19 Patreon Rewards for Podcasters to Provide Their Followers

Have you ever ever wished to know what prime podcasters do to incentivize and reward their loyal followers? This text pulls collectively 19 of probably the most profitable rewards that podcasters can provide via a membership-based enterprise mannequin. Every reward has a number of examples and recommendations on when it really works nicely.

As you learn, do not forget that not each reward sort suits each creator.These rewards drive the majority of prime Patreon podcasters’ pledges (not so as), however that doesn’t imply that every one shall be best for you and your viewers. For those who need assistance deciding which of them are the very best match for your enterprise, attempt studying this text concerning the 5 main reward classes and the benefits/disadvantages of every.

1. Further Episodes (Extra of The Identical)

One of the vital simple rewards you’ll be able to provide is entry to extra. The benefit of providing bonus episodes is that it appeals to your complete fanbase: if individuals like your common podcast, they’ll like your bonus episodes, too.

Chapo Traphouse turned one of many highest-earning podcasts on Patreon by providing a single $5 tier. Their patrons get entry to all episodes; non-paying followers solely hear half of their podcasts.

They aren’t the one ones to supply bonus episodes—Doughboys, The Boys, and The Historical past of English Podcast, for instance, all have a $5 tier that features bonus episodes.

What number of bonus episodes you provide is solely as much as you. It’s price weighing how a lot you can earn from these episodes with how a lot time in your schedule you’ll be able to spare to make them.For those who determine that bonus episodes are for you, it’s simple to distribute them utilizing Patreon’s non-public RSS feed characteristic that offers a novel feed to every patron, or by granting entry via the Patreon app.

2. Q&A/AMA Classes

Podcasting naturally lends itself to Q&A periods, which is why many podcasters on Patreon provide Q&A periods (additionally known as AMAs, or “Ask Me Something” periods). Some creators make bonus episodes round Q&A, and others add it to their important episodes. You could possibly reply on a discussion board, in a patron-only put up, in a Discord channel, or anyplace you need.

Some creators even provide precedence to higher-paying patrons. For instance, The Yaron Brook Present gives a tier for which $50/mo patrons’ questions have precedence.

The necessary factor is that your followers have questions, and so they’re keen to pay for solutions.

3. Dwell Chats & Hangouts

Whereas a stay chat and a Q&A session might be one and the identical, they don’t must be. It’s onerous to overestimate the worth of getting a deeper relationship together with your patrons. Typically, your followers simply wish to get to know you higher and really feel like they’re a extra necessary a part of your life.

One of many methods to fulfill that want is to supply stay chats or hangouts: an opportunity to spend time with you, the creator. You could possibly prep a subject for dialogue, announce new and thrilling issues, or simply chat about life.

CYBERGARBAGE gives a month-to-month hangout that drives $1300/mo in pledges from patrons as a result of they make it an unique expertise for high-dollar patrons. Different creators go for big hangouts and low $ entry; it’s all about attending to know your viewers and gauging whether or not a high-dollar, extra unique providing or a low-dollar, much less unique expertise could be higher.

4. Behind-the-Scenes Content material

‘Behind the Scenes’ rewards usually fall into two classes: informative and private. Every caters to a unique aspect in your viewers.

Informative behind the scenes content material explores your inventive course of, the technical features of manufacturing your present, and different helpful info. It might be paired with educational episodes or objects to assist patrons who wish to be taught out of your strategies. If a part of your viewers listens to you within the hopes of making their very own present someday, this can be a good reward to attempt.

Private behind the scenes content material is all about giving followers a peek into your life off the mic. What do you do if you’re not recording? Are there humorous moments on set you can seize and present followers? Is Patreon Lens a instrument you can use successfully?

For those who’re keen to share extra about your life exterior recording and your followers are wanting to be taught extra about you, behind-the-scenes-content is a straightforward and efficient reward to supply. Most podcasters mix behind the scenes content material with further rewards to strengthen the worth of a sure tier. DIS Unplugged, for instance, combines behind the scenes content material with early entry.

5. New Exhibits

It’s not “premium.” However it’s additionally no more of the identical. When you’ve got the bandwidth (or might rent assist with the assist of your Patreon viewers), then entry to an unique present is a strong motivator for followers to pitch in.

Simple Allies and Second Captains each use some variation of this reward. For Second Captains, patronage grants entry to a slew of associated podcasts they produce. Simple Allies, then again, provide at the very least three Patreon-exclusive exhibits accessible to any patrons paying $1/mo or extra.

New exhibits are a powerful incentive for patrons as a result of they achieve entry to a high quality providing that nobody else will get. For those who don’t have the assets to supply a brand new present but, it’s one thing you can put as a objective in your Patreon marketing campaign. That may additionally encourage your fanbase to “make it occur” and aid you kick off a brand new present.

