Creators Hel

ping Creator
s
About This Guide

This guide is packed full of examples,

and actionable ideas that come directly
from the amazing Ko-fi community.

A huge thank you to the 30+ creators

who sent videos, words of advice, or
whose work we’ve showcased. This
guide is really about creators advising
other creators how to get started and
grow on Ko-fi.

If you find it useful we’d love you to share

it with your own community. Enjoy!

-K o - f i T e a m
What’s Inside
Getting started
1. Is Ko-fi Right for You?
2. Where Do I Start?
3. How Should I Launch My Page?
4. How Much Will I Earn?

Growing your income

5. Earning More
6. Subscriptions & Supporter Rewards
7. Create Products
8. Commissions & Services
 1

Is Ko-fi Right
for You?
Cosp
Wr i t e rs

A r t i st s
m i n g
Strea
a st e rs
Podc
iness Sid
c a t i o n
Edu
l o p e rs
Deve u n i t i e s
Co m m
f u n d i n g
Crowd
aming A
a ye rs
Cospl
u b e rs
YouT
Thanks to my Ko-fi
Supporters...

“... I can now work full-time on

what I love most in my life. Thank
you for making this possible, I will
be eternally grateful.”
- noonie

“... we were able to work on

Snacko full-time!”
- Snacko

“... I now have a closer relationship

with people who enjoy what I do
and can afford to spend more time
doing what I love.”
- Colormehappii
What is Ko-fi?

Ko-fi helps creators make an income

doing what they love!

Over 500,000 artists, writers, podcasters,

cosplayers, musicians, developers,
communities, and all kinds of creators
make money on Ko-fi.

It’s the quickest and easiest way to start

making money directly from fans of what
you do. Take donations and subscriptions,
and sell products and commissions all in
the same place.

Create a Page
ko-fi.com
About Us

Built by creators, for creators

We’re a small, independent, dedicated
team of passionate designers, developers,
and creators ourselves and since 2012
we’ve been helping other creators make
money online.

Creators are our guide

Our goal is to help you make an income.
We will always put the creator in the
center of everything we do.

0% platform fees on donations

Other services say they’re free but charge
you a % of your donations. That’s not
free. We want creators to keep more of
your money so we don’t take a penny of
your donations!
You Deserve This!

If you create, you should be rewarded!

We believe in the value of creativity and

we’re here to make it as easy as possible
for you to turn that value into income.

Low pressure (for you and supporters)

Set up in 60 seconds

Get paid directly and instantly

Create a Page
ko-fi.com
 2

Where Do I
Start?
Start by choosing your Ko-fi handle.
I recommend picking something
that will be recognizable to your
followers and that matches your
brand.

Once your basic page is set up, start

sharing your link on social media!

You can always fine-tune things and

build out your page later. Trust me,
your supporters will love to be part
of the journey! So go ahead and
start sharing right away!

Grayhaven Anime
68 Received
Creating Your Page

It only takes a minute to get started.

Choose a username, a few tags, a profile

picture, connect to PayPal or Stripe and
you’re ready to go.
The Basics

We looked at over 100,000 pages and

discovered some trends that contribute
to earning more on Ko-fi.

Add a Cover Image

Make your page look more visually
appealing and complete by uploading a
cover image and profile picture.
The Basics

Set a Relevant Goal

Pages with a Goal earn over 20% more
on average. Setting a funding goal
makes it clear to supporters what they’re
contributing to.

It’s also a good idea to write a post

explaining your goal, share % progress
updates, and offer rewards for
contributors.
The Basics

Introduce Your Page

Introduce yourself in the About section
and talk about how you’ll use Ko-fi in your
Page Intro (above your feed).
 3

How Should
I Launch My
Page?
Don’t overthink it. As soon as you
have your basic profile set up,
share it on your socials, let your
fans know that you have a new
page where they can support you,
and update your bio.

Using Ko-fi as a virtual tip jar is a

super easy way to start out. And
then, when you’re ready, you can
build out your page depending on
what kind of content you want to
share and with whom. Take it at
your own pace. You’ve got this!

grumble
95 Received
Sharing Your Page

Keep it simple when you start.

Here are the three easy and high-impact

ways to “launch” your page.

Link in bio

Add your link to your social bios or to your

directory site (e.g. Linktr.ee or Carrd.co).

Make Ko-fi your call to action

Mention your page at the end of each

blog post, caption, description, tweet, etc.

