How To Use Patreon To Make Over $1,000/Month In Passive Income

Patreon: Free Money For Being Awesome

What if you could make over $1,000/month doing nothing?

Well, that’s what you can do with Patreon.

Patreon is basically a crowd funding tool for influencers to monetize their audience.

(And don’t worry if you don’t have an audience or following yet, we’ll reveal how to start building one for free)

Essentially once you’ve amassed an audience, people can become “patrons” and donate something like $1 per month to you just for existing.

So if you get 1,000 of your followers to become patrons, that’s a recurring $1,000 a month for you on autopilot.

But how do you build a following? And how do use Patreon to start monetizing that following? We’ll cover the basics below:

Understanding Patreon: Your Fan-Fueled Funding Platform

Patreon helps you build a loyal community around your passion, be it music production, creating hilarious sketch comedy, or writing in-depth video game reviews.

With Patreon, you set the terms. Fans who value your work pledge monthly contributions, providing you with the financial freedom to keep creating the content you love, and in turn, receive exclusive rewards and a deeper connection with you, the creator.

Some of the biggest influencers with audiences of 1,000,000+ followers can expect at least 10,000 of their followers to become patrons, and their donations might even be $5 instead of $1, for example.

That’s potentially 10,000 x $5 or $50,000 per month automatically.

A recent study found that over 100,000 creators now earn a six-figure income on Patreon, and MOST of them have LESS than 1,000,000 followers.

Here's a breakdown of how Patreon works:

• Creators set up a page: You establish your Patreon page, outlining the type of content you create and the value you offer to patrons.
  

• Fans pledge support: Your fans browse your page, choose a pledge tier that aligns with their budget and desired benefits, and commit to a monthly contribution.
  

• Patreon facilitates payments: Patreon securely collects payments from patrons and distributes them to creators, minus a small platform fee.
  

• Creators deliver rewards: You fulfill the promises outlined in your pledge tiers, creating exclusive content, early access perks, or hosting interactive live streams for your dedicated supporters.

This direct connection with your audience fosters a powerful sense of community. Patrons feel like they're actively contributing to your success, and you gain valuable feedback and a built-in pool of brand advocates who spread the word about your work.

It's a win-win situation where your passion and creativity are directly supported by the people who value it most.

How Many Followers You Need To Make $1,000 Per Month

Let’s go back to that goal of $1,000/month.

You’d need at least 1000 people donating $1 per month. But that doesn’t mean you just need to get 1,000 followers.

You need to also take into consideration conversion rate. Not all of your followers will want to become patrons, even if it is just $1.

A typical conversion rate for followers to patrons would probably be between 1% and 5%, so let’s say 3% conservatively.

That means you would need about 33,000 followers.

It might sound like a lot, but it’s certainly more achievable than the 1,000,000 followers you probably thought you needed.

Here’s how you can start building an audience to reach those 33,000 followers:

Planning Your Patreon Launch

1. Nail Your Niche & Become a Micro-Influencer Magnet:

The key to unlocking serious patron dollars lies in specialization. Become a micro-influencer in your niche. Think "retro video game speedrunner" or "master anime soundtrack composer", something specific and deeply engaging for a dedicated audience.

This laser focus attracts high-value patrons who crave in-depth content they can't find anywhere else.

Action Steps:

• Competitor Analysis: Research 3-5 successful Patreons in your niche. What content are they offering? What are their pricing tiers? Learn from their wins (and avoid their mistakes).
  

• Social Media Deep Dive: Analyze your existing audience on platforms like Twitch or YouTube. What content sparks the most engagement? Use this data to identify your niche and tailor your Patreon offerings accordingly.

2. Create And Post Content

Content is king and will forever be king. The only way to get followers is by creating valuable content in your specific niche and consistently positing it.

The huge social platforms like YouTube and TikTok will do the work of helping your content get found. You don’t need ads, shoutouts, press releases, or influencer collabs, just great content.

You can even make faceless YouTube content like nature sounds for studying that can generate followers who can turn into patrons. Plus, your videos can be monetized with ads as well, making you even more money from your content.

Try filming very long form content videos and then breaking them up into multiple videos. 

This is a tactic used by the top 3% of content creators to pump out steady content regularly rather than scrambling to film a video at the last minute.

Create the content, post it consistently, and followers will come. You just need to be patient.

3. Craft a Content Calendar that Converts:

It's all about the content, but here's the secret sauce: provide a tiered value system. 

Free content on your main channel keeps the audience engaged and attracts new fans. Patreon offers exclusive, high-quality content that makes them feel like VIPs. Think in-depth tutorials, behind-the-scenes access, or even personalized coaching calls for top-tier patrons.

Action Steps:

• Content Cadence: Plan a realistic and sustainable content creation schedule. Aim for consistency – weekly or bi-weekly uploads are ideal.

• Reward Ladder: Design a tiered reward system that caters to different levels of financial commitment. Offer early access, bonus content, or merch discounts for lower tiers. Higher tiers could unlock personalized feedback sessions, exclusive Discord communities, or even co-creation opportunities.

4. Pre-Launch Buzz: Prime Your Audience for Patronage:

Don't launch your Patreon into the void. Build anticipation! Tease exclusive content snippets on your existing platforms. Run polls and surveys, engaging your audience in the creation process and making them feel like they have a stake in your Patreon's success.

Action Steps:

• Hype Machine: Dedicate a few weeks before launch to promoting your Patreon across your social media channels. Post engaging trailers showcasing the exclusive content patrons will receive.
  

• Exclusive Sneak Peeks: Offer short snippets of premium content only available to future patrons. This creates a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and incentivizes early sign-ups.

The BMM Takeaway

You might be thinking “oh, this is just another way to make money that only works for big influencers”.

But you don’t need to be a huge influencer to start making money with Patreon. In fact, over 15% of Instagram accounts have over 10k followers, so what’s stopping you from doing the same?

The social media dominated world we live in will only continue to grow. That’s why if you start building a following now, in the near future you can majorly cash out using services like Patreon.