Turn FOMO into holiday growth

The takeaway: By planning a special Patreon holiday offering, promoting it across your socials, and making clear that it is available exclusively to paying Patreon members, you can inspire a sense of FOMO in your fans that will have them running to join your community.

The holidays are the perfect time to tap into the giving spirit and turn it into community excitement and lasting growth. Musician and ocarina teacher David Erick Ramos found an effective way to do just that with his “12 Days of Patreon” promotion for the 2024 holiday season.

The opportunity:

Each year, David hosts a holiday livestream concert for members. After seeing his Patreon earnings dip from October to November, he saw a chance to re-energize his community and build buzz leading up to the year’s big event.

How it worked:

For 12 days, David gave away special surprises on his Patreon page, from exclusive songs and downloadable sheet music to custom holiday cards in the mail and discounts on annual memberships. He also let members exclusively submit questions for a fireside Q&A.

David previewed the 12 days in a public kickoff post, and followed up each day with that day’s member-exclusive surprise.

📊 The result? David’s creative holiday campaign brought new members, boosted engagement, and built a ton of festive FOMO. He saw over 100 free and paid members join, and increased earnings by 16% compared to October.

Try it for yourself:

• Plan a holiday offering that feels true to your creative style. Like David, try building up to a tentpole event to increase anticipation.

• Promote it across your socials (and make it clear it’s Patreon-only).

• Create moments of surprise and delight your fans can’t resist. They don’t have to be big productions. For David, the surprises ranged from annual membership discounts to a sneak peek at an upcoming songbook.

Whether it’s an advent calendar of exclusive episodes or a cozy year-end livestream, make your Patreon the place during the holidays by giving your fans something they can’t get anywhere else.

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Illustrator: Alison Coté | Presenter: Catherine McCafferty