How To Setup a Patreon that Supports You Full-Time

[@littlespressurewashing]

Just started out PATREON two months ago and love it ,we’re able to help so many and created a community! Thanks for all the help

[@Bushchannel]

Very brave Tim. Interesting to see you being analysed rather than the other way around like in your channel evaluations.

[@VideoCreators]

Hope it was helpful for you! I don't mind being scrutinized. I'm certainly not an expert on everything. I need people to training me in different areas, too. :)

[@Bushchannel]

Well done, I also found your recent mutual collab videos with Derral Eves to be particularly cool.

[@MusicOrLoseItTV]

On his page he mentions "patron only stream." Do you know what that means? Are Patreon creators supposed to upload their exclusive videos there?

[@Bushchannel]

Maybe that means content that only paid followers can view.

[@MusicOrLoseItTV]

Bush Channel Respectfully I need evidence based answers with a source cited, not speculation.

[@rva]

This was uber helpful....I am starting out...wish me luck THANKS AGAIN GUYS!!

[@linglingnarzihary411]

wowowowoowowowowowwoow.... didnt expect to find u here.... :) u have become much bigger now

[@DrawCuriosity]

I disagree with Peter on one point, I actually think charging per month makes more sense for your channel than per creation. I always feel per creation is when said creations are irregular and infrequently spaced (such as people releasing animations/singles/comics etc...). You post 2-4x times a week I feel, so that would add up to 10-30 videos a month, which would get very expensive... Even though you can place a cap, not everyone knows that and I think you will be deterring potential backers. Curious to know what others think. Good video otherwise - I just thought that in particular was bad advice.

[@SuzieTheSawyer]

+Draw Curiosity I think what he is referring to is maybe his patreon only content? I'm pretty sure he's mentioned that he does extra videos just for his patrons with extra info or something? So, he's only doing 3 or 4 of those a month.

[@DrawCuriosity]

But that is still over once a month though... so to sign up for say x a month to suddenly 4x a month, even though they can decide, I think may not be as smart a move

[@SuzieTheSawyer]

+Draw Curiosity I think you missed where he said you can cap it? You can limit how many videos you'd pay for in a month.

[@DrawCuriosity]

I know, but not everyone knows that so I would imagine it to be a deterrent to someone considering becoming a patron I guess. :) Basically, I'm just saying I think it is a bad strategy. Obviously it works for Tim so good for him :)

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

i agree

[@myRatchets]

Hey Tim as a new patron, I would recommend mentioning and emphasizing the access people have to you when they support you on patreon. People that are trying to start or improve a youtube channel will have a ton of questions and if they can get answers from a youtube expert like you, supporting you on patreon becomes a no brainer. Hope that helps.

[@RonnieHouseJr]

Great tip bro

[@gauloise6442]

I think he could get a lot of patrons by having a monthly group hangout. private hangout for a higher tier.

[@TravestyLive]

Yes. I am not a patron, but I was not aware of this fact.

[@Court-And-Crime-With-Tia]

I just couldn't watch to the end, I just want to clean up Peter's room and just tidy it up a bit. Gees man. 🙈🙈🙈

[@ChrisRobinsonNJ]

So many good ideas. I just launched a Patreon and had 3 supporters right away. Nothing after that. I see all the things I could/should be doing. Never stop learning! Great video, Tim.

[@ZomBeeNature]

I laughed when he called your thank you video totally lame! 😂

[@MadisonMonRoeCurtis]

I know. I love how sure and confident he is, but then I would also be holding back tears.

[@gavinwhyte941]

This is brutally honest - love it! Thanks for this.

[@HomeworkRadio]

This is helpful :) I don't really know where to start though :/

[@theaifilmmakingadvantage]

Great video Tim! I especially like the advice Peter gave around 15:55 in the video where he says that you should respond to every single comment posted to your Patreon considering that your fans have opened their wallets to you. Your benefactors should be treated like VIP! Thanks again for this video.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Totally! Commenting to every comment is a good practice on every platform, at least starting out when you don'y have thousands of comments.