Pin a tweet/message

Add an intro to your page and link to it in

your pinned social post.
Add the Website Widget

If you have a website or blog you can

use the widget to accept donations and
subscriptions directly on your site with
0% platform fees!

Sophie Heywood uses the widget

to receive donations directly on her
awesome site.
More Ways to Launch

Other ways to tell your Ko-fi story!

Write a launch post

Write a blog post explaining why you’ve

started your page and what you’re raising
money towards.

Record an intro video

Adding an intro video to your page allows

you to explain directly to your fans why
they should support you ( pages with a
video earn 26% more on average!)

Share a reward

Add a link to a reward in your Thank You

Message and let fans know what they’ll
get if they support you.
 4

How Much
Can I Earn?
No matter the size of your
community, you’d probably be
surprised that there are people who
want to support your work. Don’t let
the idea that your community isn’t
“big enough” stop you from setting
up your page.

Everyone can make an income

online, regardless of your
audience size! Your Ko-fi will be
strong no matter what size cup
you’re pouring. Community will fill
that cup until it overflows.

tanya_hbic
3.2k Received
Use Ko-fi to Make an
Income From Your
Existing Audience

Our aim is to make it as easy and fun

as possible to monetize your work and
existing fanbase.

Most new creators we’ve spoken to spend

around 80% of their time growing an
audience and 20% of their time working
on monetization and exclusive content.

Make sure Ko-fi is your call to action at

the end of everything you create and
share on discovery platforms so new fans
know where to support your work.
Estimating Your Income

Often between 2-5% of followers

become supporters, but it varies
depending on your audience, rewards,
and many other factors.

Fans

Followers

Supporters

Maximize your earnings by:

1 Completing your profile with a cover

image, goal, and page intro.

2 Adding a link to a reward in your

Thank You message.

3 Opening a Ko-fi Shop or letting fans

Commission you.
 5

Earning More!
Think about offering some
exclusive content that they can’t
access anywhere else, like behind
the scenes or work in progress
content!

Then you might want to consider

offering a small reward. This could
be as simple as unlocking DMs
or a small download in your auto
thank you message, like a phone
wallpaper.

I’ve shared a breakdown of my

rewards in my Page Intro.

Bea Chu
280 Received
Regularly Update & Share
Your Page

Ko-fi’s most successful members update

their page regularly and share those
updates. There are more opportunities to
share than you might think:

Page

Individual Posts

Gallery Images

Ko-fi Shop and each product

Commissions & services

Thank You messages

Goal set, milestones, and completion

Reward reminders

The Number of Ko-fi’s received

Talk to Supporters

Making supporters feel valued is a great

way to encourage ongoing support. Use
Ko-fi Messages to:

Send a personal thank you

Ask for feedback

Offer messages as rewards

Ask for input on your next project

Send updates to your Commission

or Shop buyers
Offer Something Unique

Post exclusive content on Ko-fi that your

fans can’t find anywhere else like:

Your back-catalog

Work in progress content

Previously unreleased material

Hi-res downloads

Process videos
Consider a Free Reward

Add a link to a reward in your Thank

You Message and tell fans what they get
for supporting you. Reward Ideas:

Downloadable wallpaper

Unreleased music

Unlisted YouTube video

Dropbox or Google Drive link

Beyond Donations

Adding more ways to support you

increases your earning potential.

Here’s the average increase in earnings

when creators add Commissions, open a
Ko-fi Shop or set up Subscriptions.

Note: These are average earnings of creators using

these combinations of features. Data from March 2021.
 6

Subscriptions
& Supporter
Rewards
If you want to create a regular,
reliable income, think about
offering some kind of reward to
your supporters.

I host my Backstage Club on Ko-fi,

where all monthly subscribers get
the same rewards, regardless of
how much they donate. I think it’s
important to make it clear that by
becoming a monthly supporter, they
are getting access to content they
can’t get anywhere else!

Mary Erskine
376 Received
How it Works

Ko-fi’s most successful creators offer

exclusive rewards for supporters and
subscribers!

Ko-fi Gold creators can choose to make

some content restricted to “Supporters”
( made a one-off donation in the last 30
days) and “Monthly Subscribers only”
( people with an active subscription).

When you add Posts or Images you can

use the Audience selection to choose who
can see that content.
Rewards and Supporter-
only Content

Whatever rewards you offer supporters,

it’s a good idea to create a summary you
can use to promote the benefits to your
fans and followers.
Exclusive Content

Offer access to hi-res downloads,

share weekly prompts, or previously
unreleased material.

