21 Patreon Rewards for Unbiased Journalists to Supply Their Followers

Are you an unbiased journalist trying to cowl the matters you’re keen on with out resorting to conventional media channels? Quite a few journalists protecting matters like politics, sports activities, philosophy, gaming, and extra have all discovered a house on Patreon, the place they work together with and are supported by their greatest followers.

Most creators on Patreon succeed as a result of they’ve constructed an viewers that cares about them, and since they regularly work to construct rapport with that viewers. However relating to incomes cash, tapping into that viewers with an amazing rewards combine is essential. This text examines the rewards high unbiased journalists on Patreon supply to earn the assist of their followers each month.

That can assist you discover the correct mix, we’ve included 21 of the most well-liked and profitable rewards supplied by journalists on Patreon. These rewards drive the majority of high Patreon journalists’ pledges (not so as — each creator’s wants are distinctive). It’s vital to decide on the rewards which are best for you and your viewers; what works for one journalist could not work for one more.

For extra info on selecting rewards, you may learn extra on learn how to choose the correct rewards.

Need to supply these rewards to your viewers? Attempt Patreon.

1. Neighborhood Entry

Your followers all have one thing in widespread: you! Shared pursuits are the premise of many pleasant conversations and new relationships. That’s why neighborhood entry is without doubt one of the hottest rewards supplied by unbiased journalists.

Many creators supply full neighborhood entry to their patrons, whereas others create teams primarily based on assist tiers. YongYea, and CoinSheet begin unique neighborhood entry at $5/mo. Timcast opens up a Discord server for $1+/mo supporters.

As a creator, you could have many choices for facilitating neighborhood interactions. You may arrange a non-public discussion board in your web site (the Patreon Discourse integration makes this straightforward to keep up), run a chat room (creators usually use a Discord channel plus Patreon integration for this), begin a Fb group, or do one thing else fully.

Total, most journalists use neighborhood entry as a technique to encourage a lot of low-dollar pledges.

2. Precedence

Many creators discuss the necessity to prioritize their time and actions. A method to do this is to make use of your patrons to tell these selections. And alongside the best way, it’s not onerous to throw in some precedence rewards, similar to:

• Giving patrons precedence throughout Q&A periods
• Prioritizing customer support or assist for patrons
• Prioritizing communication with patrons
• Prioritizing patron content material requests.

A few of these rewards would do nicely at decrease tiers, and a few are excellent as a reward for high-dollar tiers. For instance, TheWATCHES.television honors video matter requests from $500/mo supporters as soon as each six months. Mike Cernovich selects story requests from his $100/mo patrons as soon as per 30 days. On the other finish of the spectrum, YongYea prioritizes responding to patron messages beginning on the $1/mo tier.

3. Unique Publication

Quite a few unbiased journalists use a e-newsletter to reward their patrons. You may set the frequency primarily based in your free time, what’s helpful to your followers, and the way rapidly information strikes in your area of interest.

For instance, Claire Connelly provides a subscription to her e-newsletter for $4.50/mo on Patreon. She sends it out twice a month. Yaron Brook sends a month-to-month e-newsletter to patrons on the $2/mo tier. The Corbett Report provides a e-newsletter, together with a number of different rewards, to patrons on the $1/mo tier as a part of a “pay what you need” system.

Keep in mind that maintaining your e-newsletter synced with every patron’s present standing doesn’t need to be troublesome: Patreon has an integration with MailChimp powered by Zapier. It’s going to routinely handle your listing primarily based on whose pledges are lively.

4. Advert-Free Content material

One other small incentive for patronage is providing an ad-free expertise. If you happen to run advertisements in your web site to assist pay the payments, take into account eradicating them for patrons who hit a sure pledge degree.

Many creators supply an ad-free expertise to low tier supporters. For instance, Universe In the present day thanks their $3+/mo patrons by eradicating advertisements (together with opening up Discord entry and a patrons-only information feed).

You may even use advert elimination as a technique to promote your Patreon, as Universe In the present day did of their web site’s sidebar. Combined in with advertisements and a plug for his or her e book is a button that encourages guests to pledge, adopted by textual content that explains the advantages of doing so.

Plus, Patreon provides a free integration with WordPress that makes it simpler to offer an unique expertise for patrons visiting your website.

5. Bonus Content material

Most journalists need to hold their content material free for everybody. However generally, it is sensible to place collectively a particular present, unique Patreon feed, or different extras for the individuals who pledge their cash to assist your work.

For instance, Thorin provides followers entry to a gradual eating regimen of unique content material on his Patreon feed at $5+/mo. GamersNexus provides all patrons entry to their patron-only feed and particular “Ask GN” episodes. iRunFar begins feed entry at $3+/mo.

6. Thank-You Playing cards and Handwritten Notes

If you happen to promise each single patron at each tier a handwritten notice, you’ll spend the remainder of your time writing playing cards. However that private contact is usually a good way to encourage higher-spending patrons.