[@thenextstep7049]

I respond to every comment on patreon and almost every comment on YT (sometimes 1 person leaves a dozen comments on one vid, and I respond to about half of those). I feel if they take the time to make a comment, I can take the time to respond. Seems like a good way to build a community. 😀

[@DriveInPsychopath]

Thank you for this and putting yourself out there. I know receiving feedback is difficult sometimes (especially in front of thousands of people) but you did it well and it was super helpful to see.

[@thebartlettbeewhispererdav1148]

I've been playing with the Patreon setup since the end of November. This interchange was very helpful. Look forward to more from both of you.

[@fatheringautism]

Someone suggested Patreon as I approached 2k subs. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before launch. Thanks for this! Great info and thank you Peter.

[@simpleandsavored9210]

I feel this is the answer to my concern about youtube changing things around. Peter is so amazing too. Thanks for the honest answers. Thanks for both of your service to us.

[@singwisevocals]

I have my Patreon set up to charge monthly because it makes much more sense for me and the kind of 'rewards' that I offer. One of the reward tiers includes a monthly hangout/Q&A, one includes a monthly personalized video lesson (in which the patrons send samples of their singing and I record a lesson in response, containing training tips and exercises to help them work on the areas of focus - and this is at a discount from my regular fee), and one tier includes a monthly private voice lesson with me (at a discount from my regular lesson rate). Some months, I might make 2 posts and other months, I might post 4 times. But those rewards and services always remain, and it's those rewards/services that are what drive my followers to become patrons. Those discounts on the personalized video lessons and private lessons are reward enough; the extra instructional videos and written posts are bonuses.

[@singwisevocals]

And, I want to promote those higher reward tiers because I think that the perceived value is significantly higher (because they're receiving individual instruction tailored to their unique training needs) and because it's more personal. It might mean more work for me in some ways, but one-on-one interaction is the most important part of my business model.

[@junepenny]

can I ask you a question? Im trying to put certain videos up for certain tiers but all my videos don't give me any option other than "public" yet my text posts give the tier option for viewing. what am I doing wrong?

[@tonemusicchannel3938]

I know I'm four years late, but this was so useful! Thank you! 🙏

[@SkatingwithAaron]

Four years later still great info! I’m new to this and looking into it to help support my channel so I can keep putting out great content. Thanks!

[@Itcareerquestions]

As always very much appreciated. We had chatted before about Patreon and I'm still debating on if this is a good option to explore. My channel is relatively small but with the engagement and target audience I have I feel as though it could be beneficial to them. I am constantly being asked to do more tutorial videos, I feel like opening up Patreon to offer more tutorial videos is the perfect way to enter that platform. I am very uneasy about this approach only because of my channel size and I would hate to turn new subscribers away because they feel as though I am trying to get their money. The struggle is real.

[@VideoCreators]

I don't think it's as much about the size of your channel as much as it's about the mission you have on your channel and now passionate your small audience base is about it. If you're doing Patreon as a way to include them in something bigger in ways you can't do on KZbin, then it might make sense. It's all about how you pitch it. Don't just go in asking for money or something. That won't work out well. haha

[@Yzjoshuwave]

Thank you for being so willing to share your process of learning how to go about doing this! It takes guts to be exposed, as I'm presently learning in getting started with this as well. I think the buzz phrase I'm going to be most prominently focused on for the moment is "community management".

[@FREETOFAMILY]

Does patreon have a snapchat or instastory feature for members only???

[@troycambo]

This guy is a fountain of knowledge. I probably can't apply anything he said but he is possibly the best guest I've seen on your channel Tim. Congrats on unearthing such knowledgable creators who understand the processes of sustaining their art and work.

[@VideoCreators]

Thanks, Troy! I enjoyed having Peter on the channel with me!

[@VellB]

Extremely helpful content! I’ve learned a ton to get me started with my creating an engaging page for my followers!

[@jasonstallworth]

Is it okay to have like 1-2 Tiers? My fear is not being able to keep up with all of the content and value I'd need to give to Patreon members as that would take away time from everything else I'm doing. Thank you

[@CezarBianu]

OK, I have to say this: Peter is the most genuine and honest person I have ever listen to in the online realm. I mean, he has advices ON POINT and he explains everything perfect. I love this guy. Thanks Tim for exposing everything here for us to learn more about Patreon. This is a super valuable video. Really appreciate this upload man!

