The Power of Personal Interests and Recommendations: A Look at Pinterest and Matter

The Power of Personal Interests and Recommendations: A Look at Pinterest and Matter

In today's digital age, social media platforms have become an integral part of our lives. From keeping up with the latest news to following our favorite celebrities, these platforms offer a wide range of features to cater to our needs. However, two platforms stand out for their unique approach to content consumption and discovery: Pinterest and Matter.

Pinterest, often touted as a social media platform, sees itself as more than just that. In its recent filing to go public, Pinterest describes itself as a "productivity tool" rather than a social network. CEO Ben Silbermann emphasizes that Pinterest is not about following the news or accruing followers; it's about personal interests. This distinction is what sets Pinterest apart from other platforms. The majority of its user base consists of women, with "eight out of 10 moms" in the US being active users. This demographic is crucial because moms are often the primary decision-makers when it comes to buying products and services for their household. By focusing on personal interests and catering to this demographic, Pinterest has found its not-so-secret weapon.

On the other hand, Matter is a platform that aims to improve the visibility of indie authors and provide a better reading experience. The idea behind Matter was born out of casual conversations between Ben Springwater and Robert Mackenzie during their time at Nextdoor. They bonded over their love for reading and their frustration with the limitations of current content consumption and discovery apps. They identified a gap in the market and set out to create a platform that addresses two fundamental questions: how we read and what we read.

Unlike other platforms that rely on RSS feeds, Matter focuses on the "who" rather than the "where." It built a network of readers who could curate content and provide social context around their recommendations. This approach is based on the belief that the best content on the internet is not necessarily the most recent, and that what we read has a significant impact on our overall knowledge and perspective. By trusting recommendations and curating a feed of people rather than websites, Matter aims to improve our content filters and information diets.

To attract early adopters, Matter partnered with three large online communities: The Interintellect, Progress Studies, and The Long Now Foundation. By introducing the product to the members of these communities, Matter was able to create a dedicated user base of power readers who are actively engaged in the world of ideas. This collaboration not only provided early access to valuable content but also allowed users to play a formative role in the design of the product and recommendations engine.

One of the key features of Matter is the social graph of highlights. Users can follow and discover what people they admire find interesting. This not only helps in measuring the quality of content but also enables users to find insightful pieces from obscure sources that challenge their world views. The success of Matter's discovery lies in surfacing content that users wouldn't have otherwise discovered, preferably from obscure sources that are tangential to their core interests.

In conclusion, both Pinterest and Matter offer unique approaches to content consumption and discovery. While Pinterest focuses on personal interests and targets a specific demographic, Matter aims to improve the visibility of indie authors and provide a better reading experience. Both platforms emphasize the power of recommendations and curated content to enhance our knowledge and perspective.

Three actionable advice for users looking to make the most of these platforms:

• 1. Follow your personal interests: On Pinterest, focus on what genuinely fascinates you rather than following the latest trends or celebrities. This will help you discover content that resonates with your own preferences and passions.

• 2. Trust recommendations: On Matter, rely on the recommendations of people you admire or those who share similar interests. This will help you discover insightful content from obscure sources that challenge your world views and expand your knowledge.

• 3. Curate your feed: On both Pinterest and Matter, curate your feed to follow authors or people rather than publications or websites. This will enable you to have a more personalized and tailored content experience that aligns with your specific interests.

By incorporating these actionable tips into your usage of Pinterest and Matter, you can enhance your content consumption and discovery experience while gaining valuable insights and perspectives.