For instance, iRunFar sends snail mail to $50+/mo patrons. How typically? “Quarterly-ish,” which is a schedule that balances worth with their much-needed time. Ken Ray (identified in some communities as “Mac OS Ken”) sends a wide range of objects by way of snail-mail, together with postcards to his $20+/mo patrons. Jamie Peck units the price of a handwritten thank-you card at solely $10/mo however manages the time requirement by sending them as soon as to new supporters.

7. Social Media Comply with

Are you (not less than considerably) lively on social media? Whether or not you’re all for providing follows and tweets for companies trying to sponsor you otherwise you simply need some pleasant backwards and forwards on social media, following your patrons could be a enjoyable technique to reward them for his or her contribution.

Frasier, the host of Universe In the present day, follows $10+/mo patrons on the social media platform of their selecting. And Graham Phillips tweets at his $25/mo patrons to thank them for his or her assist.

8. Behind-the-Scenes

Do your followers ask you what life is like whenever you’re not on the air? Do they need to know extra about your investigative course of? In case your followers need to know extra about what occurs earlier than you hit “publish,” then a behind-the-scenes reward may be a sensible choice.

Embedded content material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DyYd_8Mx1A

Fraser Cain of UniverseToday revealed considered one of his blooper reels to exhibit what patrons get frequently.

Most journalists make behind-the-scenes entry considered one of their low to mid-tier rewards. CoinSheet begins entry to their course of at $5/mo, whereas Timcast units entry to behind-the-scenes images and pictures at $10/mo. UniverseToday releases issues like bloopers, full interviews, and further footage to $3+/mo patrons.

9. The VIP Expertise

Many journalists discover it worthwhile to supply VIP packages for patrons keen to assist them above and past all expectations. What would a VIP bundle appear to be for those who supplied it? How a lot would patrons must pledge for it to be value your time? Would you supply it within the first month of that pledge, or launch it after steady assist for a set time interval?

These are all vital inquiries to ask for any reward, however they’re particularly vital relating to establishing rewards that require a higher-than-usual funding.

For iRunFar, the assist threshold is $500/mo in change for an in-person meetup and a yr of teaching. For FutureCrunch, meaning taking $50/mo patrons out for a meal the following time they’re in Melbourne. And for Mike Cernovich, that includes providing an in-person occasion and month-to-month planning requires his “mastermind group,” the individuals who make investments $1,000/mo in his reporting.

10. Calendar Invitations

One of many extra artistic rewards we discovered was sending calendar invitations to patrons for unique occasions (like stay streams and AMAs) as you schedule them. Yaron Brook provides calendar invitations to $5+/mo patrons to hitch his public and patron-only occasions.

11. Recognition

From bodily objects denoting membership to an inventory of names in your web site, there isn’t any scarcity of the way to present your patrons bragging rights. And since the methods of recognizing your patrons range a lot, the tier degree varies enormously from creator to creator as nicely.

Embedded content material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjPggsJqoMk

Universe In the present day at all times features a shout-out for a number of $5+/mo patrons at a random level throughout the video.

iRunFar maintains a wall of fame for his or her supporters on the $5+/mo degree. UniverseToday provides a randomly-timed shout-out to a number of $5+/mo patrons in a video section. YongYea places the identify of every $30+/mo patron in each video he releases. The Sprawl provides a signed print to $5/mo supporters, however to get on their web site, you’ll must be a $50+/mo supporter. And Timcast doesn’t begin providing recognition till the $500/mo tier, at which level he’ll put the patron’s identify within the video description.

The way you worth recognition relies upon fully on which patrons you need to thank publicly and the way.

12. Early Entry

One widespread reward that doesn’t take as a lot effort in your half is early entry. If you’re set to publish your subsequent video, podcast, or article, you can provide patrons the possibility to view it earlier than everybody else. Patreon has an early entry device that permits you to limit publish entry primarily based on time in order that solely patrons of the suitable tier see it earlier than everybody else.

That’s to not say early entry at all times means displaying patrons the ultimate model: Nafeez Ahmed reveals $5+/mo patrons early drafts of his work. GVMERS provides their $5/mo patrons an opportunity to display screen new documentary movies early. And the Invoice Press Present provides early entry to a sequence on Bernie Sanders, additionally on the $5/mo tier.

13. Digital Rewards

Many creators supply their patrons digital bonuses like wallpapers, bonus content material, images, and extra.

For instance, TheWATCHES.television provides $5/mo supporters 4k wallpapers created from the watches they characteristic of their video segments. Claire Connelly guarantees $10/mo patrons digital copies of her two books.

14. Visitor Appearances

When you have a video or podcast present, you may supply a visitor look to your most devoted followers. Even for those who work with textual content solely, you might supply to interview and have your patrons — if that’s one thing they need to do.

So far as pricing is worried, most creators reserve visitor appearances for his or her greatest supporters. For instance, Thorin invitations his $100+/mo patrons to look on a particular present section.

15. Sponsorship

Sponsorship isn’t for everybody, particularly whenever you’re making an attempt put an emphasis on unbiased as an unbiased journalist. However sponsorship continues to be a good distance off from being owned by a company, and a few small media firms and journalists thrive on the sponsorship mannequin with out permitting it to bias their work.

