Business & Strategy

It’s ok to ask for help: a creator’s guide to using freelancers

It’s ok to ask for help: a creator’s guide to using freelancers

Patreon

We spoke with Fiverr’s Trisha Diamond, Travis Vengroff, and Kaitlin Statz, creators of Fool & Scholar Productions, to get some advice on outsourcing.

5 ways to structure your creative business

5 ways to structure your creative business

Patreon

To help you think through what’s right for you, we’ve put together some info on common business structures creators use in the U.S.

How to Set and Hit Your Creative Goals With Jack Conte

How to Set and Hit Your Creative Goals With Jack Conte

Anna Millard

A look at how Jack Conte and his band Pomplamoose plan their vision for each year. From goals to tactical plans, this step-by-step guide will help you set your creative business up for a successful year.

How to track and improve your patron retention

How to track and improve your patron retention

Brian McFarland

Patron retention is a fancy way of asking, how long do your patrons tend to stick around for? To learn more about why you should know this phrase, and why tracking it is so important for the health of your membership, read on.

How Award-Winning Photographer Anne Geddes is Taking Back Her Creative Career

How Award-Winning Photographer Anne Geddes is Taking Back Her Creative Career

Amanda Derrick

The internet turned Anne Geddes photography career upside down but now she’s using it to return to her creative work

American McGee Is Changing the Way Video Games Are Made

American McGee Is Changing the Way Video Games Are Made

Matt St. John

Major video games are usually made behind closed doors. But with Alice:Asylum, game designer American McGee’s latest project, he’s throwing all those rules out the window.

Hannah Witton is Here to Show Us How to Manage Time

Hannah Witton is Here to Show Us How to Manage Time

Patreon

No time? No worries! YouTuber, podcaster, and author Hannah Witton gave us her tried and true time management tips!.

A Quick Guide to Finding Balance and Creative Independence

A Quick Guide to Finding Balance and Creative Independence

Nicole Ortiz

Learn how the creators behind Crime Junkies and The Try Guys have found balance through creative independence.

5 Reasons Artists Should Build an Email List

5 Reasons Artists Should Build an Email List

Sarah Spencer

As creators, we can't rely on social media for everything. Here's why you should start your mailing list today.

How to be a Charismatic Networker When You’re Not

How to be a Charismatic Networker When You’re Not

Taryn Arnold

If you are an introvert, it is likely that you dislike networking. You are not alone! Here are some tips that will help make networking more tolerable. Who knows, you may even grow to enjoy it!

How to best answer the question, is my creator page successful?

How to best answer the question, is my creator page successful?

Matt St. John

Success on Patreon means something different for everyone. To gain clarity on what success on Patreon means to you, and tips on how to reach that personal benchmark, read on.

10 Tips from Patreon Creators on Building Financial Independence

10 Tips from Patreon Creators on Building Financial Independence

Amanda Derrick

Wondering how to attain financial independence through your creative work? Read or watch the advice from two creators who have tips and guidance to help you get closer to the consistent and lasting financial stability you seek,

Raise Your Bottom Tier to Provide Better Value and Bump up Your Profit

Raise Your Bottom Tier to Provide Better Value and Bump up Your Profit

Fiona Tapp

Raise your bottom tier to provide better value to patrons while also bumping up your profits.

10 Tips on How to Go Viral with The Try Guys

10 Tips on How to Go Viral with The Try Guys

Valerie Veteto

Get the scoop on not only getting your audience to click and watch, but keep coming back from more from The Try Guys.

Do More By Doing Less: How To Minimize Your Workload on Patreon

Do More By Doing Less: How To Minimize Your Workload on Patreon

Jasmine Williams

Work smarter, not harder with these 8 best practices for minimizing your workload on Patreon.

Try These 6 (Data-Backed!) Experiments to Grow Your Creative Business

Try These 6 (Data-Backed!) Experiments to Grow Your Creative Business

Katherine Hosmer

What kind of experiments can you run to gain and keep patrons? Check out these six ways to turn your Patreon page into a science lab.

How to Increase Retention and Re-Engage Your Lost Patrons

How to Increase Retention and Re-Engage Your Lost Patrons

Muriel Vega

Follow the crumbs and recapture your lost patrons with these strategies from our Patreon Creator Success team.

7 Ways to Talk to Your Audience About Patreon

7 Ways to Talk to Your Audience About Patreon

Zaedryn Rook

What can you share about your Patreon membership program without feeling like you're constantly asking for support, or even begging? Here are seven ideas.

