Listening to the Listeners — Patreon and Conjointly

Welcome to the Podcasting Resources Guide, the ultimate companion podcast to keep you updated on all things podcasting. We delve into our latest reviews and updates on podcasting platforms, tools, techniques, and industry news. Subscribe now to stay in the loop and be the first to know about the latest trends and resources. In today's episode, we'll cover how podcast creators can connect with audiences through Patreon's new free tier and can create a membership experience for their listeners, as well as how they can use Conjointly's Market Test tool for real consumer insights on their content ...for just 99 dollars ...in just two hours.

Has it ever crossed your mind how nice it would be to know more about your podcast audience? To get in touch with them, learn their content preferences, get more responses to your surveys, or even the most basic -- to actually know who they are. Well, Patreon just made this a whole lot easier for us, fellow podcasters!

Here at Polymash, we're always on the lookout for tools that can empower podcast creators. So, you can imagine our excitement when we learned about Patreon's recent announcement of a free tier for creators... Just like us, Patreon understands the power of connecting with your listener base and democratizing content creation. This new tier isn't just a platform update; it's a game changer for many in the podcasting industry.

Before, if you wanted to create a membership for your podcast listeners, you had to put behind a paywall. Now, Patreon is offering a free way for people to sign up and become part of your podcast's listening audience. That's right! You won’t just be talking into the void anymore, but rather fostering a community of individuals who are as passionate about your content as you are.

We at Polymash love this idea, mainly because it gives value to both creators and listeners. It’s an opportunity to provide bonus content, offers, or just about anything else you think your listeners might love. It’s challenging to shape your content when you don’t know what your audience wants. Patreon's update solves just that.

Additionally, the creators at Patreon were savvy enough to make sure that their platform can integrate with your email system and other essential platforms like Merchant, Active Campaign, and Superior. This way, you can streamline your audience interaction and keep everything uniform and under control.

A word to our fellow podcasters, though, do put some thought into what you can offer as a token of appreciation to your audience for signing up. It could be an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, early access to episodes, bonus content, and more. The possibilities are endless, and it all depends on what you think your audience will love.

This recent move by Patreon is one of the reasons the team at Polymash respect them. They’ve become a significant player in giving creators more control, building sustainable relationships with communities, and reaching fans more reliably.

Here is a summary of the new features introduced:

1. The Free tier: Now podcast hosts can create not just paid, but a free membership for their listeners. This helps build a community even if listeners are not ready to pay for content yet.

2. Native integration with email systems: Patreon has made it clear that it can integrate with other platforms like Merchant, Active Campaign, and Superior. This helps create a seamless user experience and helps podcast hosts in managing their listeners more effectively.

3. Opportunity to provide exclusive content or offers: With the introduction of a free tier, podcast hosts now have the opportunity to provide exclusive content or offers to their listeners, as a token of appreciation for signing up.

4. New digital sales tools: While we often caution against monetizing a podcast in the early stages, it's worth mentioning that Patreon now provides creators with a suite of commerce tools, empowering them to sell individual digital products – be it videos, podcast episodes, or other downloadable content. Creators can manage sales right from their Patreon account, easing the process of converting one-time customers into long-term members.

In the end, this isn’t about freebies or gimmicks. It’s about giving podcast creators like us the tools we need to talk to our audience—no intermediaries, no guesswork, just genuine connections. This Patreon update is a nod to that future, and here at Polymash, we're all for it. Let’s continue to watch this space and see where Patreon and other platforms of its kind take podcasting next. Their innovation could well shape the next era of our industry. After all, as creators, we’re all scripting the future of podcasting, one episode at a time.

Podcasters, I have a question for you - ever wished you had a crystal ball, glistening insight into the minds of your audience before you introduced that controversial episode theme? Or perhaps, an audience-informed strategy for your upcoming Patreon membership model? Here at Polymash, we just found out about a service, Conjointly's Market Test, that can step in as your modern-day oracle.

Conjointly revolutionizes the way we approach feedback. It empowers businesses to collect feedback on a wide variety of content forms. From podcast episode ideas, logo designs, to sponsorship advertisements, Conjointly uses real consumer insights to furnish us with invaluable feedback. The best part is, the results arrive within two hours. Now we can say goodbye to inefficient feedback gathering and hello to actual consumer insights. We know how hard it is to wait around for survey results that can take weeks to trickle in. Feedback in 2 hours? Sign me up!

If you're an up-and-coming podcaster, it's an excellent time to perk your ears up. For just 99 dollars, Conjointly offers you a chance to throw your podcast concepts into the arena of 100 real U.S. consumers. Imagine being able to craft your podcast, guided by feedback from an audience who reflect the broad strokes of your listenership.

Conjointly's application doesn't stop at content feedback. It’s a fantastic tool for those working on developing a Patreon membership model, offering a quick feedback turnaround for your membership features. You can save both time and effort by putting your ideas directly in front of consumers, receiving feedback in record time.

And here’s our take, even if you are not ready to launch a Patreon, testing your ideas, episode titles, and artworks will help elevate your podcast SEO. Which isn’t something we take lightly, as many of you following our free SEO Email Course know.

However, despite its many pros, there are some areas of Conjointly's testing approach worth considering – the platform relies on general internet users for feedback. So, not necessarily focused on just podcast listeners. So, hold the feedback you receive in one hand and your knowledge of audience in the other. And for a deeper, more nuanced insight, consider leveraging other feedback sources as well.

So here's the thing, making your podcast resonate with your audience is no small feat. But with tools like Conjointly, you can bring what your listeners want to the forefront, delivering content they'll love. To learn more about the Conjointly’s Market Test, head on over to conjointly dot com slash solutions slash market-test. Reinvent the way you podcast, one feedback at a time, with Conjointly's consumer insights.

Remember, podcasters, your listeners' insight is your most vital asset. The world is your stage. Break a leg!

On today's episode, we talked about how Patreon's new free tier can benefit podcast creators ... and how Conjointly's Market Test can provide podcasters with real consumer insights for their content in just two hours – all for just 99 dollars. Thanks for listening to today's episode, I'll see you guys at the next one and don't forget to subscribe!