Artists’ communities in social media spaces – Patreon

The topic of this blog post will focus on the social platform – Patreon. This service is used by artists around the world as a crowdfunding source for their work. After launching the site in 2013, Patreon had registered 125,000 users both patrons and creators within the first year and a half[1]. Since then, Patreon has been recognised as a platform for artists that need a place to share their work whilst having revenue options and support from the community.

 

Patreon has some key features that has allowed it’s service to reach new users across the world:

• Content created pages that host media e.g. Artwork, Music, Videos, Games, Crafts & DIY [2]
• User pledges that offer creators payment for their work
• User rewards for their payments
• Small fees from user contribution goes towards Patreon and its development
• Moderation on content to ensure the work is produced
• Commenting and sharing options

 

The relationship between the creators and the patrons is what ensures the success of the platform and without this contribution from the community Patreon will struggle to generate an income due to the lack of fees raised after the user pledges. A key point to ensure the success of any social platform is to the provide the users with content and let them be rewarded first. As you can see, the creators are able to generate revenue to support their endeavours (content and other expenses), but as a general user you have the ability to scroll through all the various categories and see the interesting work that has been created for you. While some users may choose to support their favorite creators, there will always be room for someone who is just using the service to browse through the interesting content that the community has created.

 

Crowdfunding services like Kickstarter and Patreon have been in increasing their reach the last few years because of the opportunities available after sharing the projects or goals to the communities. The potential for sponsors and revenue options have yielded as a great opportunity for creative individuals/groups thus encouraging many entrepreneurs or designers to share their efforts and creations. As we venture towards a society that encourages people to share their creativity and passion it’s clear that these services can help fund and support many projects and creations. It’s not always something that people haven’t seen before, for example this creator shares how to steps, videos and information articles about his interests such as building cupboards, skateboards, walls and much more. Check out his introduction video below!

 

and here’s a cool video he made for the creation of a pocket notebook:

 

In summary, social platforms have given people a voice to express their opinion or businesses an opportunity to have a larger marketing reach. Patreon has provided a service for artists, designers and entrepreneurs that allows them to express their creativity whilst offering them with a way to generate revenue and connect with the people that they are sharing their work with. It’s interesting to see how each creator approaches their work and how that allows them to reach different niches within the internet.

 

So have you pledged or supported a creative individual so that you could benefit from their work?

Social Media in Times of Need (Natural Disasters) – Sydney Siege

The 15th of December, I remember my dad opening my door waking me up to inform me that there was a hostage situation in Sydney right around the corner from where my sister was working. As I started to wake up and question what my dad was saying I did my morning ritual of scrolling through Facebook and Instagram. My friends were already aware of the situation and some posts were circling around my newsfeed. My dad was able to contact my sister (who was also seeing my visiting mum) and ensured their safety. As the siege continued throughout the day more and more posts began to circle with information relating to the man and topics around ISIS occurring[1].

It was a strange time, and could be argued as the most historical terrorist attack on Australia’s homeland. The hostage situation lasted several hours[2] and sparked the social media hashtag #illridewithyou. This hashtag was used to help and support those who were facing adversity due to the race/religion of the man responsible for the hostage situation[3]. In tough times it’s common for people with different backgrounds and ideologies to come together to support each other. What makes this situation so interesting is the fact that the Australian public stood behind those who in some instances would be targeted, and made the situation a positive reflection of our culture and how we treat our each other.

An image of Australia with the hashtag that occurred during the Sydney Siege.

As the day went on and the media continued to track and share live updates, Australia watched closely waiting patiently for something to happen. This was the first time we had faced the controversy of a suspected terrorist attack and it made me consider just how safe we really are in this country. This story was huge for social media and thousands of tweets, statuses, photos and videos were shared in relation the incident. The story unfolded on social media, rather then using the usual medium – TV or Radios, Facebook/Twitter. Social media was used to announce updates on the incident, even videos of the hostages escaping leaked on social media almost immediately. The problem with this type of information is the detail and accuracy of each post, it can’t exactly be confirmed and often leaves room for misinterpretation or just wrongly share information. What was also really special was the fact that a hostage used social media to connect with their friends to share the terrorists requests and send messages to the public, “Please broadcast on all media that this is an attack on Australia by the Islamic State.”[4]

An image of news reporters speaking to Haron Monis prior to the Sydney Siege in relation to sending offending letters.

