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What is Patron?

Blockchain-Backed Influencer-Advertising Platform

That's a lot of jargon, so I'll explain it piece by piece.

What is Blockchain?

You've heard of Bitcoin. Any Blockchain-backed service is like Bitcoin – it's a new asset to speculate with.

What are the Benefits of Blockchain over Just Paying Cash?

Blockchain plays like Patron are like two-part deals. Up front is a capital deal: you invest in the blockchain by purchasing "tokens". Tokens are like shares in the blockchain business. Then, there's a revenues side: you spend a portion of your tokens to pay for the advertising. If the entire network gets more influencers and advertisers, your investment in Patron's blockchain will increase the value of your tokens.

That means lower advertising costs to you!

Of course, it could all sink and fail miserably - most businesses do. But, if you don't take risks, you won't get rewards.

I took a risk writing this article: I wasn't paid – Patron had a contest to get people like me, to write content like this, to help promote Patron. I may make some money, I may not. Life is about taking risks.

(The contest is called Sponsored Writing Contest, and the rules are a the link.)

What's an Influencer?

An "influencer" is someone on social media who has a big audience, and is willing to use it to advertise your product or service.

This isn't just someone with a bunch of "friends". I personally don't have a huge list: 800 here, 800 there, 100+ here and there. It's not huge, but, it's actually a quality list, and I have some influence over it.

I am NOT an influencer. I'm not willing to advertise heavily to my lists. I don't even use them for fundraising.

An influencer is someone who has cultivated a list specifically for the purpose of building a media brand, and has attracted people who are open to being "influenced." They work on it, and if they have developed a message that resonates with their audience, they will have a huge list into the tens of thousands.

That said, it's not size that matters: it's influence. You want people who have a track record of success.

Patron is a system that can help you find these people.

What is Influencer Advertising?

It's better known as product placement and promotion.

Sometimes, I'm watching a video on YouTube, and I see the performer doing something totally stupid. One of the people I watch was wearing a stupid looking outfit with a food product brand on it – and I won't mention the brand, but it's stuck in my head weeks later, and I'm seriously thinking about buying a few packs of this salty food product just to get it out of my system.

That stupid outfit was probably a product placement by a shrewd company.

They reinforced their world-wide brand. It probably cost less than a single 30 second ad on a rerun program on TV.

Last week, I saw the same person mispronounce a word, over and over. Like an idiot.

Then, in the comments, someone said that word is the name of some product, with a brief description.

Like a robot, I Googled it, and learned about the product. Now, that product isn't for me because I don't watch much TV, but for the 200 or 300 million Americans who still watch TV, this product is relevant.

I won't tell you what it is.

This company built product and brand awareness.

The channel has a little over 10K subscribers, and the videos get in the 10k to 30k view range, with a few home runs into the over 100K range.

Did I mention that I don't watch TV?

I haven't watched it much since the 1990s, and have owned only one TV in the past 30 years. The main ways to reach me are via the Internet, billboards, and in-store ads. I still shop.

I'm the future consumer, today.

What if the Host isn't Acting a Fool?

It probably works better. A lot of people look for advice from influencers.

I look to social media and video for advice, but I'm averse to advertising, so, like in the above examples, you need to fool me. Influencers do that. They break past my anti-advertising filters.

My point here: influencer advertising works.

But, why Patron?

A: It's the Platform.

Because Patron is trying. They've put up the effort and money to create the platform. They have taken the big risks. They're asking you, the advertisers and content creators, to take small risks. Every market maker is also a community builder, and this is an opportunity to be in the Patron community of content creators and product makers and service providers who are willing to work hard, to take risks, and succeed.

Check them out and see if they could work for your business.

Patron

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