So the Donate Button isn’t dead?

You mean those Paypal buttons that’s as old as the web itself? Yes, they are. But look what replaced it!

I recently read an article, saying that the ‘Donate’ button, so often used by bloggers, was ‘dead’. By which, the author implied that while some people still use it, it has more or less become obsolete.

So why do most content creators still use donation methods? Granted, affiliate programs, sponsorships and cutting deals using Google’s AdSense may earn more money. And yet, that tip jar is always on the counter, and mostly, it fills up pretty fast.

One might ask, “Do our donations matter?”

Well, let’s answer that question step by step. To do that, I would like to introduce you to Jim.

Now Jim here is an up and coming blogger. His content is pretty good, and he has a small but loyal following, which is getting larger by the day. Which happens to be true for any of the millions of content creators out there.

Bear in mind, that while Jim isn’t real, what he does for a living is true for a lot of people.

Assuming that Jim’s blogs concern critiques or essays on cinema (which happens to be one of the most popular forms of blogging out there), he updates his content every week. His readership is small when compared to other, popular blogs. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t working hard. On the contrary, Jim spends time and money to make sure that his blogs are well crafted.

Jim sure could use some coin to run things smoothly, but why do it the old way?

The Donate button may be gone, but something better’s around the corner

There was a time when there was be a “Donate’ button generated by Paypal, which used to be embedded somewhere around a content creator’s page. Some less obvious link descriptions like ‘Buy me a beer’ were also used. But its success depended on how popular the creator was.

Now, however, any enterprising creator can make use of new and exciting platforms like BuyMeACoffee and Patreon. What these platforms do is enable fans of the said creator, or in this case, Jim, to support him by donating small sums of money.

“How does that make any difference?” you may ask. Well, per month, Patreon pays all of its creators almost $6.1 million in total. All of that is from donations, folks. While Patreon uses monthly contributions, sites like BuyMeACoffee allows you to pay creators using small one-time donations. Each time you support a creator, it counts.

Good work, Jim!

There are a lot of people who donate just because it’s a pretty decent tax write-off.

I am not judging anyone there. It’s just a fact.

That is not the case when it comes to donating to creators. The primary reason why people contribute to creators is that they are appreciative of their content. A large and loyal fanbase is instrumental in the creator’s success. So how do you put that into context?

Let’s come back and see how Jim is doing. Jim started a page on BuyMeACoffee, and slowly he has started to receive donations. Like I mentioned before, his content is pretty good. What makes his content so appealing, is that he modifies his blogs by feedback that he has received from his followers. And lets them know that they have helped him.

Gratitude goes a long way in securing loyalty. Which means that the followers of Jim’s content understand that their opinions matter. Which also means his BuyMeACoffee page receives a shot in the arm.

Support and Thou Shalt Receive

Appreciation can only take you so far. A content creator has to realise that mere gratitude is not enough for an audience. One has to think creatively to ensure continued involvement of the supporters.

Offering incentives, for example.

Who doesn’t love a gift? Everyone does. Everyone I know, anyway. The audience is always drawn to free items, more so than discounted ones. Scientific fact, by the way.

However, giving every single one of your contributors a gift would be counterproductive. So what can you do?

The answer? Make them compete for the incentives. Let me give an example.

Jim has been doing well of late. He’s made some decent money and even has got the attention of some prominent directors who have lauded his blog. So now, he wishes to thank his fans. The way he does it is to be noted. Jim acquires 20 pre-release posters of a new movie which have been personally signed by the director and the top-billed star.

Next, he announces on his social media pages, where there are links to his BuyMeACoffee page, that he will be giving the posters to 20 of his top donators.

The result?

Jim started receiving double the amount of donations he was getting before this announcement.

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned before, the ‘donate’ button never really died. Instead, it has changed with the help of such sites like Patreon and BuyMeACoffee. These sites not only help in supporting creators that people like but also give the chance to find similar creators whose work they would probably like and support.

I rest my case.