The first Patreon is the hardest to get. Then the second. Then the third. Those first 30 or so Patreon’s are likely going to be the hardest that you have to work for. It’s well known that people like to support successful things and that numbers grow numbers. Most likely you are pursuing your passion and wondering how to get more Patreons….you’re ready to start earning that income!

This is the second in a 3-part series on how to make an income using Patreon. In this post, I’ll be covering my top tips on how to get more Patreon supporters to sign up to your page. You’ll also want to check out the first in the series, How to make money on Patreon and also Top tips & advice from Patreon creators.

To give you a bit of context….

I’m Bex Band an adventure blogger and founder of the women’s adventure community, Love Her Wild. My passions became my full-time job! You can read more about me and how I built my dream career for myself here.

Starting a Patreon page – which supports my Love Her Wild community – was one of the best things I ever did. Now with over 250+ Patron’s, it remains one of my biggest sources of income.

If you have any questions, please do use the comments box below. And for ongoing tips and inspiration, make sure you follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

**I’m writing a book on growing an online community!!** I’ve just signed with a publisher! In spring 2023, I’ll be releasing a book that shares everything I’ve learnt from growing the UK’s largest women’s adventure community, now with over 30,000 members. Covering launching, fine-tuning loyalty, social media, sponsorship, and monetising your community. Sign up to my newsletter to hear when it becomes available!

#1 Don’t ever ask directly

Usually, if I was giving advice for promoting something or selling a product I’d say to send out emails, contact friends and don’t be embarrassed to ask or sell directly. Patreon is different though. I think it only works because supporters make the decision themselves, pressure-free, to sign up and then to continue that support.

For a lot of supporters, it can feel like they are doing a good thing. Supporting someone they admire and want to help out. If you sell directly then you are taking away from that.

#2 Mention your Patreon page everywhere

Not approaching people directly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mention your Patreon page on every source available. Promoting the page means getting it out there, being seen time and time again by your followers. Remember that new followers are finding you all the time, so even if you feel like you’ve mentioned Patreon 100 times this year already, for some they will be hearing it for the first time.

Add a link to the bottom of your email signature, post it on all social media platforms and mention it in newsletters regularly. Mention it at the end of vlogs or in podcasts you produce.

Via Patreon, there is an option to get a logo that will link directly to your page. Put this on your website and at the bottom of blog posts.

Many marketers believe that people need to see something an average of 7 times before they buy or sign up for something so your approach should be widespread repetitive cover rather than just a one-off.

#3 Use different content

Don’t keep using the same wording each time you plug Patreon. Instead, try using different approaches to tap into the various reasons people might sign up. Here are some approaches I have taken…

• Describing Patreon as the equivalent of buying me a coffee each month
• Explaining how it will directly support the work I am doing (helping more women to get outdoors), even getting testimonials from those it has helped so it’s not just my voice being heard
• Focusing on the benefits to Patreons (like exclusive discounts and giveaways)
• Listing the pressure-free setup of Patreon – no obligation, cancel at any time, etc
• Thanking existing Patreon’s – showing how they are special and important to me so others might want to be part of that

In addition to this make sure you use different images, varying lengths of text and also try video to be more engaging.

#4 Make it personal

Patreon is a really personal thing. It is someone directly supporting you. So make sure your responses are equally personal.

I write the names of my Patreon’s on the inside of my diary so I see them every day and I share this on my social media platforms. It’s my way of showing how important they are to me.

Is there something you could do to show your Patreons how much they mean to you?

#5 Use incentives for new sign-ups

People often need an incentive for signing up for things. If there is no deadline then it can become that thing that gets continually put off. I get loads of people saying ‘oh I’ve been meaning to sign up for ages’.

Occasionally I run a special promotion and give a gift or exclusive offer for any new Patreon signing up. This always works really well.

One thing I will mention is the leaving rate of Patreon’s who signed up with an incentive seems to be higher so it’s worth bearing this in mind. On balance, though I end up with more Patreon’s and increased income so it’s worth it.

#6 Giveaways are great

Running giveaways also provides you with a deadline and an incentive for new Patreon’s to sign up.

All my giveaways are provided free of charge by relevant companies who are just happy to have exposure through my social media channels. It’s literally a case of just contacting a company and asking if they’d provide a prize. I always mention that in exchange I’ll do a tag and photo on my social media channels and explain how much their reach will be. Never ask for just one prize though….I usually ask (depending on how big the prize is) for 3-10 so I always have a bank of prizes ready to go.

I try to run a giveaway once a month. When it’s a really exciting prize I promote this saying ‘sign up before the end of the month to be in the prize draw’.

#7 Build a community

Communities are such valuable things. I think it’s nice to create a private space online just for your Patreon’s so you can share things exclusively or run tolls so they feel more involved in the behind-the-scenes of what you do. Facebook groups are the most effective for this.

#8 Keep that gratitude

When you get a new Patreon sign up it’s important to send them a personal email or message to say thank you. I think it can be easy to lose that gratitude so think of ways you can maintain that sense that they are important. A follow-up email down the line just to remind them you are still grateful is a nice touch.

All this needs to be genuine. It’s important to remind yourself how valuable your Patreon’s are in making your goal or dream a reality. Think…..how can you show them this?

#9 Tap into your existing supporters

Don’t be afraid to ask your existing Patreon’s for their opinions and insight. Ask them what motivated them to sign up or what you could be doing more to make them feel valued. This is much better than just second-guessing.

They will know better than anyone else what it is that enticed them to sign up and what they wish they were getting that you aren’t already doing.

Check out my advice video for growing Patreon’s:

Get more Patrons on Patreon!

As I mentioned in the beginning, it can feel like a slow process. Keeping positive is key to reaching your target. If things aren’t working, don’t just give up. Instead, look for more creative ways that you might be able to get sign-ups.

Useful resources to help you with Patreon:

• Patreon has a load of resources available and also sometimes do meet-ups, events and online webinars to update creators and provide tips
• 75% of Patreon supporters sign up from a social media page….so having a bigger following will lead to more supporters! Check out my tips for growing your social media following
• I’ll mention it again, The Art of Asking is a fantastic book that all Patreon creators should read!
• Another post you might find helpful is How to be a successful blogger
• Read the other articles in my Patreon series: How to make money on Patreon and also Top tips & advice from Patreon creators

I hope these tips on how to get more Patreons have been useful. Do check out my own personal Patreon page and if you have any questions ask away in the comments box below.

If you found this post helpful, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. I give all my advice out for free on my website. If you want to say thanks, you can buy me a coffee!

*Any women reading this?* I founded a women’s adventure community called Love Her Wild. Check out our private Facebook page and see what adventures we have coming up.