[@VideoCreators]

haha Yeah, he's a good guy! Glad you found this helpful for you!

[@RobbieAndGaryGardeningEasy]

I had not thought of opening a Patreon account because I thought it might make some of my subscribers think I only wanted money from them. Yet I have had people demand things from me, like garden seeds, those few have been saying they watch my videos and I should be sending them free seeds(?). Could I open an account and somehow offer seeds to Patreon's? I have 4000+ subscribers, so not sure how or when to do this?

[@Nerding4Nature]

At what point do you think it's appropriate to start a Patreon account? Where I'm sitting right now, I've got a few hundred subs, which isn't big but I feel like I have a fairly high engagement, so I might get a partron or two, but I'm scared of damaging my relationship with my subs by asking for money (also why I'm waiting to monetize).

[@PeterHollens]

Immediately. Those few hundred could fund what you need! :-) start building with the community!

[@blisstechtv4788]

+Peter Hollens You say immediately? I am someone that just wants to make content as a hobby, yet I've not uploaded any content yet. Getting a little money down the road would be cool, and would help motivate me to continue making content. That being said, does your "immediately" comment apply to me? Should I set up a Patreon account before I even upload my first video?

[@Hexspa]

The guy said, "Immediately." He's pulling in tens of thousands per month on Patreon. I'm going to take his advice.

[@Starfishcentral]

+The Last Grownup in the Woods. My channel sponsor advised me to start a Patreon account at not much more than 100 subs on KZbin. I have 10 people pledging me money every month, but gained all of these people on my first day of launching and have had no more since. I get a little bit of money, which really helps me out as I don't have an income, and I am too sick to work due to Arthritis in my neck. My girlfriend works full time, which is why I cannot claim any money from the UK government. The money from Patreon will be used to invest in my KZbin gaming channel. I really need to upgrade my poor broadband to the super fast fibre, and I am saving my Patreon money towards this.

[@Hexspa]

that's awesome. Sorry about the neck

[@juliemclaughlin5407]

I'm really glad that you've shown us this. I do not subscribe to patreon channels but I like the youtube videos and subscribe to youtube channels. I think Peter is right with responding to people and thanking them and commenting in response to their comments. Even the negative ones. Sometimes people (like me) don't realize we're being negative but rather see it as teaching or helping to foster ideas for someone. Also, the way Peter described emailing people who have been declined, a lot of times, cards get lost and so they get a new card with new numbers and perhaps they forgot they were subscribing to your patreon channel. Also, read some of your own personal emails you've received from others and see how they go about trying to win you back to them, like doctor's offices or whatnot. :) Good advice and ideas here. Thanks again!!! Hopefully my husband can do something like this but he's not a real big talker. I told him to do little 5 minute videos after hearing Peter talk about the average attention span of a person these days. :)

[@GutFeelings]

This is SOOOO helpful, thank you both guys, Peter and Tim for sharing! All the best to your content creation & Patreon growth!

[@Eyeneedcash]

I just opened my Patreon so watching this video was extremely helpful. Extremely extremely helpful.

[@MadisonMonRoeCurtis]

I'm about to start mine! Any luck over the past year with yours?

[@Eyeneedcash]

Love Your VanLife no. I let it fade away

[@MadisonMonRoeCurtis]

@@Eyeneedcash awe haha dang...

[@EvanCarmichael]

Great video - thanks Tim - looking forward to the update! :)

[@georgejacinto7790]

This discussion was most helpful. I am new to KZbin and this tool is a great place to weave needed information into a community.

[@KatieThompsonz]

Thank you Tim & Peter! Very, very insightful! I'm about to launch my own Patreon page and there were plenty of gems in this video! Will be following you both!!!

[@Geeksmithing]

This was very helpful! Thanks for the info guys!

[@HarryPotterFolklore]

Great Video Tim, it's very honest of you to step into the shoes of someone being evaluated. Thanks again, I knew about Patreon but never thought it could be so effective :)

[@WoM]

Excellent info

[@Inventioning]

Thanks very much for this great information. We have just started a Patreon and are still in the process of launching it. It's live but we are going to do our introductory video before we really start marketing it. Hope to integrate some of the tips here. And Peter should know, (and it's interesting to note) that I enjoyed getting to know him on this video much more than on his Patreon introduction video. Best wishes!

[@esztanyo]

Ok, it's growing on me. I am a big fan of authenticity, and this guy clearly gets that and is authentic. Great idea of the "associate producer" of your content and showing their names on screen. Man, he doesn't hold back any punches either - "you're intro video is totally lame."

[@MasterHumanVideo]

If I had a "Best Video I've Seen This Week" Award that I could give out, this would win it. Very densely packed with great info!! Thanks so much Tim and Peter :)

[@stevesloan5935]

This is very helpful, specific, and actionable info. Thank you!

[@KimberlyCossYLeon]

thank for both your help im new to youtubing and i get nervous at times so your right you should make a video thanking from the heart :) i will be sure making one!! i love supporting channels from every type of content and meet others!!

[@JimWellsIsGreat]

Thanks, Tim and Peter. This is one of the more helpful Patreon videos I've seen. I would love to see more on Patreon, in the future.

[@firewordsparkler]

I think Mary Kate Wiles does the "thank you" message really well. For a certain pay level, you are able to sponsor a full video, so the sponsor gets to choose a quotation or a message for her to say while she thanks that one person at the end of the video.

[@evvie01]

There are some people who like longer videos, a little deeper discussion. Knowing a thing works is very good, knowing how or why it works gives you tools to figure other things out.

[@ChrisCommisso]

Fantastic! Thanks guys, very informative!!!

[@KimSimonsJr]

Thank you for stepping into that vulnerable space to make my journey smoother. This platform will be life changing for my community and me ! Love !

[@VihanDamaris]

'Per month' seems to work for my patrons better though 'coz I make 4 videos a week! BTW love this video, it gives such a great insight into community as opposed to number of people. It helped me so much while crafting a Patreon page. I'm watching again now to see how I can serve people better through the site and also grow on support.

[@MaizumaGames]

Thanks a lot for this video! I don't have my first patrons yet but I applied as much as could from your talk to Peter and my patreon page looks much more attractive now!

[@VideoCreators]

+Maizuma Games Good! I hope it works out well for you!

[@cryptowealthonyt]

SOOOO agree on responding to every comment on Patreon!

[@ShadowMantraSteve]

Slowly working my way through your videos and this is really useful. I'm on the fence about when to start a Patreon so seeing this kind of thing is very useful. Thank you!

[@onlinebaas]

Thought of Peter Holland as just a song-bird, but he truly thinks about the business side as well. Thank you for correcting my assumptions. Also, great tips.

[@JonDavidCroel]

This was helpful...I see that you have implemented a lot of these suggestions and your Patreon has grown by 300%. Good Job!

[@TheJessaChannel]

Peter Hollens is a genius. This is plainly obvious to me.

[@Technofareblog]

Tim - I have seen atleast 25-30 of your videos in last 2 years and let me tell you this one was the best ( out of the ones i have watched). Awesome conversation and great learning from both you and Peter. Also subscribed to his music videos. I will recommend viewers to watch Pete's work - i saw one video - Disney Medley - so well done that i subscribed immediately... Tim - You too do good work, i will now be more regular on your channel.

[@LearntoLovetheWord]

Excellent video. I'll be watching this one a few times and listening to the extra audio. Thank you Tim and Peter for pulling back the curtain and giving us some fundamentals as well as practical tips on how to better serve our communities.

[@VideoCreators]

You're welcome! Glad to help!

[@NickiTedesco]

This video was so helpful! Thank you!

[@truckingadventureswiththeb616]

Excellent advice. If your audience already loves the content enough to support you, a thank you is good enough for most people. Exclusive content is nice too if you have the time and ability

[@harikmr2795]

Hi I have a question...Should I make videos in higher resolution like 4k? Does it affect video ranking?

[@PeteWoronowski]

Tim and Peter, another so very helpful video that I appreciate so much. Very best to you both! Cheers, Pete

[@adrian_ajv]

I have 2 patreons and Im so grateful. Should I change the monthly payment to per video??? I post twice a week. I kind of feel bad if I change it?

[@SarahAndreaRoycesChannel]

It is funny how the brain works. Since yesterday I have the idea to watch Peter Hollins and Malukas "Baba Yetu" again, having the song in my head. It was not until I watched this video to get what planted it in my head. I didn't even consciously recognize Peter on the thumbnail, but seeing it was enough to trigger the idea of hearing the song again.

[@essencecartoon]

"Your thank you video is totally lame!" 😂😂😂 no filter I loved that part

[@mannasteve]

Since this video you have 80 new patrons in about 2.5 years. Seems like something is wrong.

[@quiettornado1970]

and yet I still has zero.

[@PeterHollens]

He quit Patreon and started doing YT version of it...

[@andrewsullivanmusic]

Hello! I am wanting to hear the full audio from this discussion but the links just go to your podcast and soundcloud page. Kind of hard to find audio that's 4 years old that way. Do you have a direct link by chance? Thanks for any help!

[@MissJoysArtRoom]

This is so helpful!! Any advice on maintaining all anonymity for this??

[@jorowi]

Great video. One thing I noticed when checking out Peter's page is that his welcome video is over 4 minutes too.

[@sambeawesome]

This is so super helpful! I've been really working on my Patreon page a lot over the last couple days, so this is fantastic timing for me!

[@VideoCreators]

+PimpManFan Great! Glad to hear it!

[@TactiCalifornia]

Thank you! Because of this video, I'm going directly to start my right now!

[@VideoCreators]

+TactiCalifornia Great! I hope it serves you and your audience well!

[@blk89gmc]

this is very interesting.. I have been an Autobody repair tech for the last 10 years. The shop I worked for just closed. The owner is ready to retire.. That said, I now have some free time to actually start putting some effort into making videos for KZbin. This video is very helpful to me for the fact that this is basically a whole new world.. These videos help to learn how to make new friends in this new world. thank you guys very much..

[@LILTRadio]

This was such a rough criticism. I am so appreciative you actually shared this convo because it is an amazing opportunity for newer channels. thanks again. Earned a new subscriber. **Thrice

[@Wordsnwood]

Great information here... Some really important comments about engagement and answering comments.

[@VideoCreators]

+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) Good! Glad it's helpful!

[@EposVox]

I somehow missed this! Great chat, I learned a lot.

[@bishopjaiden9482]

i dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account? I stupidly forgot the password. I would love any assistance you can give me!

[@brendanzaiden2979]

@Bishop Jaiden instablaster ;)

[@bishopjaiden9482]

@Brendan Zaiden i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm in the hacking process atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@bishopjaiden9482]

@Brendan Zaiden It worked and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thanks so much, you really help me out !

[@brendanzaiden2979]

@Bishop Jaiden Glad I could help xD

[@ACESEnglishparaViajar]

In my opinion this is your best video. Thanks for all you do.

[@CheyAnneSexton]

Thanks for all the info to make a better page and Peter rocks. I will be launching really soon with Watercolours and New Mexico photography 2!!!!!

[@TheKingRobot]

CheyAnne Sexton I’m from NM!👍🏻

[@VocalSplendorStudios]

Brilliant! Thank you SO much. I am taking a break from my channel to upgrade my whole business model.This has been so helpful!

[@KoriLinae]

This is outstanding information. Thank you!!

[@JensLarsen]

Great video! Learned a lot from this! Thank you!!

[@JohnChvatalGSTV]

Great video Tim and Peter! I'm putting the finishing touches on my very first Patreon campaign. Because of this video, I'm going to be tweaking a few things like keeping the introduction video that goes on the Patreon page under 2 minutes. This video also told me I was on track with how I am going about some other things....

[@VideoCreators]

+John Chvatal Perfect! Glad it was helpful for you!

[@Excel10tutorial]

How do you ad patreon link to your youtube end card? how do you verify them?

[@GleiceMiranda]

Wow! I just found out about Patreon !! I’m also a beginner Vlogger! I’m enjoying a lot and your videos have helped so much! Thanks!

[@TrailRecon]

Great video and just some good general rules for running your channel... thank you!

[@VideoCreators]

+TrailRecon You're welcome!

[@teacherrobin3192]

What an absolutely excellent video ... content and presentation ...

[@PeinadosConMary]

@ Tim and Peter, Thank you so much for this video. I learned a lot about creating and managing Patreon page. You guys are awesome. Keep up the good work!

[@Charlieto]

Ive been slowly working on my patreon page making it the best it can be before i launch it. this video is going to help so much

[@TLFarm]

Excellent excellent video . . . your best by far, so far. Thank you so much as we always knocked this type of thing without knowing hardly anything about it. Cheers Leigh & Toon.

[@Daitomodachi]

This has been really insightful! I'm not sure if I'm ready to start my pateron now, but I will save this video and keep it in mind for the future!

[@VideoCreators]

+Daitomodachi Great! Glad it's helpful!

[@JessaJay]

+Daitomodachi Yeah, I did the same thing, because I'm not ready yet, BUT I know I want to eventually.

[@JustAzab]

+Daitomodachi Ehh, what's up man. I see you on the UFG forums quite a lot =D

[@Daitomodachi]

JustAzab Thanks for recognizing me dude :D Glad to hear someone recognizes me here.

[@cmcocktails]

The mention about "producer" credits is great, we've been doing that for months and it's helped drive more new subscribers. I only do one per episode with a shout out and a "executive producer" pop-up at the start of the video. I don't do things "per video" thing works for us, we produce 5 to 7 video's a week, that's a big expense for people as we pump out content. My priority list is me re-doing my patreon information so this is greatly timed!

[@VideoCreators]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about "per video," since I tend to publish a lot of content, too, but I made the switch and decided to scale back how much I publish instead as a qualified "youtube training" for Patreon.

[@cmcocktails]

+Video Creators I have 51 patrons and $425/mo, I'm looking to double it, but I have to come up with some value add. I think, when creating some of my homemade bitters and such for our show, I'm going to start sending them to our patron's for making cocktails. Since selling them isn't really legal unless I have a license / distillery to produce/label them (under the TTB guidelines) but gifts are legit. Plus, after I make a batch I have like 3 bottles full that I'll never use--might as well reward people. Now, the trick there is that some of our patrons are outside the country so shipping isn't going to be cheap in some cases. But, they are paying for the show and I think if they've got a lifetime payment of over $60 then they should qualify. Right now I'm giving away all our new recipe PDF's we'll be selling on a new site I've built (just waiting for my SSL cert), and I'm going to give those to all our patrons that spent over $5. And, I already am designing custom recipes for those that have a lifetime donation of $50+. Which works well, given designing a cocktail is just time which, in the end, we produce a video for anyway so it's a double whammy for little upfront investment.

[@artemorbid]

Thanks so much for all this info- it helped me out a lot

[@Savagemister]

Good stuff. Peter knows what's up.

[@LaszloHarsanyi_SoundTube]

I was just thinking about optimizing my Patreon page, this vid arrived at the best time for me! Great! :)

[@VideoCreators]

Great! Glad to hear it!

[@mareejollow]

I'm just launching and I found it invaluable

[@StoneFistedProps]

This was super Helpful as I'm Looking into starting a Patreon. Also I'm a Fan of Peter's as well.

[@ghmichel72]

Peter gave some great ideas ✊🏾 Thanks for sharing Tim. Any chance you can do an update video, now that’s 3+ years later?

[@nancyburridge]

Good video. Peter's advice was valuable and you were a good sport for being the test case. Of course now you have some great ideas to implement! Thanks to you both! ~Nancy

[@ahouseofclay-transformhere]

Great video, thanks so much both of you to share this.

[@KatieThompsonz]

Around 15.14 - do we still have access to the dashboard now that things have been changed a little on Patreon. I can't find stats anywhere - however, I am new and have only just posted my first piece of content.

[@greggzart]

I'm super impressed with the way Peter Hollens' mind works! Really smart dude, and grounded in reality, man I want this guy to be my bro ham LOL. Thanks for the info!

[@difFamilyVlog]

Kudos Tim! It's not easy to put yourself out there for critique but it definitely looks like there were some great tips in there

[@MovieStudioZen]

This is such a valuable video! Thank you Tim & Peter :)

[@kylepuckett6786]

Thanks Tim for sharing this with us! It was very insightful. I'm always happy to see someone trying to improve themselves and/or their business.

[@Contempl8Tech]

This was amazing, maybe an overstatement but it's true. This is just what I needed to know. I have been watching Peter and Jack Conte for years and didn't know there involvement with Patrion, way cool.