For instance, the CHS Capitol Hill Seattle is a neighborhood publication that offers native companies the possibility to sponsor their points for $50/mo. CHS lists the next advantages for sponsors:

• Entry to CHS photograph archives (with permission and correct attribution)
• The flexibility so as to add occasion listings on the CHS Calendar
• Capability to create neighborhood posts
• An inventory on the CHS Chief web page
• Shares on CHS social media accounts (by request).

This mannequin works nicely for them as a result of they supply publicity to the enterprise’ target market. Companies can affirm whether or not the positioning’s readership is true for them as a result of demographics, purchasing pursuits, occupations, and different information on readership is made public data on their Promote web page:

16. Direct Contact

Whereas it’s vital to set boundaries and expectations when providing direct contact, scheduling occasions for direct communication — like a one-hour Google hangout with only one patron at a time — is a high-value technique to spur higher-tier patronage.

Yaron Brook provides one-on-one, quarterly conversations along with his $250+/mo patrons utilizing Zoom. The creators behind iRunFar supply $100/mo patrons one hour of personal dialog per yr, be it one hour unexpectedly, or an hour damaged up into shorter chunks all year long. That’s to not say you have to limit communication time for those who don’t need to: YongYea makes use of Telegram to allow 24/7 communication with $100+/mo supporters (however, in fact, doesn’t assure speedy responses).

17. Merchandise and Different Items

Whereas most patrons will assist you primarily as a result of they consider in what you do, some are moreover motivated by the possibility to get some swag and showcase their standing as your patron. Merch containers or one-time shipments of paraphernalia associated to your work are a strong possibility for those who’ve executed an excellent job of constructing your model amongst followers.

FutureCrunch provides a hoodie to $25/mo supporters. TheWATCHES.television sends a shock bundle each six months to $50+/mo patrons. The Sprawl even provides merch to each degree of patrons: $5/mo supporters get a signed letterpress print, and patrons at subsequent tiers get a t-shirt.

18. Retailer Reductions

If you happen to function a web based retailer, one technique to thank your patrons (and incentivize extra purchases) is to supply them reductions. Even for those who don’t have merch, you would possibly supply reductions on DVDs, CDs, or books you’ve created.

Three Purple Kings, which covers rugby in Munster, provides a 30% low cost on retailer merch for all patrons. Cyclone Fanatic provides $3/mo supporters a 10% low cost on their T-shirts. And the Corbett Report provides patrons reductions on DVDs.

19. Voting

Your patrons care in regards to the work you do. And also you, as a journalist, need them to maintain caring. Whereas that doesn’t imply you must bend over backward to accommodate their requests or permit their suggestions to bias your work, it does imply it may be useful to know what they hope you’ll cowl.

Voting makes your followers’ preferences clear whereas being a easy reward so that you can supply patrons in change for his or her pledge. Patreon has a device to make polling your patrons easy.

Yaron Brook contains voting on particular matters for his $10+/mo patrons, and TheWATCHES.television repeatedly polls their patrons on the $3+/mo degree on what content material they need to cowl subsequent.

20. Dwell Chats, Hangouts, and AMAs

Do your followers need to get to know you or your material even higher? Many unbiased journalists on Patreon supply stay chats, video hangouts, AMAs (Ask Me Something), or a mix thereof.

You may select to order it for a handful of high-support patrons or set the financial requirement decrease within the hopes of a bigger group of patrons selecting that tier. If the hangouts enchantment to a large swath of your viewers, a cheaper price makes extra sense. If it appeals to a handful of super-dedicated supporters, the next worth is extra acceptable.

For instance, eSports journalist Thorin attracts over 70 patrons on the $10+/mo AMA tier. The Yaron Brook Present goals larger with an unique stay stream as soon as per 30 days for $25/mo supporters. His $50/mo patrons get question-asking precedence, ought to they want to make use of it. Nafeez Ahmed retains issues much more unique: He provides a Crowdcast for $50/mo patrons.

21. Audio Recordings

If you happen to’ve spent a while constructing your model, then your followers would possibly take pleasure in unique rewards like audio recordings.

For instance, YongYea provides $10/mo patrons a brief recording of their alternative (inside motive). It may be a voicemail message, a humorous joke they’ll ship to a good friend, or one thing fully random. For $20/mo patrons, he ups the providing to a video recording, so long as it’s beneath one minute.

It’s a enjoyable technique to reward his closest followers and drives some larger tier spending.

Conclusion

All 21 rewards listed are good choices for journalists, however their usefulness is dependent upon the matters you cowl, your viewers, and the mediums you employ. Some rewards, like merchandise and audio recordings, make extra sense for somebody with a longtime, distinctive model. Different rewards, like newsletters and behind-the-scenes, are simple for any journalist to supply. All that is still is selecting the reward combine that’s best for you.

Know what you need to supply to your followers in change for a month-to-month membership? Join Patreon right here.