When getting started with digital marketing on a new platform, a lot of questions arise. Like social media, Patreon offers ways to connect with those who follow you, but what if you're concerned supporters will be turned off by a paywall? How exercise you lot know if Patreon is worth it for you? Should yous just proceed developing your content on your own?

Here are some signs that you should hop on Patreon:

You have an audition. Patreon won't help much in finding new audiences for you, and so you take to bring your own or take a growth strategy in place.
Your content is cost-effective. If you're raising $ane,000 a month just need $20,000 to create, Patreon volition barely brand a dent.
You demand a heave to brand better content. Patreon gives you that external motivation every month reminding you that people desire to run into what y'all make.

If the above sounds like what you lot're looking for, showtime your Patreon page and tell your followers to meet you there. Let's go through how to get started.

Beleaf inFatherhoods Patreon Page

When starting a Patreon, remember to add together a text and video introduction to what you lot do. Beleaf in Fatherhood is a corking example of this.

How to start a Patreon

Patreon is totally complimentary to start. In fact, if yous never get a patron on the platform, you'll never pay a dime. Their job is to manage your customs. They're not looking to make coin if you aren't either. With the following steps, y'all can larn how to starting time a Patreon and launch a campaign:

Start by registering for an account with an email or online account.
Next, go through the questions almost the type of content you create. Exercise you make videos? Manage communities? Is your content eighteen+?
Choose which currency your patrons will run into when they visit. Choose from United states dollars, British Pounds, and Euros.
Connect Patreon to your social media and choose a custom URL.
Add a high-quality profile photo (at to the lowest degree 256 x 256 pixels) and cover prototype (1600 x 400 pixels).
Add a text and video introduction for what your channel is near. Remind people why they're there. Some of your followers may not know what Patreon is.
Set up your tiers for how much money followers tin give every month.
Prepare goals for your Patreon. Tell followers your goals (for patrons or monthly revenue) and what yous'll do one time you reach each goal. For instance, once yous attain i,000 patrons, y'all'll do a live stream Q&A or release a new EP.

Choosing a Patreon plan

Previously, learning how to start a Patreon didn't involve choosing a pricing programme. Patreon only offered support for payment and community management and took 5% of revenue. Then, in June 2022, they launched a Merch for Membership plan for all creators. This opened up more options for their pricing construction.

Patreons plans

Cull a Patreon plan according to what you want to offer and the blazon of support you need.

These are the plans currently offered on Patreon:

The Low-cal programme (5%) manages your patrons' recurring payments.
The Pro plan (8%) has everything in Light plus:
- Tiers
- Analytics
- Special offers
- Workshops
- Unlimited app integrations
- Priority customer support
The Pro plan + Merch (11%) has all the Pro features and Merch support.
The Premium program (12%) has:
- Dedicated partner manager
- Merch for membership
- Team accounts

Choosing which one is right for y'all will depend on how many patrons you plan to have, how big your organization is, and what you want to offering. If you're unsure, go with the Lite. You can always change this program later on.

Understanding and using the Patreon tier organization

When figuring out how to first a Patreon and use their tier arrangement, information technology can be tricky to ascertain what to inquire for. You might observe yourself wondering what's too much or what'due south besides footling. What tin you offer that will exist worth that donation? Remember, your fans are in that location to support you lot, not to buy from you. Each tier offers an incentive to give (called benefits) not a product.

Patreon tiers are fabricated and so patrons can cull what they're capable of giving every month, not how much the benefit is worth. While perks are slap-up, they're non the main reason why fans become patrons. Not every tier has to give a long piece of content or merch. The get-go one or two tin just give access to your Patreon community and sectional updates.

If you're just starting out, try offer ane to three tiers for your fans to choose from. The showtime can be anywhere from $i to $three, the second $3 to $vi, and the 3rd almost $x. As yous abound your Patreon, add more tiers for people that want to requite a higher amount. You'll exist surprised how many people will desire to give more if given the chance.

What to offer every bit benefits

To reward your patrons for their ongoing support, you may want to offer them benefits. At that place are a few go-to options for patron benefits that creators love. Among these, you'll notice:

Early admission
Physical rewards (like Patreon'southward merch)
Votes on future content
Recognition (a mention in your newsletter or video)

Y'all tin become creative with what yous offer. If y'all do coaching or consulting, create a large tier that gives a limited number of fans a monthly session every bit a benefit. If you're an artist, give them a digital download for the first tier or two. If you're a community leader, Patreon has a full listing of ideas of benefits you can offer, including courses.

