Proprietary subscription model, or patreon?

[XTREEMMAK]

Hey all,

I've run into a problem while reworking the model for our comic company. While things aren't set in stone yet, what I'm currently looking at is a proprietary membership/subscription model which goes into content development, contests, server payments, and more. Tack this on with our merchandise store and that was (for the most part) considered our primary funding platform. I'm also reworking the site to support ads for "some" advertisement revenue, though I know this will be minuscule for a while until we start generating foot traffic; not too much additional work for setting the membership site up either.

My question however, is it a good idea to go proprietary given the many crowd sourcing platforms that have arisen, and also taking into account the massive indie boom that seems to still be thriving right now? We didn't have much luck with our Kickstarter campaign when we tried, but a platform like Patreon seems a bit more promising. From what it seems, it almost mirrors how our subscription service is supposed to work.

Though the obvious disadvantage is there, where Patreon takes a percentage of the cut each month, is there anything else that I should be aware of before "trying" to adopt something like this into our primary funding model, or should we stick with developing something proprietary? The social awareness and cognizance of Patreon seems promising considering also the additional marketing effort that would need to be put in if going proprietary.

Thoughts? Thanks all

[vangogh]

Good question Jamaal. I'm not sure there's a single right answer though. A subscription model is definitely one way you can generate revenue. Just placing content behind a paywall though isn't going to bring customers. Typically you're going to have to give away a lot of free information through a blog and build up an audience in order to get enough people to pay the subscription. You can also network with people in the industry and get them to recommend you can try and all sorts of different marketing tactics. Having an audience is going to be a good start. I'm guessing you don't have a large enough one at the moment given the Kickstarter results.

I think a subscription model is a good one so don't give up at all. Just know it'll probably take some time before you get enough people subscribing.

I'm not familiar with Patreon so it's hard to make recommendations about it. You can try it. If they take a cut while helping you build an audience, it seems like a fair deal. Just make sure you aren't forever locked into their platform and you can move everything elsewhere if you choose.

[XTREEMMAK]

Sounds like solid advice. True, we don't have a large base yet, but in recency since the Kickstarter, we've been slowly building with a small community effort to generate real followers; it's been my primary concentration ever since. There is a big point that you made regarding the content that I'll take into heavy consideration again. From what it seems like in the short run, Patreon doesn't sound like a bad way to go, but I agree, certainly not in the long run.

Looks like I have some thinking to do before I decide on which model to execute.

Thanks for the help

[vangogh]

Glad I could help. Don't give up on the subscription thing. Just realize to make it work you need to make some other things work too. Ask yourself what it would take you to pay someone monthly for access to content. You probably wouldn't pay on your first visit. You'd probably want to see some examples of what you might find. You'd want to feel some trust in the company you're paying. Things like that. Then work to build those things with your potential customers.