6. Bodily Merchandise

Many creators are hesitant so as to add bodily merchandise to their reward choices: achievement is time-consuming and tough. With Merch for Membership on Patreon, you permit all these logistics to us. Merely customise objects together with your branding, set a supply schedule, and pair your customized merch with a tier (we aid you decide which one makes probably the most sense) multi functional place. Merch for Membership helps podcasters by: 

• Getting you extra patrons: When your viewers sees your new patron-only merch, they’ll be excited to be taught extra about your Patreon.
• Getting your present patrons to pledge up: Including merch to greater or new tiers encourages present patrons to pledge up.
• Convincing patrons to stay round longer: Creators who use Merch for Membership hold 10-12% extra of their patrons than those that don’t. Rewarding patrons with customized merch retains them joyful and pledging.

7. Neighborhood Entry

One thing about your present brings your listeners collectively each week. Typically, it’s a shared curiosity within the matters you cowl. So, why not give these listeners a spot to work together and enrich one another’s lives?

Because the host of your personal podcast, you’re in a novel place to convey your listeners collectively in a standard house. Some listeners will come for an opportunity to work together extra with you, however many will keep for the neighborhood they discover with different listeners.

You may arrange a personal discussion board in your web site, use the neighborhood tab on Patreon, run a Discord channel, or one thing else solely. Some creators even run e book golf equipment (extra work, however so much to be gained).

8. Fan Recognition

Typically, your patrons simply wish to be acknowledged as donors. You are able to do shout-outs throughout episodes or put up lists of patrons’ names in your web site. KindaFunny even gives a one-time Tweet mentioning the patron (and the patron will get to select what it says).

Some creators additionally provide credentials. The Each day Tech Information Present even provides $10/mo patrons a enterprise card itemizing them as an “government co-producer” of the present (and promise to again up their declare if anybody challenges them on it).

Finally, ‘recognition’ rewards give patrons a well-deserved pat on the again for being your supporter, whereas encouraging sign-ups with out taking all of your time. It’s a reward that works nicely for a lot of creators, giant and small!

9. Simple Listening

Typically, you may make it simpler for patrons to get pleasure from your present podcasts. Some creators do that by providing an ad-free expertise to patrons. Others present patrons with a hyperlink that enables them to pay attention on their platform of selection, moderately than being restricted to a particular platform like Apple or Podbean. And a few, just like the Tumble Science Podcast for Children, do each. Simple Allies has an excellent clarification of how to do that on their discussion board.

Is there a manner you can improve your followers’ listening expertise as a reward?

10. Digital Bonuses

There are such a lot of methods you’ll be able to reward your patrons with digital content material! Along with behind the scenes rewards, you’ll be able to provide venture updates, unique information, patron-only posts, miscellaneous supplies that go together with your episodes/style, and extra.

Perhaps your patrons would get pleasure from uncut footage? Cosmic Shambles, for instance, gives uncut episodes, bonus options, unique information, and some different perks to their $1/podcast supporters. There’s no restrict to what you can provide besides your time and ingenuity.

11. Fan Participation

For devoted supporters, you may provide probably the most thrilling rewards a fan might obtain: the prospect to seem in your present—or at the very least to be featured in someway in your present. For instance, Simple Allies has a once-per-month, livestreamed neighborhood showcase.

The duvet picture for Simple Allies’ July Neighborhood Showcase episode on Youtube.

Different creators, just like the Tesla Motors Unofficial Podcast, make a bonus episode that options patrons’ call-in questions and feedback (on this case, for $10/mo supporters and up). The wonderful thing about operating a podcast is that your visitors don’t must be in the identical location as you to be on the present, so the logistics are simpler than when you have been, say, filming movies.

12. Voting & Focus Teams

This reward is as a lot a boon to your enterprise as it’s an thrilling perk for patrons. Figuring out what your patrons need and assist will aid you channel your inventive endeavors and proceed rising your fanbase. By providing voting as a reward, you will get the opinion of paying patrons who care what you do.

That isn’t to say it is best to flip over the reigns to your followers’ each whim, however strategic polls and question-asking will help you if you’re deciding what to do subsequent. Some creators, like The Valleyfolk, even model this reward as a spotlight group of kinds—a cadre of trusted advisor-patrons who’re joyful to place down money to make your work turn out to be a actuality. That mentioned, they’ve additionally used it for enterprise objects like deciding which shirt to supply:

Polling in Patreon is easy (and you may make the put up public or limit by tier, your selection).

13. Premium Podcasts

Some creators provide premium content material to patrons solely. In essence, your free stuff is nice sufficient for individuals to get pleasure from. However you additionally produce content material that’s greater high quality not directly. Maybe it’s an prolonged lower or a deep dive into particular matters. However, it’s adequate to warrant a paywall, and that’s what brings patrons knocking.

