Top 10 ways to reward your listeners on a podcast membership platform

September 25, 2019 8:45 am

Ready, set, monetize!

Whether you use Patreon or Podfan for your podcast membership, it can be tricky to figure out something valuable to offer your listeners when they join a membership tier. Rewards need to be special, while not consuming too much of your time. The idea here is high-impact, low effort.

I’ve researched some of the most successful podcasters’ rewards and scoured the internet for everything you can offer digitally, and compiled them here. But I’ve set one important ground rule: no physical goods. Physical goods (like T-shirts and stickers) are great, but expensive, and they are costly both in time and resources to ship. That time could be spent doing what you do best — creating amazing content.

I’ve broken these up but they can also be combined into combo rewards. Hopefully this list helps you find the right rewards for your membership. Let’s kick it off with number 10:

Post the supporter’s name on your site.

It may seem small, but for the supporter it means a lot to be recognized (I speak from experience!). Plus it allows the rest of your audience to see you have supporters (and they are real people).

Exclusive imagery.

Imagery can take a lot of forms but the only limit is your creativity. This can be anything from sketching a personalized thank you cartoon, to giving access to branded wallpapers for your phone or desktop. It could also be a photo gallery of your studio, or images related to the content of your episodes. Pictures can be emailed, or posted on a hidden page. No need to postmark them.

A shout out.

Shout outs in your show are a really impactful, low-effort way to recognize a fan. This is just saying thank you in your own way to a supporter during your show. When listeners hear other listeners being recognized by the host, it makes them want to be recognized as well. Podcasts like the Hospital Records Podcast have been doing this a long time with great success.

A plug.

Many supporters have a website, book, podcast or YouTube channel they are trying to promote. Using your reach to plug a supporter’s project (or just wish their family member a happy birthday, anniversary, whatever) in your show is HUGE to them. Doing this will probably illicit more “thank yous” from a supporter than you anticipated.

Access to an online community.

It’s totally free to setup your own Slack or Discord. These are communities where members can chat and share links and images freely, with or without you being there. These are great because they allow you to offer membership in an exclusive community but they don’t cost you anything. An added benefit is that they provide a platform for your own messaging.

Access to a digital course.

Here’s a link to an article with 15+ platforms that allow you to offer an online course. They aren’t all free but if you are an expert on something, people will pay to learn it from you. Offering access to one of your courses as a benefit to your listeners is an incredible reward that will warrant a higher membership price.

A video conference with supporters.

If your fans love hearing your voice, imagine how much they’ll enjoy having a personal conversation with you and seeing your face. You can do this two ways — 1 on 1 or with a broader audience. For 1 on 1’s, you can set aside 15 minute blocks with free services like Calendly for scheduling. Then you can use a free video conferencing service like Google hangouts or Skype where participants can ask you questions in person.

Ad-free feed.

Use your member-only feed to distribute the same content ad-free. Many listeners will happily pay a reasonable fee to not have to skip ads, just like many people pay for ad-free Hulu, Spotify, YouTube, et cetera.

Early access.

This is just releasing your show maybe a week or two early on the member-only feed. Large podcast outfits like Stitcher use this as a perk for premium subscribers. Best of all it doesn’t require any extra work. It’s the same content released at an earlier date.

Member-only content.

Your content is the reason your listeners are fans in the first place. Top Patreon creators like Chapo Trap House distribute a free feed but the bulk of their subscribers pay for the member-only feed. You are putting your best content behind a paywall, but you should still offer some great content for free because offering a “free taste” is essential. Listeners get hooked and want more.

Should you have ads in a member-only feed? It’s up to you but I don’t think it should be off the table. Listeners understand that it takes resources to keep your show going. A steady stream of content is most important to your listeners. If it comes with some ads, so be it.