The Art of Hiring for Your Creative Business

The Art of Hiring for Your Creative Business

Katherine Hosmer

Wearing too many hats? Give yourself more time to create by hiring the right people for the right jobs on your team.

How Films for Action Reached Their Goals by Focusing on Community First

How Films for Action Reached Their Goals by Focusing on Community First

Nicole Ortiz

After Facebook changed its algorithm, Films for Action reached their goals with a community-supported model.

Make it Happen: Your Online Business Set-Up Checklist

Make it Happen: Your Online Business Set-Up Checklist

Jasmine Williams

Want to start an online business but get a little overwhelmed by all the financial and legal requirements? This 6-step guide will walk you through the whole business start-up process.

Mastering time management skills to grow your business

Mastering time management skills to grow your business

Nicole Ortiz

Using these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to grow your business and manage your time in a more productive way.

Making a Creative Marketing Plan That Works

Making a Creative Marketing Plan That Works

Zaedryn Rook

It’s tough to promote your own work as a creator! You know you’re supposed to “market” and “self-promote,” but how? Here are some simple, foundational marketing ideas for creatives.

Six Ways to Promote Your Patreon Special Offer to Patrons and Fans

Six Ways to Promote Your Patreon Special Offer to Patrons and Fans

Kate Holt

We share 6 great examples of how to promote a Special Offer on Patreon for increased fan engagement.

Membership 101 | The 15 Best Practices To Launch and Grow Your Patreon Program [Video!]

Membership 101 | The 15 Best Practices To Launch and Grow Your Patreon Program [Video!]

Kate Holt

New to running a membership program? No problem. We've gathered the top 15 things you need to know about membership programs to help set you up for success.

Introducing: The Creator Mindset Map

Introducing: The Creator Mindset Map

Kate Holt

We’ve developed a Creator Mindset Map that captures the core feelings every creator experiences. Join us as we explore the nuances of hope, fear, grit, and glory as a creative person.

The Creator Mindset Map — Fear

The Creator Mindset Map — Fear

Kate Holt

Has it started to feel like too much? Are you coming down off the high of launching something and facing the reality of needing to do it again and again? This is where fear sets in.

The Creator Mindset Map — Hope

The Creator Mindset Map — Hope

Kate Holt

In this installment of the Creator Mindset Map, we discuss Hope and the optimism of beginning a new project.

The Creator Mindset Map — Grit

The Creator Mindset Map — Grit

Kate Holt

The Creator Mindset Map identifies and validates the complex emotions creators juggle when bringing each project and idea to fruition. Today's topic, Grit, recognizes fear for what it is, but is too busy for it. Grit pushes fear aside so it can keep going.

The Creator Mindset Map — Glory

The Creator Mindset Map — Glory

Kate Holt

Learn all about the glory mindset and its important role in the creator mindset map.

Super Busy Singer Finds Success with Special Offers

Super Busy Singer Finds Success with Special Offers

Kate Holt

Singer and songwriter Rebecca Loebe shares how she utilized Patreon's Special Offer feature to gain new patrons.

Artist Turns Authentic Exclusivity Into Special Offer Success

Artist Turns Authentic Exclusivity Into Special Offer Success

Kate Holt

Marshall Short of PrintableHeros explains how he utilizes special offers to offer exclusive benefits to his patrons on Patreon.

Special Offer Success That’s Out of This World

Special Offer Success That’s Out of This World

Kate Holt

Astrophysicist Paul M. Sutter shares how Patreon's Special Offer feature helped his community and earnings grow.

How MCrider Uses Discourse to Facilitate an Active Community of 2,000+ Patrons

How MCrider Uses Discourse to Facilitate an Active Community of 2,000+ Patrons

Olivia Seitz

MCrider has more than 2,000 patrons who use his forum. Here, he shares how he uses the Patreon Discourse integration and which features he finds most useful for creators.

Rewards, Community, and Communication: How These Three Creators Use the Patreon Discord Integration

Rewards, Community, and Communication: How These Three Creators Use the Patreon Discord Integration

Olivia Seitz

Learn how World Anvil, Kitten Academy, and Printable Heroes all use the Patreon Discord integration to foster community and dole out rewards to their supporters.

Patreon vs Kickstarter vs Indiegogo: Which Platform Is Best for You?

