Feedback & Converting FAQs
You've worked hard on your conversion strategy, but you may still have a few questions. Here are some of the most common ones we hear from creators. And if something comes up that isn't here, let us know! We'll keep refining this as more creators work through the collection.
Do I need to create every type of post?
Not necessarily. The goal is to understand what each post type can do for your funnel so you can choose the right format for the moment.
Some creators naturally lean more heavily on one format than another. That's fine. What matters is that your overall strategy gives each stage of your funnel the support it needs.
How much should I post for free?
There's no single amount that works for every creator. A strong free membership gives people a reason to join and creates an experience they're genuinely happy to be part of, while still making the difference between free and paid clear.
If you're still deciding what belongs in your public, free, and paid experiences, revisit Consideration: build a free membership that leads to paid.
Why should I use free membership if I already share work for free on social media?
Your social channels and free membership can do different things for your funnel. Social media can help new fans discover you. Free membership gives interested fans a way to stay connected once they find you.
When someone joins your Patreon for free, they’ve chosen to keep hearing from you. You can keep sharing work with them, invite them into your community, and give them more opportunities to experience what happens on your Patreon over time.
And those two spaces can work together. Something you share on social media could give a fan a reason to find your Patreon, while free membership gives that interest somewhere to go next.
If you want to learn more about designing that experience, revisit Consideration: build a free membership that leads to paid.
How often should I invite people to become paid members?
Think about where someone is in their journey. A brand-new free member may benefit from an early invitation while their interest is still fresh. Someone who's been following you for months may respond better to an invitation connected to a project, launch, recurring experience, or community moment they're already engaged with.
You don't need one invitation that works for everyone. Conversion: make joining feel like the next step walks through both approaches.
I started sharing more for free and my earnings went down. What should I do?
A drop in earnings is worth paying attention to, but it doesn’t necessarily tell you what caused it. Start with your Insights. Are fewer people joining paid, or are existing paid members leaving? What do Path to Paid and Post Conversion show you about what changed?
Then take another look at your free strategy. Is free membership giving fans something worthwhile while still making it clear what paid adds? Use what you find to decide whether you want to adjust what you share, make paid membership clearer, or give your strategy more time.
How long should I stick with a strategy before changing it?
Give your experiments enough time to tell you something. Discovery, onboarding, and invitations all build through repeated opportunities, so one post or one day usually isn't enough to know whether something is working.
Look for patterns over several weeks or months, then use Insights to decide what you'd like to try next. Revisit Insights: understand your funnel when you're ready to take a closer look at your numbers.
What if my biggest opportunity changes?
That's a normal part of building a Patreon. As one part of your funnel gets stronger, another may become the place where you have more room to grow.
Go back to Insights, identify what deserves your attention now, and adjust your strategy and posting mix around it. You can also revisit Converting fans to members: beyond the basics when you want to step back and look at the full funnel again.
What if I don't have time to create all of this?
Start with the work you're already doing.
One strong idea can become a Quip, a public post, a free member post, and a paid experience when you adapt it for different jobs. Existing projects, recurring series, launches, and community rhythms can also give you natural places to build around rather than adding an entirely separate content stream.
Revisit Get the most out of your posting strategy for the 1-to-100 approach, then come back to your Patreon Conversion Strategy Workbook to decide which ideas actually belong in your plan.
What if someone skips straight from discovering me to becoming a paid member?
That's completely fine. The funnel describes a common journey, not a required sequence.
Some people will join paid right away. Others will spend months as free members first. Someone else may enter through a public post, a recommendation from a friend, or a community conversation and move through the funnel differently.
The important thing is that each stage gives people a clear and meaningful next step, wherever they happen to begin.
Where can I get help and support?
Our Help Center has resources if you get stuck, and this is also where you can contact our award-winning support team!
If you have a question about something covered in this collection, or want to share what's working for you, leave a comment on this post. We'll be keeping an eye on the discussion and can chime in with additional guidance when helpful.
Blair's version - convert collection feedback form (Typeform)