Franklin Habit is a one-person operation dedicated to the fiber arts - knitting, embroidery, and other forms of needlework. He is an author, teacher, illustrator, and writer whose life is, as he puts it, "tangled up in yarn." As one of the most in-demand instructors and speakers in the field, Franklin has taught at major events like Vogue Knitting Live!, STITCHES Events, Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat, the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat, and Squam Arts Workshops.
Before the pandemic, Franklin traveled extensively across the U.S. and Europe to teach and lecture in person. But in 2020, he transitioned online, launching a Patreon community to maintain his connection with students and fans. Now living in France, Franklin has fully embraced a digital model, allowing him to focus on his art and teaching - without the burden of constant travel.
Challenges Franklin Faced Before Using Crowdcast
Personal interaction is a key part of Franklin’s creative process. Initially, he tried connecting through blog posts and pre-recorded videos, but those formats lacked the immediacy and interactivity he, and his audience, craved. While YouTube offered a livestreaming option, it fell short of the polished, community-oriented experience he wanted to provide. Franklin needed a platform that could foster real-time engagement in an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-navigate environment.
Choosing Crowdcast
When Patreon recommended both YouTube and Crowdcast as livestreaming tools, Franklin gave YouTube a try, but quickly found it clunky and uninspiring. He then turned to Crowdcast and was instantly impressed. The platform delivered a much more refined, user-friendly experience, offering the elegant interface and seamless performance he was seeking. It was a clear upgrade.
How Crowdcast Helped Franklin Overcome Challenges
Franklin’s community includes users with a wide range of tech experience, so accessibility was critical. Crowdcast’s intuitive design made it easy for people to sign in, watch, and participate without frustration. And when issues did occasionally arise, Crowdcast’s responsive, human-centered support team proved invaluable. This allowed Franklin to focus on delivering content and engaging with his followers rather than troubleshooting technical problems.
Beneficial Features of Crowdcast
Several Crowdcast features have become essential to Franklin’s workflow:
- Simple, Beautiful Interface: The clean design aligns perfectly with his community’s appreciation for aesthetics.
- Guest Speaker Integration & Slide Sharing: These tools help him enhance his presentations and keep events dynamic.
- Live Polls & Q&A: Interactive features like polls keep sessions fun, while the Q&A tool allows him to prioritize and address questions without constantly monitoring the chat.
These tools support the high-quality experience Franklin strives to provide while keeping events manageable and organized.
Measurable Results and Improvements
Franklin’s weekly live chats from his workroom have become a cornerstone of his Patreon community, creating a sense of social connection and continuity. Since adopting Crowdcast, he’s seen a noticeable improvement in subscriber retention, with gains consistently outpacing losses. He credits this success to the platform’s engaging, user-friendly experience that keeps his audience coming back week after week.
Impact on Franklin's Workflow and Productivity
Crowdcast has also played a critical role in supporting Franklin’s consistency, especially during difficult times. While recovering from illness, he was still able to maintain his weekly live events with minimal preparation. The platform’s ease of use made it possible to show up for his audience and deliver value, even when producing pre-recorded content wasn’t feasible.
Recommendation for Crowdcast
Franklin enthusiastically recommends Crowdcast, praising its reliability, intuitive design, and top-tier customer support. In a digital landscape often dominated by impersonal platforms, Crowdcast stands out for its human touch. That warmth, combined with its powerful features, has made it an indispensable part of Franklin’s creative business and online teaching model.
Louise
Head of Customer Success. Helping customers grow their audience with live events using Crowdcast's simple live video software to help them reach, engage, and grow their audience.