The Ultimate Guide to Restricting WordPress Content for Patreon Members

Hey there, creative friend! If you‘re looking to turn your WordPress website into a patron magnet, you‘re in the right place. Offering exclusive content is one of the most effective ways to incentivize fans to support you financially.

By restricting access to certain posts, pages, or sections of your site to paying patrons only, you can create a premium experience that rewards your most loyal followers. It‘s a win-win: patrons get bonus perks, and you get a sustainable income stream.

In this ultimate guide, we‘ll dive deep into exactly how to configure WordPress content restrictions that integrate seamlessly with Patreon. From connecting your accounts to choosing your lock-and-unlock strategy, we‘ve got you covered.

We‘ll also explore some enticing content ideas to gate for patrons, share proven tactics for promoting Patreon throughout your site, and compare WordPress membership plugins as an alternative.

Ready to turn casual visitors into devoted patrons? Let‘s do this!

Why Gate Content for Patrons?

Before we get into the technical how-to, let‘s talk about why you‘d want to put some of your WordPress content behind a paywall for patrons. There are some compelling benefits:

Incentivize financial support. The #1 reason to restrict content is to motivate fans to become paying patrons. If visitors know they can get special perks, bonus material, or ad-free content by pledging, they‘ll be much more likely to sign up.

In fact, a study by Patreon found that creators who offered exclusive content saw a 20-40% increase in pledges compared to those who didn‘t. Gated goodies work!

Reward your biggest fans. Your patrons are your true super fans who believe in you enough to support you financially. They deserve something special in return! Giving them VIP access shows how much you value their commitment.

Create membership tiers. Patreon lets you create multiple membership levels at different price points. By restricting different types of content, you can customize rewards for each tier. For example:

Tiered perks incentivize higher pledge amounts and let patrons choose the level of access that fits their budget.

Tease free members. You don‘t have to make content 100% patron-only. Showing an excerpt or preview to everyone entices non-patrons to upgrade for the full experience. It also keeps your content SEO-friendly since search engines can still index it.

Now that you‘re sold on the perks of patron-only content, let‘s look at how to make it happen in WordPress.

How to Connect WordPress to Patreon

The first step in restricting WordPress content for patrons is linking your site to your Patreon account. This allows them to communicate with each other to determine which visitors should have access to which content.

We recommend using the free Patreon WordPress plugin to handle the integration. With over 10,000 active installs, it‘s the most popular and reputable option.

Here‘s how to get set up:

1. Install and activate the plugin on your WordPress site. You can do this right from your WordPress dashboard under "Plugins" → "Add New." Search for "Patreon WordPress" and click the "Install Now" button.

2. Once activated, click the new "Patreon Settings" menu item in your WordPress admin sidebar.

3. Click the "Connect your site to Patreon" button. You‘ll be redirected to Patreon.com and asked to approve the connection. Make sure to grant all permissions so the integration works smoothly.

4. After approving, you‘ll return to your WordPress dashboard and see a success message. Your accounts are now linked!

Note: The plugin requires a Patreon creator account, not just a patron account. If you don‘t have one yet, head to Patreon.com to get started.

Content Restriction Options

Now for the fun part: deciding what content to make patron-only! The Patreon WordPress plugin gives you several ways to mix and match locked and unlocked content across your site.

Restrict Entire Categories or Tags

Want to put a whole segment of content off-limits to non-patrons? The plugin lets you restrict access to entire WordPress categories or tags in one click.

Some examples of content collections you may want to gate:

• A "Patron Only" category for posts only paying supporters can see
• An "Early Access" tag for content that will become public later
• A "Bonus" category for extra material that complements your public posts

To restrict categories or tags:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to "Patreon Settings" → "Content Locking."
2. Scroll down to the "Categories/Tags" section.
3. Enter the IDs or slugs of the categories and tags you want to restrict. You can find these under "Posts" → "Categories" or "Tags."
4. Select the minimum pledge amount required to access this content.
5. Click "Save Changes."

Now, any posts assigned to those categories/tags will only be viewable by patrons at the selected pledge level or higher. Everyone else will see a message prompting them to become a patron to unlock the content.

Lock Individual Posts or Pages

For more granular control, you can restrict individual posts and pages to patrons. This is useful when you want to mix gated and ungated content within the same category or tag.

To restrict a single post or page:

1. Open the post or page editor in WordPress.
2. In the right sidebar, look for the "Patreon Level" meta box.
3. Select the minimum pledge amount required to access this content.
4. Optionally, set a date to automatically unlock the content for public access in the future.
5. Update or publish the post.

The post will now have a patron-only lock icon and message for logged-out visitors.

Hide Portions of Content

Want to give non-patrons a preview while reserving the full content for supporters? You can use the [patron_only] shortcode to make specific sections of a post or page patron-only.