Patreon vs Kickstarter vs Indiegogo: Which Platform Is Best for You?

Olivia Seitz

Patreon. Indiegogo. Kickstarter. In this article, we break down how each platform works, what tools they have to offer, and who can best succeed on each platform.

How to Make Money as a Writer with 43-time Published Author Seanan McGuire

How to Make Money as a Writer with 43-time Published Author Seanan McGuire

Olivia Seitz

If you’ve ever wondered how to make money as a writer, Seanan McGuire is one of the best authors to ask. After all, she’s published 43 books in addition to authoring numerous poems and short stories.

How Vue.js Creator Evan You Earns $16k/mo on Patreon

How Vue.js Creator Evan You Earns $16k/mo on Patreon

Olivia Seitz

Evan You shares how he transitioned Vue, an open-source JavaScript framework, from a side project to a full-time job via Patreon.

19 Patreon Rewards for Podcasters to Offer Their Fans

19 Patreon Rewards for Podcasters to Offer Their Fans

Olivia Seitz

Have you ever wanted to know what top podcasters do to incentivize and reward their loyal fans? This article pulls together 19 of the most lucrative rewards that podcasters can offer through a membership-based business model.

Amanda Palmer Is Home: Why the Kickstarter Queen Embraced a New Way to Fund and Create Art

Amanda Palmer Is Home: Why the Kickstarter Queen Embraced a New Way to Fund and Create Art

Olivia Seitz

Amanda Palmer is known for a lot of things (or Things, as she calls them). 56 of them, in fact. While the mainstream media is better acquainted with her previous endeavors — things like making it big as one half of The Dresden Dolls, breaking the record for money raised on Kickstarter as a musician […]

5 Steps to Predictable, Monthly Income for Any Creator with an Audience

5 Steps to Predictable, Monthly Income for Any Creator with an Audience

Olivia Seitz

Every creator wrestles with monetization, from the ‘when’ to the ‘how.’ In this article, we introduce you to the membership model—an effective, field-tested way for independent creators like you to drive predictable revenue for your creative work.

5 Ways to Make Money as a Musician Online in 2018

5 Ways to Make Money as a Musician Online in 2018

Cody Slingerland

How can you make money as a musician, especially if you’re not backed by a record label? Here are five ways you can make money as a musician—all from real-life answers we received from successful independent musicians just like you.

How Noon Pacific Promotes Emerging Artists to 100k Weekly Listeners

How Noon Pacific Promotes Emerging Artists to 100k Weekly Listeners

Olivia Seitz

We sat down with Clark Dinnison of Noon Pacific to learn how he leveraged a community of music lovers to turn his weekly mixtape into an active group of supporters who find new artists, fund their music, and drive ever-growing view counts.

How to Make Money on YouTube (8 Examples from Successful YouTubers)

How to Make Money on YouTube (8 Examples from Successful YouTubers)

Cody Slingerland

We interviewed 8 YouTubers who are making a living from their channel beyond just ad revenue. The techniques we saw involved using video sponsorships, courses, 1-on-1 instruction, products, guides, and more.

YouTuber and licensed therapist Kati Morton on how to care for your mental and emotional health as a content creator

YouTuber and licensed therapist Kati Morton on how to care for your mental and emotional health as a content creator

Olivia Seitz

Not sure how to deal with online trolls or negative comments in general? Kati Morton shares her tips as both a licensed therapist and online content creator.

Why YouTubers Should Obsess Over Their Fans, Not Fancy Equipment: Lessons from Easy Allies’ Success

Why YouTubers Should Obsess Over Their Fans, Not Fancy Equipment: Lessons from Easy Allies’ Success

EJ Brown

Brandon Jones explains why it is more important for YouTube creators to cater to their fans than to corporate sponsors.

How ‘The Great War’ Co-creates Its Hit YouTube Show with the Help of a 700,000+ Member Audience

How ‘The Great War’ Co-creates Its Hit YouTube Show with the Help of a 700,000+ Member Audience

Nathan Collier

The creators of The Great War" YouTube channel share their path to success and how their fans have come to be intimately involved the show's creation."

How Danny O’Dwyer is Using Membership to Run his Video Production Business

How Danny O’Dwyer is Using Membership to Run his Video Production Business

Christine Donaldson

In 2016, video producer Danny O'Dwyer lead his fans to Patreon, announcing that membership would allow his videos to remain ad-free. Within hours of launching, he was one of Patreon’s highest earning creators.