Tips to make the most of holiday growth
In recent years, we’ve seen creators across Patreon experience the largest bump in paid membership signups between November and January. Whether it’s tapping into the giving spirit or the new-year-new-me mentality, the holidays are a great time to take advantage of tools like gifts and discounts to grow your community and earnings.
See how some creators are making the most of the holiday boost, and try their strategies yourself to end the year on a high note.
Let members know how they can support you by gifting a membership
In the first few weeks since gift memberships became available, fans across Patreon have already given loved ones more than $350K in memberships. Gifting is a powerful way for the people who love your work most to support you and help you grow their community. Plus, it gives fans a thoughtful, easy gift to give that doesn’t involve wrapping or shipping delays.
The most effective way to encourage gift giving is by sharing a personal message along with your gift page (find the link in your Promotions tab, under Gifts), in a post to paid members, on social media, and in your newsletter.
If you need some inspiration, here’s how these creators let fans know about gifts:
Add your own creative stamp:
Zach of Extra Fabulous Comics shared the news with fans and members through an animated comic. He also highlighted a creator whose membership he’s excited to gift, putting himself in his members’ shoes.
Meanwhile Tales of the Stinky Dragon brought out their fan-favorite puppets for a video telling fans how they could give the stinkiest gift of all.
Show the unboxing: Adam and Joss, the hosts of Howtown, gifted each other memberships to other Patreon creators and shared a video of their gift exchange.
Pay it forward: Luvvie tapped into the generosity of her community by asking members to pay it forward. They purchased her membership as gifts and sent her back the gifting links so she could pass them on to others.
Share a holiday-themed update: Worlds Beyond Number offered members many ways to give by sharing a roundup of holiday offerings, from merch to memberships.
Drive sign-ups with a discount or public sale
Whether you set up a limited-time holiday sale for all visitors, or share discount codes with specific groups, membership discounts let you incentivize fans and free members to become paying members.
Our data shows that a 50% discount tends to be the most popular amount to offer, and the most effective at driving redemptions. You can offer a discount on the first month or first year of membership.
How you talk about the discount is just as important as the amount. Here’s how these creators did it:
Time your discount with popular spending moments: Black Friday is a popular moment —this year on that day, fans spent 250% more on discounted memberships across thousands of creators who offered a sale — but you can also time your sale with the holidays, the end of the year, or the new year.
Promote where your fans frequent: Visual artist Loish promoted her 30% discount in an Instagram video, while podcaster Two Hot Takes opted for a YouTube video. Another great place to promote is your newsletter, where fans won’t be distracted by their social feed.
Lay out the perks: OfflineTV laid out exactly what members get with a 50% discount to their membership, from behind-the-scenes and bonus content, to monthly collectible pin drops and exclusive merch, and livestreams.
What tactics are helping you drive end-of-year growth? Share them in the comments below!