Here‘s how:

1. Open the post or page editor.
2. Type [patron_only level=1] before the section you want to restrict, replacing 1 with the minimum pledge level required.
3. Type [/patron_only] after the restricted section.
4. Update or publish the post.

For example:

This part is available to everyone.

[patron_only level=1] 
But this part can only be viewed by patrons who pledge at least $1 per month.
[/patron_only]

Logged-out visitors will see a "Become a patron to unlock" prompt in place of the gated content, with a link to pledge.

Create a Patron-Only RSS Feed

If you offer a podcast or other RSS-based content, you can create a separate feed just for patrons. This private feed can include bonus episodes, ad-free content, or early releases.

To set up a patron-only RSS feed:

1. Create a new category for your patron-only podcast episodes (e.g. "Premium Episodes").
2. Restrict that entire category to patrons as described above.
3. Use the [patreon_feed] shortcode anywhere on your site to generate the private RSS link.
4. Share the link with your patrons via Patreon or email.

Patrons can add this link to their favorite podcast app to access the premium content. The Patreon WordPress plugin will automatically check their pledge status before serving the feed.

Promoting Patreon on Your WordPress Site

Creating patron-only content is just half the equation. The other key ingredient is promoting your Patreon throughout your WordPress site so visitors know what they‘re missing!

The more you mention the perks of becoming a patron, the more you‘ll convert casual fans into paying supporters. Here are some proven promotional tactics:

Add Patreon CTAs to your content. At the end of blog posts and pages, embed a "Become a Patron" button or callout. The Patreon WordPress plugin includes a CTA block you can customize and add anywhere.

Mention patron perks in post text. Weave mentions of your Patreon naturally into your content. For example: "Want to see the behind-the-scenes video of this photoshoot? Become a patron for instant access!"

Gate bonus content alongside public posts. Put teasers of your patron-only content in public view. For example, show the first paragraph of a patron-only post with a "Subscribe to continue reading" prompt.

Add a Patreon link to your navigation menu. Make it easy for visitors to find your Patreon page by adding a prominent link in your header, footer, or sidebar menu.

Display a patron welcome message. Greet logged-in patrons with a personalized message and quick links to gated content. The Patreon WordPress plugin can display patron names and suggested posts.

Share public previews on social media. Post an excerpt of your latest patron-only content on social media with a teaser and link to subscribe. This FOMO works wonders for attracting new patrons!

By sprinkling Patreon throughout your site, you‘ll keep patronage top of mind for visitors. The more touch points, the more opportunities to convert!

Using WordPress Membership Plugins Instead of Patreon

If you‘d prefer to keep everything on your own platform, you can use a WordPress membership plugin to create a patron-like experience without Patreon. Membership plugins let you restrict content, accept payments, and manage members directly on your site.

The most popular options are:

Compared to Patreon, WordPress membership plugins give you more control and customization options for your members-only area. You can design your site exactly how you want, and keep more of your revenue since you‘re not paying Patreon fees.

However, membership plugins do require more hands-on setup and maintenance than simply connecting to Patreon. You‘ll need to configure payment gateways, design pricing pages, create welcome emails, and so on.

You also miss out on Patreon‘s built-in audience of patrons and creator-friendly tools like patron messaging and RSS feeds. But if you have the tech skills and want full ownership of your membership business, going the self-hosted route could pay off.

Patron-Only Content Ideas

Now that you know how to restrict WordPress content for Patreon, what kind of exclusive rewards should you offer? The possibilities are endless, but here are some ideas to get you started:

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses of your creative process, studio, or personal life
• Bonus tutorials that go beyond your public content
• Early access to upcoming releases or products
• Q&A sessions or AMA (Ask Me Anything) threads
• Downloadable resources like templates, checklists, or source files
• Ad-free versions of your podcast or videos
• Monthly newsletters with insider updates and curated recommendations
• Private community access to a patron-only forum or chat group

The key is to choose benefits that are highly valuable to your unique audience and fit naturally with your public content. Aim for a mix of formats to keep patrons engaged long-term.

Go Forth and Patronize!

Congratulations, you‘re now equipped to create an enticing patron-only experience on your WordPress site! By restricting access to your most valuable content, you can turn visitors into loyal paying supporters and sustainable income.

The Patreon WordPress plugin makes setting up and managing member content a breeze. But don‘t forget to promote your patronage throughout your site to spread the word.

If you want to go the DIY route, WordPress membership plugins offer even more flexibility to create a members-only area on your own terms. Just be prepared to invest more time in setup and administration.

Whichever method you choose, thoughtfully gating content is a smart way to reward your biggest fans and fund your creative work. Your patrons will love the VIP treatment, and you‘ll love the reliable revenue.

Here‘s to building a thriving membership business doing what you love! If you want to learn more ways to monetize your WordPress site, check out WPBeginner‘s guides on proven ways to make money with WordPress and how to sell digital downloads.