Okay, so you’re all ready to launch your creator page on Patreon. You’ve checked the launch day checklist (twice), created tiers and benefits, and made an intro video that you know your fans will love. You can’t wait to share your creator page with the world and to get your fans as excited about your launch as you are.

But if you really want to get your fans pumped about the launching of your creator page, and to speed up the growth of your membership business, our Special Offers feature may be just the tool you’re looking for.

What is a Special Offer?

A Special Offer is a marketing and business tool you can use to boost fan engagement, and increase your earnings on Patreon. With a Special Offer, you can create and promote a benefit — a digital reward, insider access, merch — that is only available for a limited time.

If you run a Special Offer with the launch of your creator page, you can position this limited-time benefit as something extra special, a super-exclusive reward for your fans who become your patrons before anyone else.

Special Offers can be anything you want; you choose what the benefit is, based on what you think will get your first fans the most excited. Maybe a celebratory “I was one of the first patrons” pin or sticker would entice your audience. Perhaps a special dedication or a personal ‘thank you’ video would go over well for the folks who want to be recognized by you. If you have fans who might go for an upper tier, you could even offer a one-on-one session with you, either through a phone call or a livestream.

How long should I run a Special Offer to boost my launch?

The length of a Special Offer really depends on your goals.

However, when running a Special Offer as part of your launch, it is best to keep the duration short, between a few days to a week long, to generate a more immediate buzz.

If you’re getting close to the end of your Special Offer, and you want to extend it, you could prolong your Special Offer period. But if you decide to do this, be careful. You don’t want fans who jumped at the chance to become your patron to get annoyed knowing they could have waited. To avoid blow back, it’s important to properly communicate with patrons and fans why you chose to extend your limited-time benefit.

Special Offers work.

If you’re looking for a little more proof in the Special Offer pudding, check out the stories of these three creators who were all able to boost their earnings (and to grow their audiences) because of Special Offers.

1. In her two-week Special Offer, singer/songwriter Rebecca Loebe created unique enamel pins and saw a 23% increase in monthly earnings, garnering 38 brand new patrons and up-leveling about the same number of existing patrons. Learn more here!

2. Paul M. Sutter, a legit astrophysicist, launched a Special Offer campaign for two weeks, and committed to sending patrons signed copies of his brand new book. By the end of the campaign, he had 40 new patrons and an earnings increase of $553. That’s 553 more dollars every month. Check it out!

3. Marshall Short, the artist behind PrintableHeroes, found an authentic way to leverage a Special Offer campaign and have fun creating fresh patron-selected content, too. In two weeks he saw his patron count increase by 6%, translating to a monthly earnings increase of $648. Read his story!

Ready to launch your creator page with a Special Offer?

If you want to launch your Patreon page with a Special Offer, head over to the Special Offers support page, and scroll down to the section titled, “How to schedule a Special Offer before launching my page.”

And, if you want more tips and tricks as you plan your launch and immediate next steps, Patreon U has a bunch of content to make sure you’re ready to rock that launch.