Michelle Robyn shares a calendar to let

supporters know what rewards to expect.
Early Access

Probably the easiest reward, give

supporters early access to videos,
artwork, or other content you’ll be
publishing publicly later!

Frank James posts videos on Ko-fi a few

days before they go public on YouTube.
Behind The Scenes

Create a WIP album, upload your design

sketch process or post a tutorial.
Input From Fans

Let supporters vote on your next

project, run an AMA (Ask Me Anything)
using Ko-fi Messages, or link to a poll in
a supporter-only post!

RPG Bookclub let supporters and

subscribers vote on which game to play.
Recognition

Social shoutouts, fansigns, and crediting

supporters as part of your creations
make supporters feel like VIPs and
increases your chances of support.
 7

Create
Products
I have a lot of old artwork, and
rather than leaving them unused
I decided to turn them into
wallpapers to sell!

If you have previously unreleased

material, why not turn it into
a product for your Ko-fi Shop!
Think about how you can turn your
current work into products and you
have nothing to lose.

Since launching my Ko-fi Shop the

response from my followers has
been amazing!

Miu_A
243 Received
Creating Products

Look at your back catalog and think

about which pieces could be turned into
products. Here are a few examples:

Elle records training sessions and sells

them in her Ko-fi Shop.
Long Cat Media sells merch that supports
their podcast.

Caro’s French study guides and audio

drills can be downloaded from their
beautiful Ko-fi Shop.
Thank Buyers & Share
Milestones

Use Messages to thank your buyers and

share your successes with your followers.

The MCYT Coloring Book was

downloaded over 28,000 times from their
Ko-fi Shop.
Pay What You Want

Offering a ‘pay what you want’ option

is a great way to make sure nobody is
excluded from buying your product and
it takes the stress out of deciding how
much to charge.
Extra Rewards for Buyers

Give customers an extra reason to buy

from your Ko-fi Shop by letting them
unlock supporter-only rewards!

Customers can unlock exclusive gallery

images and blog, video, or audio posts if
they spend over a certain amount.
 8

Commissions
and Services
Think about turning the skills you
have as a creator into a service
that is personal and meaningful to
your supporters.

Invite them into the creative process

and offer them a unique experience.

Don’t underestimate the power of

Ko-fi creators supporting other Ko-fi
creators!

On Second Watch
413 Received
Commissions Aren’t Just
For Art

Whether you offer short stories, one-

to-one coaching, or custom video
messages, Ko-fi Commissions is a great
way to offer expertize, services and VIP
access to your fans!

Not sure what type of commission or

service to offer? Ask your Supporters
what they want! It’s a fun way to engage
with your community and shows that you
care about their opinion.
Build a Menu of Options
for Different Budgets

Think about options that will appeal to a

range of budgets. This could be different
prices for line drawings/full color or
stories that have increasing word limits.
Advice & Consultations

Are you a specialist in your niche?

Help solve your fan’s problems with
a consultation. This is a great way to
turn your knowledge into a service and
engage with your community!
Creating Things to Order

Your most dedicated supporters would

probably be delighted to buy custom
poetry, personalized songs, cosplay
fansigns, or workout videos from you.
Thank You’s

We really hope this guide has helped

you in some way.

Thank you to all of the creators whose

work or words are featured. Not only are
you creating amazing work, but you’re
helping show other creators the way.

Thank you to every creator who’s using

Ko-fi and took the time to take a look at
this guide. You rock!

If you found the guide useful, we’d love

you to share it with your community and
tweet it to spread the word and help your
fellow creators!

Tweet The Guide

Creators Advice Videos

Some creators even took time out to

send short advice videos to help others!

Watch The Videos

The Amazing Creators
Featured in this Guide!

Noonie Snacko Colormehappii

Grayhaven Anime Cyber Barbie Mr Japan

Steff Von Chris Sale annamarabella

Schweetz grumble

Sophie Heywood tanya_hbic Bea Chu

The Amazing Creators
Featured in this Guide!

April Y || Leafbear Mary Erskine Zara

Studio

Michelle Robyn Frank James Seika Hoshino

bubble paint RPG Bookclub Katelin Jaegers

Miu_A Elle Long Cat Media

The Amazing Creators
Featured in this Guide!

Caro MCYT Coloring aliciayellowlodge

Book

Midnight Pursona Razkall The Noise Next

Door

Chaosfay On Second Watch Babs Butcher

More Guides

Looking for more ideas about how to

use Ko-fi with specific platforms? Check
out these guides: