The COVID-19 pandemic has convinced us more than ever before of the value that online creators provide. All of the amazing content that we can find online – whether free or for purchase is staggering and much appreciated.
All of our clients have been affected by the necessary cancellation of gallery showings and in-person art workshops and retreats over the last year. As an artist and/or artist educator, if you haven’t done so already, use the start of the new year to pivot and look for ways to optimize the amount of time you spend online, versus in the studio.
This is where crowdfunding platforms come in. These platforms enable donations from patrons in exchange for exclusive, early-release and behind-the-scenes content. Paid online events can help you to replace lost revenue from cancelled in-person events and to reach new audiences online.
What is a Patron?
Arts patronage, in the history of art, refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists such as musicians, painters, and sculptors. It is meaningful to show the history of this word, as established back in the 14th century, and a necessary source of support for the arts even today.
Your fans are now on par with the Medici House of the Renaissance era…
So Why Crowdfund Content?
First, let’s face it: free content is sometimes often not backed up by as much actual knowledge, as opinion.
- How many YouTube videos have I seen where people are applying a thick layer of encaustic over acrylic paint?
- Want to figure out which varnish product / application is best for a particular combination of art materials and surfaces without ruining hours of work?
- Want to make your composition better? The original poster may eschew ‘rules’ and claim that you should just do what feels good, wrapped up in the word ‘intuitive’ (all the while forgetting to mention they have a college degree in graphic design).
If you want to learn, try new things and improve your art — the answers you will find are as suspect as unsolicited medical opinions on Facebook.
But besides the obvious answer of professionalism and knowledge that you can provide – what else are your fans willing to pay for? I call these attributes, ‘The Five Patron Love Languages”.
- Community – a membership should give your fans a sense of community. The members are all individuals that like your content enough to go along this journey with you. Connecing with like-minded individuals and belonging to a group should have meaning. Make sure there is ample opportunity for meaningful connection with you as well as other members.
- Merchandise – if you go back in time to art sharing sites, the compilation of virtual badges and custom icons allowed those that participate and/or engage at each tier to have a badge / color / icon, etc. that shows they are part of the community. They are part of your inner circle. Custom emojis and badges allow members to show off their status and is a benefit that should not be overlooked. Take it a step further into physical product with your name/ logo / artwork printed on it? Great benefit!
- Exclusive Content– When fans love a creator, they want every piece of content they can get. If a creator provides a lot of real value, exclusivity can create FOMO (fear of missing out) among fans.
- Support Artists – some fans really appreciate the creator’s time and talent and understand that the time spent behind-the-scenes also takes away from studio time.
And the last one? Perhaps the most influential incentive is… - Lack of Advertising – If you create membership-based content you should take the additional step to clarify that your content is free of advertising / interruptions. This benefit alone may make them want to help a creator to keep producing through monetary support. We have several strategies for advertising YOUR services, instead of advertising OTHERS services TO YOUR existing clients – which is the main advertising method that you see on video content platforms, such as YouTube.
So whether you are looking to support artists or an artist looking to support your online content with an income, now there are more options for creators to appreciate and connect with their fans; and for their audience to support the creators continued content.
Consider Your Audience.
While every perk I’ve mentioned is valued, it is also really important that you know your fan base and do everything in your power to be inclusive so that your membership platform doesn’t feel out of reach. The planning stage should not be skipped to rush to implementation. I’ve seen the backlash that this can create.
There should be a tier that is accessible to anyone and has value. You don’t want to turn off your fan base that has been supporting your business.
You also need to make sure that your free content doesn’t dwindle. It is how new fans will find you. Don’t close the door, just advertise the window as well.
Create a Sustainable Content Plan.
When figuring out what contribution levels you will offer sustainability is key. We aren’t in the business of burning out. Here is an infographic to use as an example of a tiered membership structure:
Once you’ve considered your audience and determined your level of commitment to a sustainable content plan it is time to dive in to how this content will be delivered. There are far more choices available for platforms and plans to wade through.
Choose a Delivery System.
There are hosting options and all-in-one options like Kajabi, or course content hosting sites like Teachable or Ruzuku that charge the creator a monthly/annual fee. There are self hosted membership options with Squarespace and plug-in based solutions for WordPress as well. But in this article we are going to discuss options that assume you already have a social media platform(s) and/or a website, including video content hosting through YouTube or Vimeo. So let’s discuss three options that are the easiest and lowest cost to implement and save the all-in-ones for a later discussion. These three options are pay-as-you-go, in that they:
- don’t charge you to create an account.
- don’t charge a monthly fee.
- take a % off the top of income that you make, rather than initial setup fees.
As of this writing, the following chart breaks down the difference between the platforms.
Platforms
Patreon
Membership Level Options
- Offer per month OR per video contributions levels
Income % Breakdown
- Creators: 88-95% / Patreon 5–12% of revenue
Pros:
- No limit on contribution amount
- No minimum subscriber requirement
- Allows you to create and have merchandise fulfillment through their partners, assigned to contribution level(s).
Cons:
- Can’t give fans special recognition badges
- Not part of the Google Ad Network
YouTube Membership
Membership Level Options
- Early access to videos
- Members-only videos
- Members-only live streams & live chats
- Members-only community posts
- Members-only Discord access
- Custom emojis to use in comments and live chat
- Loyalty badges next to member’s name in comments and live chat
Income % Breakdown
- Creators: 70% / YouTube: 30% of monthly membership revenue,
Pros:
- No limit on contribution amount
- Part of the Google Ad Network
Cons:
- Minimum subscriber requirement of 1,000 subscribers
Facebook
Pre-Paid Events
Membership Level Options
- Pay Per Event, which could include several videos, or a series.
- Members-only access to FB Live or other access, through a persistent link, such as Zoom.
Income % Breakdown
- Creators: 100% / Facebook: 0% of revenue
*Until 6/30/2021, any purchases made on paid online events will be made through Facebook Pay, where you’ll receive 100% of the price that guests pay, after applicable taxes.
Pros:
- Threaded About and Discussion Chats
- Facebook Payments allows you to set up without having the expense of an SSL certificate nor payment processor
Cons:
- Facebook Account required for both Host and Users.
- Payment is not disbursed until minimum payment threshold of $100 is met.
Membership is Not A Contest System
There are several ways you can grow membership through encouraging members to ask their friends to join. But while you can offer things of value that make your members feel special, the following members-only benefits are not allowed under YouTube’s policies and terms, and are a good guideline to use for any of the platforms listed above:
- Downloads of content (including music) available on YouTube
- In-person 1:1 meetings
- Anything that one or some (but not all) of your members are chosen to receive at random including, but not limited to
- Contests
- Lotteries
- Sweepstakes
Let’s Get Started!
Do you want to learn more? We’d love to discuss the options with you and implementation plans in detail. Setup an Initial Consultation with Anarchivist. Or contact us at support@anarchivist.art for more information.
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