Speaking of Patrons: ysabetwordsmith

Speaking of Patrons

The

crowdfunding community has sparked some discussions of patronage and patrons, the people who put the "fund" in "crowdfunding." These are some relevant posts:

"On patronage..." by

the_vulture
"Let's discuss how creators can attract customers and patrons" by

laffingkat
"For those who put the 'funds' into 'crowdfunding':" by

minor_architect (on her blog)
"So let's look at the demographics, shall we?" by

the_vulture

One point that came up in conversation is that much of the traffic on

crowdfunding comes from creators rather than patrons. But patrons are half of the crowdfunding equation; we need those voices too. We're actually losing people because sometimes patrons look at the community, don't see any patrons talking, and wander off. That's not so good.

I knew some of my donors were members of the community, so I looked at the membership list. There are at least thirty of you there. Wow. It would be really spiffy if more patrons would join in the conversations with comments, or post about what projects you like and why, etc. For those of you on a tight budget, if you're wondering what you could do for me that doesn't cost cash, this would be on the list.

aldersprig

July 21 2011, 17:41:07 UTC 9 years ago

New comment

It might not be bad to ping back to/reprise the discussion we had on why-do-you-donate some months ago.

As a patron and a creator, I find the differences in why I donate vs. why my donors donate interesting.

Done!

ysabetwordsmith

July 21 2011, 17:52:26 UTC 9 years ago

I posted a reprise notice for this.

jenny_evergreen

July 21 2011, 17:46:15 UTC 9 years ago

I'm still a patron, and becoming a more avid one all the time.
A really important thing about crowdfunding, from a patron's point of view, is taking advantage of the accessible price point. I know that, for a long time, I felt like donating a dollar to something I liked a)didn't reflect the value I put on it, but I didn't have the money to change that and b)was both a little insulting (due to the pay-for-value issue) and not going to actually help the provider. But then I actually had more than a dollar or so to spare and made a larger donation ($5 or $10) for something and that got me hooked. I can get a ridiculous value for my money AND support real people living real lives, often who are also friends of mine AND get added value/content for what is really a pittance. It's truly a win-win, once one sees how a dollar here, five there, etc, can add up for someone into a genuine, if typically tiny, income. I think this is a plus to being more open about the amount of tips one receives; people can see they ARE making a difference. Maybe creators need to make patrons feel more appreciated here, by celebrating their support and sharing how it keeps the positive feedback loop going.

As someone with a project, I can safely say that if my monthly one-card draws brought what they brought me the first time every month, I'd be ecstatic; it was enough to pay a bill! OMG! How AWESOME! Of course, I feel this way because I'm also doing something I love; that's a crucial point for people considering a project; if you don't love it, you will not want to keep doing it!

Yes...

July 21 2011, 18:07:13 UTC 9 years ago

>>A really important thing about crowdfunding, from a patron's point of view, is taking advantage of the accessible price point.<<

This. Individual dollars add up. In the Poetry Fishbowl, $1 can make the difference in a general fund poll as to what size of poem can be sponsored, or can reveal a new verse in an epic. Crowdfunding is one of the few places where you can get something for a tiny amount of money.

Of course, this touches on the standard business advice: sell to a wide budget range. If you have something that people can get for $1 or $5 then you have a line on far more potential customers than if your bottom product is $10 or $20. This helps you compete against the mass market stuff.

>> I think this is a plus to being more open about the amount of tips one receives; people can see they ARE making a difference.<<

This would be really useful to explore.

I suspect that it may be true in crowdfunding, although I've had people discourage me from revealing that kind of information for fear that it would depress donations (i.e. "She's already getting plenty, she doesn't need more from me."). As a viewer, though, I like watching the fundometer go up for a project I support, like when Hunt Press was crowdfunding a new computer. Watching perk thresholds cross is another exciting thing, like in

djinni's Free Icon Day. And when I started offering perk thresholds myself, people did pounce on them like kitties on catnip.

>>Maybe creators need to make patrons feel more appreciated here, by celebrating their support and sharing how it keeps the positive feedback loop going.<<

Yes, that might help too.

Re: Yes...

ankewehner

July 21 2011, 18:40:26 UTC 9 years ago

As a viewer, though, I like watching the fundometer go up for a project I support, like when Hunt Press was crowdfunding a new computer.
Oh, yes. I've seen a "x% of monthly costs covered" bar on a website I visit occasionally, and was tempted to add a tip just to see it go up.