Uncategorized

Patreon Lens: How 5 Creators Are Giving Patrons Behind the Scenes Entry to Their Work and Life

Right here’s one thing we’ve present in our years working with creators: Our most profitable creators constantly present superior content material for his or her patrons.

Patreon Lens is designed that will help you do exactly that — share extra content material — simpler. It’s a brand new function within the Patreon app that helps creators share unique, behind-the-scenes content material with supporters.

The animated clip we made for the Lens launch announcement provides you with a way of it:

Lens Creator Examples: Kati Morton on Lens

When Philip, Shayla, Kati, Megan, and Monica had the prospect to beta-test Patreon Lens, they mentioned sure instantly.

After testing Patreon Lens for months, right here’s precisely how these 5 profitable creators are utilizing it.

Obtain the App

Philip DeFranco of the Philip DeFranco Present! turned to Patreon in order that he might run a very impartial information present — one which wasn’t influenced by the purse strings of an organization’s agenda or sponsors. It’s an excellent that resonated along with his over 13,500 supporters on Patreon. Now, he’s hyper-focused on bringing them nice, unbiased information segments.

However, he’s all the time on the lookout for methods to forge a deeper reference to followers and backers. One factor his patrons love? Behind-the-scenes entry. For that, Philip has discovered Lens to be superb. “Lens permits us to give our patrons a window into the creation of our exhibits,” he mentioned. “We’re utilizing it so as to add that extra-special, behind-the-scenes entry you’ll be able to’t get wherever else.”

Behind the scenes of a “utterly candid” (wink wink) photograph.

“Whether or not it’s a fast video of certainly one of our editors crawling by a home made cardboard fort or an thrilling preview of an upcoming present, our patrons see all of it with Lens.”

Shayla Maddox spends her days portray, dreaming up new methods of portray, and giving her supporters an immersive expertise. In her phrases, “I dream. I make artwork. I doc it.” And her followers love each second of it.

Lens Creator Examples: Shayla Maddox mask
Shayla sporting a masks for security whereas she makes her artwork.

For Shayla, Lens has grow to be a personal channel she will use along with her patrons. “It’s simply me and them!” she mentioned. “I like to think about it as a safe-haven away from all of the web noise on the market. My patrons are invited immediately into my studio to view behind-the-scenes glimpses of my life as an artist that I don’t publish wherever else on the web.”

It’s a robust pitch for her most passionate followers. However she additionally makes use of Lens to contain them extra carefully in her course of. “My patrons on Lens know what I’m as much as earlier than anybody else. They see my errors and my progress,” she defined. “How cool is that? It’s like they’re creating artwork proper together with me.”

Having such an unique solution to talk with my patrons has modified how I share my artwork with the world,” Shayla mentioned. “I like displaying my in-process work to followers who actually care about what I do.”

Kati Morton is a licensed therapist and YouTuber who spends her days researching and filming movies that assist her followers care for his or her psychological well being. She’s additionally talked about learn how to take care of your self as a creator.

So, discovering methods to make her job extra environment friendly and extra rewarding are a excessive precedence for Kati. “In direction of the top of final yr I used to be on the lookout for higher methods to handle my time — to work smarter, not tougher,” she mentioned.

“I had been sending out presents every month to sure patrons, but it surely turned unmanageable. Lens was simply supplied, and I felt it was a fantastic instrument to attach with my patrons simply all through my day,” she defined.

Lens Creator Examples: Kati Morton photo album
A glimpse of younger Kati supplied to Patreon supporters.

Kati enjoys exploring the methods she will use Lens to attach with patrons.

“I can simply open my Patreon app and shoot a fast behind-the-scenes photograph or give them perception into a brand new video idea. I’ve even been sharing bits of books I’m studying for enjoyable,” she mentioned. She’ll typically share a photograph of video prep and analysis, plus a motivational/inspirational quote every day.

Lens Creator Examples: Inspirational Quote from Kati Morton
One in all many quotes Kati shares along with her Patreons.

“I hope that they’ll see Lens as one other constructive solution to begin their day,” she added.

Megan Slankard and her beloved guitar, GuitarE, are on a journey — and her patrons are alongside for the journey. The quirky musician from San Francisco releases new music 1-2 instances a month, together with different bonuses for patrons. Outreach is usually on her thoughts.

“As a creator, I’m all the time on the lookout for new and higher methods to succeed in out to followers of my music, and Lens has given me an unimaginable house for that connection,” she defined. “I like with the ability to share my course of in actual time, take supporters of my music on my inventive journey, and share little moments that I like most about creating, recording, and touring.” She finds ample alternative to attach with followers all through her life as a music artist:

“Lens provides me a solution to take patrons “backstage” in the midst of writing a brand new tune. I get to geek out a few new drum pattern, or the layering of 20 voices, or I can simply do a late-night ‘howdy’ and examine in after an extended recording session.”

Lens Creator Examples: Megan Slankard Tape Recording
Megan, shaking a tape dispenser and recording the sound.

“It’s an exquisite instrument and another excuse Patreon has been one of the best ways for me to remain in contact with my followers.”

Monica Byrne creates fantastical worlds with a flick of the pen (or possibly a complete lot of typing). She’s a printed creator whose artwork is her activism. At first look, the lifetime of a author doesn’t appear to be an ideal match for Patreon Lens. However Monica makes it work — and work effectively.

“On Lens, I can doc the nitty-gritty trials of constructing artwork, up-close and unfiltered. Once I’m having a extremely onerous day of writing, I discuss by it on Lens. Typically I’ve breakthroughs simply by doing that,” she defined.

Lens Creator Examples: Monica Byrne what if a jaguar appears here
Monica sharing a web page of her notes. “What if a jaguar seems right here?”

As well as, she loves how rapidly which she will interact followers.“My patrons love that they’ll ask me questions and I can reply them instantly. Lens is a approach for us to speak at a a lot larger frequency than by posts.”

Lens Creator Examples: Monica Byrne Sequence of Events
A glimpse at Monica’s pin board for story sequences.

Patrons learn the way she generates concepts for her tales — and what will get left on the chopping block. It’s good for budding writers who wish to be taught from her course of, but in addition for followers who merely need extra of her work.

Find out how to Get Began Utilizing Lens for Your Patrons

Should you’re a creator — a author, podcaster, YouTuber, artist, photographer, or something related — and also you’re new to Patreon, a fantastic place to start out is our article: 5 Steps to Predictable, Month-to-month Revenue for Any Creator with an Viewers.

For these of you with an current following on Patreon, Lens is designed that will help you seize and share your course of with those that help you financially as patrons. Utilizing Patreon’s app, you’ll be able to take photographs and movies and share them immediately together with your patrons. All content material is accessible for 24 hours within the app.


To start out utilizing Lens, obtain the Patron app to your cellular system. Lens is constructed proper in.

Obtain the App