Thanking a new patreon for signing up

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#1

I searched because I was certain I saw this topic here before, but I couldn’t find it for some reason. The always incredible @mindy will merge things if needed, I’m sure. :slight_smile:

Does anyone else send a quick Thank You message to new patrons? I’ve done this since Day One and I have no idea if this practice has contributed to my extremely low churn rate, but it just seems like “good business” to me. In fact, I have to admit… I’ve dropped my patronage to several creators who have slowed down or stopped updating, but had I received that personal touch upfront, I might have stuck around or maybe at least replied to that first message again to ask what was up first.

Here’s the basic gist of what I send:

Hi (name)! Thanks so much for signing up and for the support! If you have any questions or thoughts along the way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via private message on Patreon or via email. I always love to hear from my readers. Thanks again! – Brian

Anyway, I just wanted to share my 2 cents on this topic. Your milage may vary and obviously your field might be different than mine. :slight_smile:

Brian

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#2

Yeah, it certainly makes a big difference. Even better if it is personal to the specific user or if you aren’t shy, use Bonjoro to send a quick personal video message. That’s certainly something users don’t expect and it will make them feel special and welcome.

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#3

Yep, I’m too shy for that, but that’s an EXCELLENT suggestion! :slight_smile:

And yep, if I recognize the person’s name from my mailing list, a message board, Facebook, etc, I’ll personalize what I say a little bit to show that recognition.

I think I’ve supported a total of 25 creators over the years, and I was starting to think I was the only one who does the “thanks for signing up” personal message. :slight_smile: So I started to wonder if maybe there was a big downside I wasn’t aware of that I also was lucky to not be affected by since I haven’t seen any downsides!

Brian

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#4

There are ways to use bonjoro without showing your face or anything like that. Just gotta get creative and think of fun things based on your craft or just things you have around. (I’ve drawn for one. I’ve used a character instead of myself in a couple ways. Etc.)

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#5

I don’t have many Patrons, but have sent a personal thank you message to each and every one when they signed up.

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#6

I do this now too. Most people don’t respond, but I do seem to have a slightly lower churn rate since starting it. Please, now that I can easily see new Patrons and message them in the app, it’s pretty quick and easy to keep track of. :slightly_smiling_face:

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#7

I have little welcome message I send new patrons, thanking them and letting them know where to find things. Like you, I’m not sure how much of a difference it makes, but it seems only polite to me.

I also send a brief email to patrons who delete their pledges. Here’s my template:

Hi _______,

I noticed that you deleted your pledge today and wanted to let you know that I understand things in life change. :slight_smile:

I appreciate the ____ months of support!

Wishing you blessings,

Sandy

Most ignore it, but it’s opened up an explanation for why they left for some, and a couple even came back as patrons!

Personally, I think expressing gratitude can never be a bad thing. :slight_smile:

8 Likes
#8

Yes! It’s actually been a while since I’ve had someone leave, so I didn’t think to mention that, but I do the same thing!

I also ask if there was something I could improve, either in my communication or my rewards (since I have many tiers and lots of rewards), in case it was an issue from my side of things that I need to address to improve things for everyone. But I make it really clear that I totally understand that life changes, and that I appreciate all of their support, so the message isn’t an attempt to keep them or whatever. :slight_smile:

Brian

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#9

And yes, I agree. I sometimes worry I do it a little too much, but my patrons really do a lot for me, so I’d rather err on the side of showing too much gratitude. :slight_smile:

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#10

Yep, I send messages too. And I personalize them if I know who it is from another platform.

I also send parting messages (though I’ve only had one Patron leave, and they were open about the fact that it was for their own financial reasons). But even just thanking them for their support – I think that is very important.

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#11

I thought that new patrons automatically receive some kind of thank you message when they sign up. If I recall (we set this up years ago now) we personalized that for ourselves. So are you sending a second message on top of that one? Or is Patreon no longer sending the automatic one?

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#12

They see the thank-you message you set up for you account, but that’s a generic one, not a personal message from the creator, which can have a much bigger impact.

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#13

Yep! And I just send my personal “thank you and welcome” note as a Private Message via Patreon, if that matters to anyone. I don’t send it via email because I feel that is somehow a step more “intrusive.” Just my own personal thinking there. Your milage may vary. :slight_smile:

Brian

1 Like
#14

I usually send a private note through Patreon, a personalized note via snail mail, and a Bonjoro video.

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#15

Oh, the personalized note via snail mail is a VERY nice touch!

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#16

I have only a few Patrons but I also write them and short message. Also what I started last month, I wrote another message after their first month of being my Patron. Saying that I hope you liked the first month and ask if there is any question. I don’t know if it helped but the one new Patron stayed. But they never reply :thinking:

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#17

Like others have mentioned, I send a Bonjoro video to new patrons (as well as patrons who edit their pledge, patrons who stick around for 6 months, and patrons who cancel).

I’ve really enjoyed using Bonjoro and I think it’s a great service, so I just wrote up an in-depth review of Bonjoro for the forum:

Hope it’s helpful to some of you! :raised_hands:

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