How can social media be a great tool in the case of natural disasters? Social media is a great way for communities to connect in hard times, everyday people have a voice with Facebook and Twitter (Social Platforms), and also being able to share your support or receive support whilst in times of suffer can potentially make a world of difference for those who might need it the most. The amount of information available in these situations is remarkable and staying up to date with the latest news is as simple following a hashtag or reading some statuses.. In conclusion, it’s safe to say that if I was to ever experience a disaster I would turn to social media for help, support and information.

So when have you used social media to connect with news and breaking stories?

Livestrong providing a social boost for cancer patients.

On the 2nd of October 1996 Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, Lance was a professional road racing cyclist and had won multiple stages in various races in Europe. However, when Lance was diagnosed with cancer his whole life changed. After immediate surgery and chemotherapy, Lance Armstrong was declared cancer-free in February 1997, which was the same year he started his foundation –  Lance Armstrong Foundation. In 2003, the Livestrong foundation was introduced to replace the Lance Armstrong Foundation. (Livestrong, 2013).

Brief history/milestones of Livestrong

2003

Cancer patients/survivors are able to use online resource Livestrong.org 

2004

Yellow wristbands are launched. 80 million Livestrong bracelets have been sold since (Farah, 2013).

2005-2011

Millions of dollars have been raised to aid in research, care for cancer patients and share the stories on a global scale.

(Livestrong, 2013).

In the years that passed, Lance Armstrong rose to greatness and won seven consecutive Tour De France titles allowing Livestrong to build a larger following. Armstrong was constantly accused of doping, and it was until after his retirement that the truth came out.. This caused Armstrong to take a step down from Livestrong to ensure the foundation doesn’t go down with him.

Livestrong has adapted well to social media, encouraging people to visit their website and gather over 1.7 million likes on Facebook, and more than 500,000 Twitter followers. It’s clear that Livestrong has utilised social technologies for it’s advantage, but also for the millions of cancer patients/survivors around the globe. So how has social technologies helped Livestrong grow?

Use social technologies for marketing communication/interaction 

Using social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, Livestrong is able to communicate with their followers very easily. The Livestrong Facebook page is able to:

• Share cancer survival stories, to inspire and give encouragement to those who are facing cancer
• Provide insightful links, blogs, reports and real life cases to help those with the challenges that occur from cancer
• Share status’ that provoke responses, e.g.  “If you could share one bit of practical advice for someone going through cancer. What would it be?”
• Share links that encourage followers to donate
• Tell stories of those who are going through grief and need support

Having a social media presence can put pressure on a brands image. After the downfall of Lance Armstrong, Livestrong has faced some scrutiny and many that wear the yellow bracelet have received nasty comments. It has it effect, and there would certainly be people would refuse to support Livestrong after such an inspirational figure deceived them. Although many may not wear the bracelet anymore, those that are have a great reason, “To support cancer patients and survivors and teach us how to LIVESTRONG everyday!”. Livestrong has been apart of the cancer community now for over 10 years, and have donated millions of dollars towards cancer research and patient support. With their continuous efforts, Livestrong provides hope and support for those facing cancer experiences.

References

Farah, J. (2013, January 17th). Band Of Gold. 80 Million Livestrong Wristbands Sold. How Mine Helped Me. Retrieved September 12th, 2013, from KFBK News & Radio: http://www.kfbk.com/pages/judyfarah.html?article=10709416

Livestrong. (2013). Milestones. Retrieved September 12th, 2013, from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.org/Who-We-Are/Our-History/Milestones

Livestrong. (2013). Our History. Retrieved September 12th, 2013, from Livestrong Foundation: http://www.livestrong.org/Who-We-Are/Our-History