Converting fans to members: beyond the basics

“How do I turn more fans into paying members?” It’s one of the most common questions we hear from creators. And for good reason! There’s a lot packed into that question.

That’s what this collection is here for: to help unpack it.

We’re going to look at your conversion funnel, the journey fans can take from discovering your work to becoming paid members, and the choices you can make to help guide them through it.

Then we’ll turn those choices into a conversion strategy that you can actually put into action.

Whoa. Funnels? Conversion strategy? If that sounds a little business-y, don't worry. You don't need to become a conversion expert or start treating your fans like numbers moving through a spreadsheet. We’re going to break it down one piece at a time and help you build something that makes sense for you, your fans, and your work.

So let’s start with the funnel.

⚡ Pro Tip: If you’ve worked through our Launching your Patreon or Growing your Patreon collections, think of those as stepping stones to the work we’re doing here. We’ll build on some of those ideas and go deeper into how the pieces of your funnel work together.

The conversion funnel

If you explored our Launching your Patreon collection, you may remember The Funnel of Love. That was focused on the fan's journey: I discover a creator. I like what I find. I stick around. Maybe eventually I become a paid member.

But now let's flip it around. What choices are you making as a creator to shape that journey?

That’s right. You get to design the funnel your fans experience. And you do that by making intentional choices across three stages of the funnel:

• Discovery: How people find your work, whether that happens elsewhere on the internet or through discovery on Patreon.

  🎙️ A podcaster shares a funny clip from an episode on Instagram, where someone who's never heard the show discovers it for the first time.

  🎨 An illustrator shares a Quip showing a work in progress that catches a new fan's attention on Patreon.

• Consideration: How you give interested fans reasons to stick around, participate, and build a relationship with your work. Free membership can play a big role here.

  🎙️ That new podcast fan follows the link to Patreon, joins for free, and starts getting a monthly bonus mini-episode.

  🎨 The illustrator's new fan joins for free and gets invited to vote on which piece they'll create next.

• Conversion: How you help interested fans understand the value of paid membership and feel ready to join.

  🎙️ The podcast fan keeps enjoying those mini-episodes and learns that paid members get a full bonus episode every week.

  🎨 The illustrator shares a preview of an upcoming paid tutorial, giving that free member a clear look at what they could unlock.

Writer Tonya Kappes gives us a great example of what this can look like when the pieces connect. She shared a Quip about giving away the journal she used while writing a book, inviting fans to join her Patreon for free to enter the raffle.

As interested fans arrive on Tonya's Patreon, they find an active community waiting for them, posts to start exploring right away, and even unlocked previews of paid posts that give them a peek at what becoming a paid member includes.

Discovery gave them a reason to show up. What they find next gives them reasons to stick around and start considering what more they could get from converting to paid membership. That’s the funnel working together.

With that fresh perspective, take a look at the experience you're currently creating.

Look at your funnel through a fan’s eyes

You know your own work inside and out. That can make it surprisingly hard to notice what the experience feels like for someone who doesn't. So go be a fan for a minute.

Think about a creator you genuinely enjoy and retrace your experience with them. How did you first discover their work? What made you curious enough to see more? What keeps you coming back? If you've ever considered paying for something they offer, what helped you understand whether it was worth it to you?

It’s okay if you don’t remember every step. Check their social channels or revisit some of their work to help jog your memory. Look at the full journey and how each experience led (or didn't lead!) to another.

Then bring that same perspective back to your own funnel.

Start wherever a new fan might discover you and follow the path from there. What catches their attention? If they want more, where can they go? What happens when they join for free? If they become interested in paid membership, what helps them understand what they'll get?

You can even ask a friend, collaborator, or community member to trace the journey with you. Resist the urge to give them guidance! See what naturally happens instead. Sometimes a simple “Wait, what do I do next?” can reveal a gap you never noticed.

As you spot those gaps, make note of them. They’ll give you a starting point as you work through this collection and start shaping your conversion strategy.

Choose a place to start

Take a look at the gaps you noted. Is there one that feels like the right place to start?

Try turning that gap into a question to focus on. A good question can help you turn a broad goal like “I want more paid members” into something specific you can actually work on.

• If new fans are discovering your work but aren't making their way to Patreon, your question might be: “How can I give interested fans a clearer path back to my Patreon?”

• If free members are joining but rarely coming back, try: “How can I give free members a reason to return?”

• If fans enjoy your work but don't seem to understand your paid membership, ask: “How can I make the value of paid membership easier to understand?”

Just remember that moving fans through your funnel takes time. People will discover you at different moments, spend different amounts of time getting to know you, and make decisions about membership at their own pace. Give the choices you make enough time to show you something before you decide what needs to change.

You’ve got your funnel. You’ve got a question to work on.

🧭 Your next steps

Throughout this collection, you'll have opportunities to get ideas and make decisions about your conversion strategy. The Patreon Conversion Strategy Workbook gives you one place to keep track of them all and build on your thinking as you go.

Note: The workbook link will prompt you to make your own copy so you can fill it in (this requires a Google account). You can also download a PDF version at the bottom of this post.

• Grab a copy of the Patreon Conversion Strategy Workbook, or use your own notes or planning system if you prefer.

• Work through the See your funnel activity by retracing another creator’s funnel, then bring that perspective back to your own.

• Make note of any gaps you notice along the way and choose one that feels like the right place to start.

• Turn that gap into a question you can work on as you move through this collection.

• ⚡ Pro Tip: Want a little accountability as you work through the collection? Drop the question you’re working on in the comments of this post. You might even find another creator focusing on the same part of their funnel.

Next, we’ll make sure you know what tools you have to work with.

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