If you have a Pro plan + Merch or a Premium plan, you lot can choose what trade you want to offer and what designs you want to use. Yous tin can decide whether you want to send the trade after three payments or every three months. Patreon volition tell you what it will cost yous per item to give you an idea of what tier yous tin can attach that reward to.

Rancho Relaxos Patreon page

Rancho Relaxo's Patreon uses tiers to give supporters options and to offer different rewards.

Setting goals on Patreon

When visitors run into your folio on Patreon they can meet your tiers and your goal(s). For those learning how to start a Patreon, this tin be disruptive. We've gone through what the tiers are and how to use them, but how does this differ from your goals?

Goals on Patreon can exist either how many patrons yous want to attain or how much you want in monthly earnings. You lot can set several goals and adhere events to them. For instance, yous tin can set your first goal as $50 and announce that once you reach it, you lot'll do a giveaway or have a special guest on your podcast. These goals incentivize new patrons to join and assist you succeed. Every bit you accomplish them, you can ready new ones to go along you and your community going.

Types of content to postal service on Patreon

Patreon is all about making your supporters feel special. For creators, this can hateful sharing bonus content and giving early access to upcoming piece of work. What type of content falls under these categories? Here are some examples.

Behind-the-scenes content

Share what it'due south similar to run your organization or business. For example, maybe you make family content on YouTube similar Beleaf in Fatherhood. People have continued with your story then much and the growth of your channel that they're invested in you. Sharing behind-the-scenes content allows them to know and come across more. Don't underestimate how much people appreciate that. Beleaf gathered most 800 patrons giving anywhere from $five to $100 per month.

Bloopers

About work shared online has been edited and curated carefully to look and audio perfect. Merely what about the tongue-tied moments and comical goings-on that didn't make information technology to the finished product? Use your Patreon to share those moments and requite your audience a laugh.

First look at new work

Writers who take created a post-obit oftentimes share upcoming work chapter-by-chapter on Patreon. In fact, many writers have asked their supporters to aid them quit their full-fourth dimension chore. That'due south the case for science fiction writer North.K. Jemisin. She has a community of almost 1,500 supporters with whom she shares daily updates and sectional fiction, similar side stories of the characters they love.

Bonus episodes

Podcast creators have too benefited from sharing content on Patreon. If you lot're because podcasting as function of your marketing, you could use Patreon to give your listenership additional content. If listeners are tuning in to your evidence every calendar week, they'll be happy to take an extra episode to heed to also.

Sectional blog posts

On Patreon, it's common to share blog posts and updates that your supporters want to see. For instance, the nonprofit animal rescue Rancho Relaxo updates often with exciting news. Their supporter-exclusive posts tell stories of recently-arrived rescues to reconnect fans with why they donate in the first place.

So, how to start a Patreon is out of the way. At present you lot need to drive traffic to it. Given that you lot probably accept a following already, consider using marketing tools for this purpose. Here are some options to do that:

Create a landing page

Gather the people that love your content just aren't sure about supporting y'all right now. Send them to a landing page that tells them all the benefits they get from what you practice and how much work you put into it. Y'all can either ask them to convert right away (request that they turn into patrons) or ask for their email instead. With an email, yous'll be able to send free content to their inbox and connect with them more. At the bottom of every email, you can add together a call to activity (CTA) to admission patron-only content on Patreon.

Remind current fans via e-mail

If y'all already have a list of your fans' emails to update them on the goings-on of your work, consider using an email marketing tool like Constant Contact to keep in touch. Similar nosotros mentioned above, you lot'll then have the pick to drive traffic to your Patreon with every email sent. Create "fearfulness of missing out" past talking about all the extra content patrons get, share photos of merchandise, if you have information technology, and how the Patreon community gets more connection with yous.

Social media is probable ane of the most effective ways you get new fans. Now, it can also be one of the easiest ways to get new patrons. Share your Patreon page on your social media or apply paid social media marketing options to get more awareness.

If y'all demand aid, use tools that allow you to build your social media presence and automate posting.

Get-go by asking

With this guide, y'all have everything you demand to know about how to starting time a Patreon. You've learned what information technology'south nearly, what kind of creator it'southward for, and the services it offers. Yous've even learned a little flake of the backstory of how information technology all started and developments it'south had over time, like the possibility to offering merch and alter your pricing plan.

If you're curious about whether your community would be on lath with Patreon, start a chat with them. After all, this is something you'll be embarking on together. See what they know about Patreon and what kind of content they'd like to run into at that place. Consider running polls or surveys on your social media to get an thought of what to create for your launch. Once you lot've decided, you're all ready with the information you need to get started. Happy creating!