How to Use Patreon Effectively?

[J.D.]

Hey, all,

I've got a Patreon page that I try to plug with some regularity, but I don't get a whole lot of traction for it. Does anyone know of anything I could do to grow my Patreon page? I'm finding that what works in marketing my books doesn't quite work with my Patreon page.

[M.L.]

Thanks for the comment, Mark. References are helpful.

J. D., I looked at Monica's Patreon and on the 'post' page she has a price, unlock it for $2. There is a marketing angle: tell people what you want up front.

Also, she has a YouTube, it's political, topical, film of a demonstration. It shows what she is interested in. She also says she will give away her work for free if she reaches her goal. That's putting a stake in the ground! You could try similar approaches. Maybe not the last but something along that line. Good luck with it.

[M.L.]

Here's an idea. :) Put up a YouTube of NASCAR, or maybe a Formula 1 race, just a short--or another sport or career (astronaut?), then commit to giving away half of what you make on Patreon to a good cause such as children with brain cancer, child refugees. You can set a limit on what that would be effective.

Almost forgot the tie-in: there are kids who dream of doing the sport/career in the video but may never realize their dream because of__. In a small way you would like to help.

[C.B., Beach Body Moderator]

M.L. wrote: "Here's an idea. :) Put up a YouTube of NASCAR, or maybe a Formula 1 race, just a short--or another sport or career (astronaut?), then commit to giving away half of what you make on Patreon to a goo..."

Maybe don't do that.
Yes, I know it is a joke, but 100% don't do that.

[Christina]

Devil's advocate: I don't see the point of Patreon from a consumer's standpoint. If I'm to understand, it's a subscription service that offers the promise of content (which may or may not be delivered depending on the reliability of the user). Generally, if I'm interested in content from an artist, there's a more direct way of receiving it. Authors sell books, visual artists sell originals and prints, and YouTubers, well, their videos are already full of sponsored content and ads that interrupt the video without clean breaks. Beyond that, the rest of Patreon seems to be people promising to teach you how to be good at Patreon, which is basically the same pyramid scheme that plagues nonfiction ebooks and Fivver style platforms.

If the point is to offer extra content that readers may not get otherwise, then consider a "secret" or "bonus" area on your website that readers can access if they make it to the back matter of your book.

[M.L.]

C.B. wrote: "M.L. wrote: "Here's an idea. :) Put up a YouTube of NASCAR, or maybe a Formula 1 race, just a short--or another sport or career (astronaut?), then commit to giving away half of what you make on Pat..."

You know, I was going to suggest the old "coffee" idea, contribute a cup off coffee, but that's so overdone. Everyone asks for coffee. You're right though. There is no guarantee that the person will do what they say, or that the person is not already giving it away and just asking for money.

Me? I would not contribute to Patreon, go-fund-me, or anything else that comes by way of on-line. And for the well-known non-profitables? One contribution and they will mail junk forever.

But the weird thing is how eager some people are to do just that, throw money at stuff they know nothing about. At the same time, it may be a way of being a 'patron of the arts,' in their minds. Overall, I see it as part of the whole keep up/stay current/be as good as/be a part of, that drives the social media platforms. Go figure. But there are some--many--who have grown up with it; they don't know a life when it did not exist. It's a questionable enculturation. Glad you mentioned it! :)