Our goal was to demonstrate the power of creator-led storytelling by making brand content that feels like it comes from a creator, for creators. As Patreon continues to experiment with social formats that drive brand awareness, we believe the most effective work shouldn’t look or sound like marketing at all. Instead, it should mirror the creativity, curiosity, and authenticity of the creator community itself.
This short how-to on Instagram was designed to embody that. Created by short-form video creator Paul O’Mara, a member of Patreon’s in-house social team, the piece reflects our broader goal of building social content that feels native, playful, and useful, while subtly reinforcing Patreon’s role as a platform that understands and supports creative process. Paul’s role isn't just to promote Patreon, but to tell creator stories and share ideas in a way that resonates with creators. Who better to speak to creators than a creator himself?
The video grew out of earlier work highlighting Patreon creator KC Green, the original artist behind “This Is Fine.” During that project, Paul printed KC's artwork onto sticky notes as a visual storytelling device. After publishing, the team recognized that this behind-the-scenes technique—simple, accessible, and creative—was itself worth spotlighting.
The resulting BTS video set out to inspire creators by showing how everyday tools can unlock new creative momentum. The goal was not only to educate, but to encourage experimentation, reinforce creative confidence, and prove that impactful storytelling doesn’t require expensive production. Just curiosity, intention, and a creator-first point of view.
While this project wasn’t part of a larger campaign, it’s a strong example of how an in-house social team brings creative ideas to life through always-on storytelling. The goal was to move quickly, stay close to creator culture, and produce work that feels timely, useful, and authentic rather than overproduced or overly strategic.
We intentionally leaned into a familiar social format: a visual-first tutorial that quickly shows viewers how to do something. However, from the outset, the team was aligned that the video needed to go beyond the “how” and clearly articulate the “why.” For creators, technique alone isn’t enough. The objective was to connect the tutorial to a broader creative mindset, showing how small, accessible experiments can unlock new ways of thinking and working. This approach reflects Patreon’s belief that creators thrive when they feel inspired, empowered, and supported in turning their creative practice into sustainable income.
In terms of process for our in-house social videos, including this piece:
From start to publish, the full process took approximately two weeks, running alongside our broader social workload. A key executional challenge was ensuring the hook immediately communicated what made the video different. To do that, we centered the opening moment on the printed sticky notes themselves. Paul, who had been experimenting with stop motion, filmed himself delivering the opening line—“I figured out how to print on sticky notes. It’s actually a lot easier than you might think”—then printed and animated each frame by hand. The result was a distinctive, tactile opening that visually reinforced the creativity and playfulness at the heart of the project.
This piece became Patreon’s first certified viral, completely organic hit on socials —and our top-performing owned social video of the past two years. Since publishing in July 2025, it has continued to gain views each month, demonstrating sustained resonance rather than short-term algorithmic lift. The performance validated a core objective of the project: that creator-led, values-driven storytelling can break through on Instagram over time when it prioritizes usefulness, creativity, and authenticity.
Rather than relying on trend-chasing or paid amplification, the video succeeded because it felt native to creator culture. It delivered a simple, inspiring idea in a visually distinctive way, encouraging experimentation and sharing. The sustained growth proved that educational, creator-first content can earn attention without sacrificing substance—and that evergreen ideas can outperform fleeting viral moments.
Notable stats and performance (as of January 2026):
For context, Patreon’s average Instagram engagement rate averages 5%, while the broader industry average for 2025 is 0.45%.
Beyond metrics, success was reflected in the qualitative response. Influential creators flooded the comments with praise and excitement—many comments receiving hundreds or thousands of likes—demonstrating the video resonated with the exact audience it was designed for. This creator validation confirmed that the work didn’t just perform well; it meaningfully connected with the creative community Patreon exists to serve.
