Can Patreon Save You? - Patreon Guide

Ad revenue is a rollercoaster, so a content creator needs to create different revenue streams. Patreon is a fan-funding platform that essentially requires no money or fandom to get started. Let's explore Patreon on a deeper level on how it applies to a SMALL YouTuber.

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Full disclosure: I have a Patreon. Oh wait, this is really just me advertising my patreon. PLEDGE TO MY PATREON!! JKJKJ! This blog is really for YOU.

My Patreon memberships fluctuate from $0 monthly to lots of low-amount pledges and then to just a few high-amount pledges. I've found my monthly income to be unreliable; however, I've accumulated enough pledge money every year to justify my reasons to keep at it. You can make great content for Patreon and lose all of your pledges the next month. Have patience.

If you do sign up for Patreon, feel free to use my referral link by clicking HERE. The benefit to using my link is that if you get 20 pledges the first month, you will be gifted an additional $50 by Patreon. Cool, huh?

If you find this Patreon Guide helpful, please send this to your other Small YouTuber friends! <3

Easy Patreon Alternatives

Yes, we are going to get into the benefits of Patreon - the entire point of this article - but, I also want to remind you of other ways your audience can support you without pledging to you on Patreon. This is important because the majority of people do not have the money to spend on your Patreon content, even if your content is ah-mazing.

To elaborate on my personal note above, Patreon is not the most reliable crutch for a small content creator from my experience. (Unless you post nudes. But don't do that. Unless you want to. But, I'd wait until you are at least 25 when your mind is mature enough to make that big decision for yourself.) So, I suggest you take the time to remind your audience that they can support you in other ways.

1. One-time donation! You are better off asking for one time donations here and there through Venmo, Paypal, or CashApp. You get the money fast and in full (because Patreon does take a percentage.)
2. Free support! You should also remind your viewers that there are other ways that they can support you for free, like boosting your channel in YouTube's algorithm.
3. Amazon Wish List! Gifts are always more fun. Create an Amazon Wishlist and promise to unbox the gift and thank the sender publicly. Do note that your address will be shared at checkout, so consider opening a PO box. Mine was only $100 of one year.

If you do sign up for Patreon, feel free to use my referral link by clicking HERE. The benefit to using my link is that if you get 20 pledges the first month, you will be gifted an additional $50 by Patreon. Cool, huh?

I made an inverted pyramid to better explain why it will be hard to convert your viewers to Patrons. If you're a small YouTuber, you are not starting with a large amount of people at the top to trickle down. It's frustrating when you spend hours on making Patreon content to be getting so little money in return. You feel like you worked for free. Or it hurts when a Patron terminates their pledge. 

So Why Patreon

I did not make this visual for you to filter out whom to pay attention to. Always remember that your viewers do not have to constantly prove their love to you in order for you to love them back. Remind them often. They have their own lives, their own struggles, their own time commitments, and their own money. They have an obligation to themselves. You have an obligation to yourself. Keep boundaries mutually respected. 

I hope that I didn't discourage you too much because then what's the point of you reading this section of the article....or signing up using my referral link...hehe...

​But there are many reasons as to why I find Patreon a satisfying platform that is perfect for Small YouTubers

• Easy to signup! - Other money making ventures take several weeks to brainstorm, create, and then launch. Since you can return to any section of your page to edit later, you can create a Patreon page in 1-2 hours.
• Less restrictions! - YouTube has a long list of reasons to demonetize your videos and keep you from earning ad revenue. Sometimes, their system will falsely demonetize you and the appeal process takes awhile. On Patreon, you can be more artsy or adult.
  
• No algorithm! - You can play by your own rules and not worry about video duration, audience retention, and other stressors. Sure, you should encourage your Patrons to give you feedback, but a backend coding system will no longer have input in determining whether your video is entertaining or not.
• No additional costs! - You already own a camera and editing software if you are a small YouTuber. You don't need to invest in any additional equipment. If you were to sell merch or try another venture, you may have to put money down up front. Merch is a great idea, but I would suggest having a bigger subscriber base first.
• Merch! - Recently, Patreon announced that they are partnered with a merch vendor, so your most loyal Patrons can get your logo on tshirts, mugs, and more. I think that I need to make a separate article on that...

If you do sign up for Patreon, feel free to use my referral link by clicking HERE. The benefit to using my link is that if you get 20 pledges the first month, you will be gifted an additional $50 by Patreon. Cool, huh?