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Results of the 2022 Patreon Survey (in detail)
🕑 Added 2022-12-06 15:37:54 +0000 UTCThe results of our annual Charm Survey are in, and they surprised us!
Click here for the public blog post that shares the basics, including info about who our audience is, what they love to sew, and what Charm will be focusing on in 2023 as a result of the survey.
But...the most important data is located here, just for our patrons. I wanted to share this with you since you're such an important part of Charm and of our 2023 plans.
How Many Charm & Patreon Patterns Do Patrons Sew a Year?
About half of you sew at least 3 Charm patterns each year. Patrons in the higher tiers sew more patterns, but most people sew 3-10 Patreon & Charm patterns.
We were a little surprised to see that so many of you don't sew any Charm patterns at all! It's totally okay - we love having you around, even if you don't have the time to make all these beautiful creations. After all, just like collecting a stash of fabric, pattern collecting can be its own hobby!
An Easier Way to Access Your Patreon Content
Most patrons access their content through the Patreon website or app, or just use the links in the emails that we send through Patreon. But many of you don't know about (or don't use) the index of Patreon patterns on the Charm website.
As we add more & more patterns to Patreon, it's going to be harder to find the ones you want. Bookmark this page, and you'll have a quick reference guide for and links to every pattern in your Patreon library.
What Our Patrons Love The Most
We asked, "If we added any of the following to your Patreon membership, which would be (or which is) the most valuable to you?"
Honestly, we were a little surprised to see that the Discord channel, live events, Zoom sew-a-longs, and other "community" activities weren't higher up the list!
Those things were more popular in the higher patron tiers (as one would expect, patrons who are more invested become more involved in the community), but it was still shocking to see them ranked so low.
Despite this, we don't intend to change any of the community benefits in 2023. While they might not be the most popular, we value them, and that's important, too. We probably won't be adding more live or Zoom events, but you can still count on at least one per month, just because I love hanging out with you all!
On the flip side, we also asked, "If any of these benefits were to disappear, which would you miss the most?"
This result was shocking for us. We had no idea how much you all valued the monthly tutorial videos. (Honestly! NO IDEA. More about that in this post.)
We were surprised to see how low the community benefits ranked here, too, but we were also surprised by the low showing of the Guest Artist patterns & Fit Clinic videos. (It's not that you don't love those things...but you love other things more).
We asked, "What's your fantasy, if you got to play designer for a month?"
Wow! We were overwhelmed with 2,455 responses (almost all of them different!). You can see every single response here. It just goes to show you how diverse our audience is, and how varied all of our tastes are.
I've gone through that list (more than a few times!) and can tell you that all of our 2023 designs (so far) are represented there. Good luck trying to determine what they are! π
Other great ideas from our patrons...
We noted a few other things that we'll work on in 2023...
- Adding a test square in centimeters to our pattern pages (done!)
- Addressing the Joanns and Spotlight fabric availability (see this month's Christmas-related Patreon-only Crowdcast event for more details)
- Having later/earlier/weekend start times for the Crowdcast live events
- Doing video tutorials for more Charm Patterns, not just the Patreon ones
There were also dozens of requests for Charm to re-release the Starburst Dress pattern. This was a one-time only gift for early patrons, but maybe there's a way to bring it back temporarily that will please (almost) everyone. Stay tuned!
Charm Love
It's no secret that our patrons are the heart of Charm, and everything we do is done with you in mind.
We were surprised and deeply, deeply touched to see that the love flows both ways. More than one person on the team cried when going over the responses to, "What's the best part about being a Charm patron?"
The most common answers had to do with the patterns - the quality, the fit, and the cup sizes. (No more FBAs, yay!) Many of you mentioned the videos, and how you credit Charm with helping you learn how to sew.
But we were floored by the hundreds and hundreds who mentioned the best parts about Charm were the community, the inclusivity, and Charm's values. We are all working hard to remake this sometimes difficult world we live in, and it's so important to us that you stand side by side in creating this fantasy and turning it into a reality.
Thank you. We just can't say thank you enough for that.
What This Means for Your 2023 Patreon Benefits
Now here's the real question...What's going to change to your Patreon benefits in 2023 as a result of this survey?
I'll release more next week about what is changing exactly, but know that next year's benefits will be heavily influenced by the results to this survey - especially the questions about which membership benefits you value the most, and which you'd miss the most if they went away.
The big things won't change. There will always be a monthly pattern & companion tutorial video, plus all of the great community aspects you love.
We've worked very hard to make sure that you will be receiving more value for your patronage next year than you do now.
Patreon tiers will be changing next year, and we're going to be combining some tiers and adding a new one for those who want even more access to me and the team. As part of this, new patrons in 2023 will see increased prices.
We're on our fourth year on Patreon and we haven't raised our prices since launch. New patrons get access to all four years worth of patterns, sewing tutorial videos, community membership, and they can join for a month, grab everything, and then bounce. It only seems fair that they pay for the library of content, as well as all the current benefits that you receive. We think the incredible amount of content we've released makes slightly higher prices worth it.
This doesn't apply to you, though. If you're a current patron, you'll be grandfathered into our current Patreon prices, and as long as you stay in your tier your price won't change.
More details about the tier and benefit changes will be coming next week so you can make an informed decision and choose the tier that's right for you. If you're thinking of upgrading, I suggest you wait until you learn about the new benefits & tiers next week before making a change. But, if you're thinking of upgrading, please do it before December 31 to lock in these lower rates.
Thank you!
From myself & the team, thank you from the bottomest of our hearts for being a patron, for filling out the survey with such thought and care, and for supporting us in bringing Charm's mission to life. You are the heart of Charm, and we appreciate you!
xoxo,
Gertie
Comments
I am only new to Patreon this month and am glad I chose the tier I am on. I am a plus sized 63yo woman and I love this style of clothing (I do R&R dancing) and the new sizes suit me perfectly. Iβve only checked out the pattern posts from the past 12 months but I look forward to seeing everything including whatβs coming. I just wish I had more hours in the day to make clothing but already the Charm circle skirt and Dorothy Bolero made my Xmas dance outfit better than I had expected. (I need the B6412 in the larger range). Peggy is high up my to do list!
I am from The Netherlands. Because IΒ΄m making costumes for my kids school musical (All shook up), I was looking for patterns in 50s style. So happy I found Gertie, ordered three books but the patreon site looked so tempting that I just joined. Love the sewing hacks, the tutorials, the inspiration. I showed the kids (they are between 13 and 18 years old) the pattern books and they were so excited. On my to do list: circle skirts, tops, cigarette pants, a wedding dress and many dresses. Meanwhile trying to teach my 22 year old daughter, who has little patience, how to sew. Beautiful patterns add to the fun!
