Why Is No One Donating to My Art Kofi
If y'all've viewed anyone's personal website or portfolio lately, you likely noticed a little button somewhere that said "Back up me on Ko-fi." If you've never heard of Ko-fi, you probably weren't sure what that meant. But don't fret—nosotros dove in and demystified the service to figure out exactly what it is and who's near likely to utilize it.
Update, 9/8/21: Checked content for accurateness and updated pricing.
What Is Ko-Fi, and Who Is It For?
Ko-fi is a platform that's similar to Patreon in that it allows people to make donations to various users, who are typically creators. It'due south a bully (and easy!) fashion to fund (or even simply supplement) income and help pay the bills or fund upcoming projects. It kind of feels like a combination of Patreon, DeviantArt, and a personal blog, which makes it more than casual and approachable.
Nevertheless, Ko-fi as well differs from Patreon in a few key ways:
- It works more as a quondam tip jar (meaning information technology doesn't ask for monthly donations or subscriptions).
- Donations can be in virtually any amount and aren't limited to preset tiers.
- It can as well double as a basic storefront in addition to a place to brand donations.
- Ko-fi users aren't required to put out content on a regular basis.
- Users have the option to open commissions.
- Ko-fi does not accuse any fees!
Currently, Ko-fi's platform supports over 500,000 creators of all varieties, like writers, illustrators, developers, streamers, podcasters, cosplayers, artists, game designers, small businesses, and more. It's an like shooting fish in a barrel way for creators to receive a piffling income from anyone who is a fan of what they do, and to even raise some money for fine art supplies, upgraded equipment, and continued production releases. Creators might also use Ko-fi in addition to other supplemental income options similar merch, ad reads, sponsorships, tours, and even other fundraising sites.
Who Are the Most Popular Creators on Ko-fi?
When it comes to famous users, Ko-fi isn't always able to friction match the prestige of sites similar Patreon. Those sites play host to famous celebs and YouTubers, like Philip DeFranco.
Despite this, Ko-fi does its best to regularly highlight a curated choice of featured Ko-fi creators and businesses, like creative person Monarobot, illustrator Mochi Buddies, cosplayer and photographer Black Bettie Cosplay, author and ancient historian Ellie Chiliad Roberts, U.M. podcast production company Long True cat Media, and pilates instructor The Girl With The Pilates Mat. These are some of Ko-fi'south most popular top earners, and the wide variety of art and goods they create proves how versatile and powerful Ko-fi can be for creators.
How Does Ko-fi Work?
Ko-fi is simple at heart. Yous create a folio, your fans donate money, and you get the money. Fans tin can make one-fourth dimension donations or prepare upwards recurring donations, and creators can release new content whenever they see fit. It's literally simply a digital tip jar. You can add together update posts every bit needed, and fans tin transport yous messages of encouragement when making a donation.
There'due south even an option where you can add rewards for your supporters. This is similar to how things work on sites like Patreon where, if they choose to become one of your regular supporters, they tin receive content or goodies kept backside a paywall that i-fourth dimension donors won't have access to similar extra images, early access to videos, exclusive blog posts, or fifty-fifty a fun behind-the-scenes blooper reel. Information technology'due south upwardly to you lot how much y'all want to offer your supporters on your Ko-fi page.
How Do You Use Ko-fi?
Using Ko-fi is incredibly simple, for both visitors and creators. For visitors, when you're on a user's Ko-fi page, but click the "Support" button. You can "buy them a coffee" for the amount they've ready, or increase your donation if y'all're feeling generous. From in that location, yous can enter your name and an optional message, and so pay via PayPay or a debit or credit card.
For creators, setting up an account is about equally easy. You'll enter in all of the standard information, ready a username, add together a photograph and bio, and connect a payment source like PayPal or Stripe. This process literally just takes a minute or two and is all you demand to practice to become your folio upward and running.
To brand your page more engaging for visitors, there are a few other steps y'all tin complete beyond that. The most important would be to link your personal website and Twitter account to your Ko-fi folio—and vice versa—then your followers have a way to observe you and your work. You can too add an introductory post or video, create a funding goal (like for a new computer, additional fine art supplies, or upgraded recording equipment), or even upload images of your work in your gallery. Everything's pretty customizable and designed to exist easy to apply.
Perhaps the site's but downfall is its total lack of a mobile app. Having an app available for creators would make it much easier for them to manage their account, add updates, and stay in touch with supporters. Notwithstanding, Ko-fi is looking into developing an app, and currently has a typeform open where creators and supporters alike tin can propose features and hash out what they'd like to see in a future app.
Commissions and Shops
Two of Ko-fi's best features are its options for creators to open upward commissions and open up a Ko-fi store storefront. Together, these two options do a great job rounding out the site's overall functionality and make it a simple 1-stop store where artists can truly connect with their audience. You tin can easily set the number of commission slots you want to open up and turn them off whenever y'all're also booked to handle another.
Ko-fi also gives creators the option to open up a Ko-fi store, wherein you lot tin can sell digital and physical items like stickers, prints, wallpapers, game mods, tutorials, sound files, merch, books, or crafting kits. Information technology only takes a few minutes to open upward your Ko-fi shop and add products. Ko-fi even gives you enough space to add images, videos, and a clarification of your product. Y'all tin can also set your ain price and notation if the product has a express stock.
Does Ko-fi Charge Fees?
The squeamish thing well-nigh Ko-fi, as opposed to crowdfunding sites, is that information technology takes 0% of donations. Despite the site helping creators receive over $four million in donations every calendar month (and $50 million so far), Ko-fi never takes a cent no matter how much money you get in a unmarried donation, and no matter how many donations you go. Ko-fi besides keeps ads off of your page and won't sell your data.
The only matter putting a paring in your full donation income is payment processor fees. Both PayPal and Stripe will still apply their normal transaction fees. Typically, these range between 2-3.4%, simply that can vary depending on currencies, location, and other factors beyond Ko-fi'south reach.
You're probably wondering how Ko-fi makes money then, which is an first-class question. Ko-fi earns coin from donations to its ain Ko-fi page, from Ko-fi Golden subscriptions, and from a 5% platform fee levied on commission and shop sales for creators that don't have a Ko-fi Gold subscription.
What is Ko-fi Gilded?
And so what exactly is Ko-fi Gold, and then? It's basically the site's premium tier, that offers boosted functionality and customization options, eliminates all fees, and has tons of other bonuses. Ko-fi Gold isn't terribly expensive, especially if you are pulling in a adept amount each month. While donations are free for everyone, you lot'll pay either $0 plus a five% platform fee if yous're using Ko-fi free or $6 per month plus a 0% platform fee with Ko-fi Gilded.
With Gold, you'll unlock commissions tools and the choice to prepare up recurring donations for supporters, eliminate site ads, go a sneak peek at the latest site features, get analytics bonuses, have the ability to change your username to a rare, brusque Ko-fi name, and the option to change the discussion "java" in your site button to (pretty much) any other word you like.
If you're simply a casual user of the site, this might all be overkill. Yet, if you've got a large following and want to open upwardly commissions and sell lots of goodies, it'southward a darn good bargain.
Should You Set up Up a Ko-fi?
If you lot're a creator of any blazon of art or skilful, Ko-fi is a smart choice and absolutely worth taking a moment to sign upwards for. After all, in that location's nada bad almost setting out a tip jar and letting people drop in a buck or two if they like what y'all do.
The fact that Ko-fi doesn't take whatsoever fees from your donations and limits fees from commission and shop sales to 5% makes it a decent place for burgeoning creators to start out. It doubles as a website, letting yous connect with supporters, committee and sell goods, and connect with a larger customs—what's not to like? So if you lot're a creator, go set your Ko-fi account. And if you know a creator on Ko-fi, consider making their day with a donation.
Source: https://www.reviewgeek.com/73928/what-is-ko-fi-and-who-should-use-it/
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