Tiers and Benefits Best Practices
The Value Exchange
In order to set your tiers and benefits up for success, it’s important to understand how the value exchange works with Patreon. Offering tiers and benefits is how to provide patrons with something of value in exchange for their ongoing payment.
Creators are able to:
- Deepen relationships with fans
- Make more and/or better content
- Attain sustainable income, and even financial freedom
- Grow your creative and support teams
Patrons, in exchange, receive:
- Recognition
- Access and insight
- Engagement
- Digital and physical offers
Top Benefit Ideas By Category
Pro tip: Looking for specific benefit ideas? Check out these posts:
- Podcasters | 19 Patreon Rewards for Podcasters to Offer Their Fans
- Illustrators | 16 Patreon Rewards for Illustrators To Offer Patrons
- Video/Filmmakers | The 18 Best Patreon Rewards Video Creators Can Offer
- Independent Journalists | 21 Patreon Rewards for Independent Journalists to Offer Their Followers
- Community Leaders | 17 Rewards for Community Leaders to Offer Their Members on Patreon
Top 5 Benefit Ideas All Creators Can Use
Wondering where to start and what to offer patrons? Check out these top five benefit ideas.
Bonus or “exclusive” content
Nearly 40% of successful creators reward their patrons with bonus or exclusive content.
Early Access
Almost 20% of creators use Patreon’s Early Access feature to give their most passionate fans what they want (their content!) before the general public.
Physical Rewards
About 15% of creators are sending out physical rewards, and their patrons love it. Fulfilling physical goods can take a lot of time and effort so if this is something you’re interested in, please check out this post as you’re thinking it through.
Polls and being open to suggestions
Your fans love it when you share content with them, but they like to share with you, too. Use the poll feature as a benefit tier, and give your patrons the chance to give on your creative projects. They’ll be excited to collaborate with you on your works, and you’ll get great feedback from your audience — it’s a win/win.
Recognition
More often than not, your fans just want to be a part of your journey, and acknowledging them is a great way to keep them engaged and happy along the way. Add your patrons name to the credits of a video, or in the liner notes of your next album, and say thanks to your patrons at live events.
Benefits Best Practices
While benefits can vary greatly in type, delivery, and frequency, there are a few guidelines that will make benefits a [ahem] beneficial experience for you and your patrons.
Offer Exclusivity
Exclusivity is a great benefit to offer in exchange for membership. Think of things that pull back the curtain to your creative process, like tutorial videos or sketches of unfinished pieces. Your fans will love the chance to be welcomed into your inner circle.
Personalize Tiers
Build community by naming each level of your membership so everyone contributing $3 a month has a group name, as do the $5 members, the $10 members, and so on.
Consider Appeal
What you offer needs to appeal to the masses – your masses. Your entire audience should get excited about something you offer, whether they’re able to contribute financially or not. Make sure what you offer is something most of them would enjoy.
Offer Short and Long-term Incentives
It’s great to think of time-sensitive benefits, especially when you want to drive up the number of patrons you have. Limited-time offers can work really well for this. Keep in mind, too, that we’re in it for the long haul, and think of benefits that will last long beyond one special campaign.
Embrace Fan Recognition
As we noted above, fans love it when they know you know about them. Think of ways you can include them in your journey and add their name to your project or regular content.
Want more specifics to get started? Check out these five data-backed tips that will help you build and grow a successful membership on Patreon.