For instance, relationship coach Alan Roger Currie makes use of Patreon to gate entry to his premium podcast content material. Free listeners get entry to a few of his posts, $5/month listeners get entry to all non-premium posts, and $10/mo get entry to all premium podcast he creates.

14. Early Entry

Ever standard, early entry rewards give your patrons an opportunity to see issues earlier than anybody else. It might imply sneak peaks and snippets,or it might imply that they take heed to an episode a number of days prematurely. Some creators additionally use early launch for issues like live-event ticket gross sales. Patrons love understanding that they’ll have first dibs on the brand new, thrilling stuff you’re producing.

Since early entry doesn’t in itself take that a lot effort (and doesn’t give something tangibly additional to patrons), it’s typically paired with different rewards in the identical tier. However, in case you have a devoted fan base and distinctive content material, you may get away with providing it as a stand-alone reward.

Or, just like the Writing Excuses podcast, you should utilize early entry as a kind of hat-tip to $1/mo patrons. It’s one more use for the non-public RSS characteristic creators on Patreon can entry.

15. Entry to the Archive

For those who’ve been podcasting for some time, you can go away all these episodes up without spending a dime. Or, you can begin gating the outdated ones whereas conserving the brand new ones free. It is determined by whether or not your content material will maintain up over time.

16. Personalised Companies

For those who’re an knowledgeable in one thing, you’ll be able to leverage your expertise and instructing means to supply teaching and consulting. From avid gamers to nutritionists, personalised companies could make sense as a high-value reward.

Creators continuously push worth to $50/mo and $100/mo tiers with personalised companies, though some cost much less (resembling Brülosophy, which gives brewing recommendation consultations for $15/mo supporters) relying on what’s supplied.

17. Motion Alerts

Relying in your area of interest, motion alerts might be an thrilling reward for patrons. For instance, Snipers’ Tube is a cryptocurrency podcast that places out every day commerce suggestions—and since their followers wish to know what’s occurring in the marketplace with out doing all of the analysis themselves, these alerts are extremely priceless.

However motion alerts don’t must be restricted to cryptocurrency: you can additionally ship breaking information updates, sale alerts, or “gameday alerts” (courtesy of the Fantasy Footballers).

18. Sponsorships & Advert Placement

For those who’re down with going to the darkish aspect (nothing incorrect with that!), you’ll be able to provide sponsorship and commercial tiers for companies trying to assist you whereas spreading the phrase about your companies.

Podcasts just like the Radio Conflict Nerd Podcast hand them out at $100 a pop, whereas Opening Arguments lets companies hyperlink to their web sites from the Opening Argument web site for $5/mo. The way you run adverts and sponsorships—and what you cost for them—is solely as much as you.

19. Unique Entry to Further Video Content material

Do you could have additional video content material that you just’d like to supply your followers? Perhaps you filmed a stay discuss that you just gave. Or maybe you made a bonus video to take your followers behind the scenes of how one in every of your podcast episodes comes collectively.

Although you’re a podcaster, there’s no purpose you’ll be able to’t use video in your pitch for membership. And an effective way to supply unique video to your patrons is Patreon’s Vimeo integration. With this integration, Professional and Premium creators can provide their patrons entry to unique Vimeo movies as a tier profit. And the very best half is, when you arrange your permisions on Vimeo, you received’t have to depart your Patreon web page to add and share the movies together with your patrons.

Right here’s what Patreon creator Epic Rap Battle needed to say concerning the integration:

“The Vimeo integration is each safe and seamless – the way in which issues must be. It gives a sleeker interface for each creators and patrons to make use of and opens up prospects for utilizing extra video content material on Patreon.” — Epic Rap Battles Of Historical past.

For extra info, take a look at the weblog put up titled, A New Method to Share Unique Video on Patreon with Vimeo.

Or, when you’re prepared to start out utilizing the Vimeo integration together with your patrons at the moment, subscribe to any paid plan at Vimeo. For those who don’t have a paid subscription to Vimeo, join their free 30-day trial for the Plus or Professional plans and take a look at it out. Enroll now.

When you join Vimeo, take a look at this assist article for detailed directions on the right way to arrange the mixing.

Which Patreon Rewards Will You Provide?

These 19 rewards are among the hottest rewards that podcasters provide on Patreon, however that’s to not say they’re the one ones. We’ve additionally seen creators providing distinctive experiences, D&D periods, and a number of different rewards tailored for his or her podcast and viewers.

And so far as pricing is anxious, it is determined by a whole lot of components. How giant/nicely off is your viewers? How priceless or time-consuming is the reward? Would you like just a few, low-dollar rewards that enchantment to nearly all of your viewers, or a buffet that pulls excessive and low greenback donations from completely different subgroups?

Given what about your enterprise and viewers, which of those rewards could be most profitable for you?

Know what you wish to provide to your followers in trade for month-to-month membership? Join Patreon right here.