How Patreon evolved over time
Since digital media has begun booming, content consumption has reach all-time highs. With this, there is a smaller barrier to entry for content creators than there ever has been. Patreon allows creators to create content of all sorts while pushing it all under one umbrella to a set community of fans.
Or, in another scenario, if a creator pushes their content for free and isn’t bringing in enough money, they can offer additional content behind a paywall on Patreon to earn additional cash flow to keep supporting the content. This helps add security to smaller creators looking for their big break, and if they are making valuable enough content, this model should work for an added income stream. Sites like https://fanscout.com have also popped up to facilitate review sections between creators.
For other creators which support their work while offering it for free, they can record additional exclusive content that might not exactly fit the bill with the rest of the content, and this would allow them to create different content while continuing to maximize profits.
Video content creators and podcasters alike are benefitted from using Patreon as a service to build a smaller, more tight-knit community. Pushing content out for free allows more views and eyeballs on the show or content itself but isn’t always the best for building a legitimate community. Giving the close feel might give the creator more credibility and influence, while also profiting from the paywall, allowing them to profit on both sign ups and advertisements alike.
Patreon gives creators the ability to be exclusive. Again, it’s a tight-knit community. Merchandise drops can remain exclusive and the hype for the drops then increases. Being able to market exclusivity makes fans thrive to obtain the merchandise that is much bigger.
Huge creators don’t get the benefit of as much fan engagement and interaction on a personal level. Those who use Patreon can get on a much more personal level with the ability to receive legitimate feedback.
For creators in weird niches that don’t receive market breaking views, Patreon is the perfect tool. If the market isn’t profitable for a creator offering free content, and there’s no advertising in the market, they can turn towards exclusive content.
Also, if the market is small enough for no money to be in advertising, there’s likely not enough content in the market, making exclusive content much more desired. Think early days of online blogging – it was oftentimes hidden behind paywalls because there wasn’t always an opportunity to find what readers were looking for.
Most creators on Patreon are in the video content and podcasting tier, but they can supplement their viewers with written content. There’s no handicap or guidelines on how to use Patreon, allowing creators creative freedom to properly serve their communities while raking up as much profit as possible.
For podcasters, having a tier subscription system can be wildly successful. A weekly podcast can provide their shows with the lowest subscription tier possible, offering nothing but the original show. A tier above for more money? An additional pod with extra content or exclusive interviews. If the podcaster wants to keep going, they can offer the highest tier possible that includes any content created alongside monthly exclusive merch drops and care packages.
Evidently, creators at any medium – podcasting, writing or video making – can all find unique ways to serve a community and smaller audience while seeing the same profit returns as a bigger creator. Patreon provides an opportunity for a creator to do their job and focus on quality content and that alone – not clickbait titles or images like creators on free services have to do. YouTubers and writers competing in SEO is just as big a game as making quality content itself, and Patreon eliminates that portion of content creation.
