I was wondering if anyone here has had luck turning free Patreon followers into paying members. I’ve noticed a lot of people follow me for free, and I can’t really tell if they’re just keeping an eye on what I’m doing to maybe upgrade later, or if that’s just how Patreon works.
In our niche it feels a bit tricky, since most of us already give away the actual models on MakerWorld — what people are really paying for is the commercial license. That’s a bit different from, say, artists on Patreon who lock all their work behind paid tiers, so there’s a clear reason to subscribe.
I’ve thought about offering exclusive models, but my designs are pretty varied, so I’m not sure how well that would work (for example, someone who follows me for gaming controller stands might not care if I put out an exclusive lamp).
Has anyone here found good ways to encourage free followers to upgrade, or just general tips for growing Patreon or MakerWorld memberships in this space? Hopefully this can kick off a bit of a discussion so we can all swap ideas and help each other out.
I’ve wondered that too, but my approach to Patreon was “IDGAF” to the point that I forgot about it’s existence twice already
I think what you’re doing on patreon is good already. For growing paying members the question is what your “customer” should be. Commercial licence one is obvious, I think you’re doing enough of patreon-related actions to sell the licence. The question is then why someone should turn paying member if they don’t want/need commercial licence? And would tiers be involved there?
You currently have 4 tiers, one that doesn’t do anything and 3 that offer commercial licences. Patreon by default shows 3 tiers to choose from (and user has to scroll to the most expensive one and it’s not very visible) plus the more affordable option for commercial licence is already sold out and cannot be used, so there’s non-zero chance that someone could check that and say “geee, I missed the better offer…” and maybe hold off till it’s available back. So I’d explain to people that “do nothing” tier actually does something, like access to restricted posts, I’d hide the sold out one so that people don’t see that they missed the promo and “spice up” the most expensive one. That means only 3 tiers and all of them have value added.
Thanks for the reply, interesting idea I have a few ranges that this sort of thing might work for like my desk accessories. I will definitely have a think about this.
Thank you so much for your reply and for taking the time to critique my Patreon. I really appreciate the suggestion about organizing the tiers—I hadn’t realized you could actually hide one. You’re absolutely right that the “fear of missing out” on a lower-priced option can influence people’s decisions, so that’s a great point and very helpful.
I’m also going to look into adding more value to the support tier, as you suggested. One idea I’m considering is offering exclusive Patreon-only models for non-commercial use, while still making them available to higher tiers for commercial use. That way, supporters would get a little something extra beyond just my standard Patreon models.
Thanks again for such an insightful response—you’ve given me a lot to think about!
If it helps, these are the things the prevent me subscribing to selling people’s works:
Their model distribution is timed or in some way expires. Like “you need to download it this month” sort of thing. (see 2)
They are only patreon-hosted. Mostly their models need to go to some 3rd party site (like MMF).
They have (or think they have) changing licenses. I can’t be tracking 20 licenses each month, and I’m not reading your updates. The license I signed up with better be the one I can rely on.
It’s hard to browse/find current models. I’m not reading your patreon posts. I don’t care about your polls. Export to something like MMF. (see 2)
Rules like you need to do X Y Z to sell my models. Display my badge/coin, register in my database, mention my name, etc.
I subbed to 4. One had put out something like an update here and there, $10 a month. Honestly though, he allowed access to most of his back catalog.
Another puts out 5-7 models a month. then gives a discount on CG Trader which is mostly useless. It only works when CG isn’t having a sale. They are ALWAYS having a sale. His prices are high. I’ll pay full priced here and there, but I’m not paying $30 for hands to resin print.
No real back catalog given, just maybe 2-3 months. Another $10
Another $5 for one that puts out some nice files. He’s quiet and just pretty much pops up to tell you something is released. Maybe 5 files a month. Detailed Resin prints for figures.
Last one is $12 i think. Whole stupid amount of back catalog, huge drops a month, and gives commercial license for one price.
I don’t want a commercial license. I want files that interest me in one place and accessible. Price depends on content. Don’t charge me for the other ■■■■.
I am a very small creator. I offer all my designs on MakerWorld. I only offer a commercial license on Patreon. If someone asks if they can sell my printed designs, I direct them to Patreon. Sometimes they sign up, most of the time they do not.
But, I also offer my subscribers input on what I work on. I let them beta test files for me. It helps me and they get to see new designs first and help shape the direction a design might go. Those are just perks though; the main purpose is the permission to sell the prints.
A) Gate engagement behind things like polls and member-only posts and models. Make them want to belong to that “community” and feel like they are “making a difference”. Produce endless blog posts about your design and iteration process and about how it’s all driven by them, the “elite” level subscribers who “make it all happen”.
I’ve had the same issue with free followers. What’s worked for me is treating them like a warm-up audience, regular updates, early access, and polls. That way they feel involved, and a few eventually upgrade. Consistency seems to be the key.
Thanks everyone for all the thoughtful responses, and apologies for the late reply — life’s been a bit hectic, and I also wanted to give things some time to see if the changes I made would have any effect.
As @Johnny_Bit suggested, I went ahead and updated my tiers. I also added a few Patreon-exclusive models (with plans for more) that are free to all paying members. My hope was that this might encourage more people to join at the lower tier. So far I haven’t noticed much of an increase — which I kind of expected — but I do think it helps improve the overall look and perceived value of my Patreon. Even if it doesn’t move the needle right now, I feel it makes things more appealing to anyone who might be on the fence.
I also agree with @mugglesmuggle that some of the points he mentioned create a lot of friction between creators and patrons, so I wouldn’t recommend going down that route.
And as @krellboy pointed out, the real key is making models people can actually sell. That’s the direction I want to focus on now. I feel like my Patreon is in a decent place overall, so shifting my energy into creating more “sellable” designs seems like the best way forward.
