Are you a content creator struggling to earn a steady income from your WordPress blog? Have you considered crowdfunding as a solution? If so, Patreon may be the platform for you. In this article, we’ll introduce you to Patreon and explore its benefits, as well as show you how to integrate it with your WordPress site to crowdfund your content.
What is Patreon and How Does it Work?
Patreon is a member-based platform that enables content creators to get paid directly by their audience. Fans, or patrons, commit to paying an amount they choose, which is usually due each month or every time new content is posted. When you use Patreon to crowdfund, they take a small fee, and you get the rest of the money.
Patreon gives subscribers a way to join your community and pay you for making the things they enjoy, without the need for a middleman. Since they choose the amount and frequency of payment, they never have to worry about unplanned charges. More importantly, Patreon helps you build a patron and artist relationship with your audience.
Benefits of Using Patreon
There are several benefits to using Patreon to crowdfund your content:
1. Predictable Income: Since you can clearly see how much each subscriber pays and at what frequency (such as per post or on a monthly basis), you know how much money to expect.
2. Multiple Income Sources: If you are using affiliate links, Google AdSense, or any other type of revenue generation, you can continue to benefit from them without affecting your Patreon account.
3. Ownership of Content: Everything you create is still yours, with Patreon claiming no rights to ownership.
4. No Payment or Support Management: All of the details of processing payments and providing support for the Patreon platform are handled for you.
How to Use Patreon to Crowdfund Your WordPress Content
While you don’t need thousands of regular site visitors to be successful on Patreon, you should have a following of some kind before you get started. Increasing site traffic through SEO, actively engaging with followers on social media, and providing high-quality content are all ways to generate a solid following. Then, you can set up your account on Patreon!
1. Create a Patreon Account
If you are already a member of Patreon, you just need to log in to your account, navigate to your Settings menu, and select Become a Creator. If you are completely new to the site, on the other hand, you can simply click the Start My Page button on the Patreon home page. From there, you can sign up with your Facebook account or using your email.
2. Build Your Patreon Page
Next, you will need to create your Patreon Page. A handy wizard will take you through the process. There are several steps involved, so it’s best if you have the following things ready:
– Your social media accounts, along with a profile and cover photo.
– An idea for how you want your payment schedule to be set up.
– An audience-generating pitch (you may also want to consider creating an intro video).
– Plans for how to reward your patrons for their support (extra or early content, making-of videos or posts, a special forum or newsletter, etc).
Being prepared with these details will make the page creation process much easier. Of course, you can always edit all of this information later on.
3. Promote Your Launch on Your Site and Social Media Accounts
Once you have a page ready, you can launch it whenever you’d like. This is where things get interesting. First, however, it’s important to do some groundwork and promote your Patreon Page on your WordPress site and social media platforms. Otherwise, no one will ever know about this opportunity.
So, before you click the Launch button (which will make your page searchable on the platform), consider following these pre-launch tips:
– Plan a lead-up to your launch, by discussing your Patreon membership and outlining your goals to your audience.
– Take advantage of your pre-launch tools, and make sure to preview your page.
Once your pre-launch promotion is out of the way, go ahead and make your Patreon page live. Just remember that you’ll want to continue promoting it, on your site and anywhere else your audience hangs out.
4. Use the Free Patreon Button, Widgets, and Plugin to Integrate Patreon with WordPress
Now that you’ve launched your page on Patreon to crowdfund, you will want to keep the momentum going on your site. One of the best ways to do this is to use a plugin that connects your site directly to your Patreon account. To do this, we recommend Patreon Button, Widgets, and Plugin.
This plugin is an easy way to integrate your website or blog with Patreon. It enables you to:
– Add Call to Action (CTA) buttons directly to your WordPress site.
– Include widgets that connect your pages and posts directly to your Patreon account.
What’s more, if you upgrade to the pro version, you can even include Patron Only content directly on your WordPress site. This lets you link to your special Patreon content, while encouraging fans to support you.
Conclusion
Using Patreon to crowdfund your WordPress content is an ideal way to ensure financial support for the production of high-quality content. By enabling your followers to become patrons who provide consistent revenue, you can focus on creating content that resonates with your audience. In this article, we’ve discussed the benefits of using Patreon, how to get started, and how to integrate it with your existing site. If you have any questions about using Patreon to crowdfund your content, let’s discuss them in the comments section below!
