Patreon's Discovery Problem: A Fault of Their Own
Patreon has acknowledged that its recent attempts to improve discovery for small creators have fallen short, primarily due to flaws within their system. CEO Jack Conte addressed this issue in a comprehensive post to creators, taking responsibility and outlining a roadmap for change.
The Challenge
In April, Patreon introduced several new features, including a Home feed, Quips (short posts), and public posts, aiming to create a recommendation-driven network. However, the system inadvertently favored larger creators, leading to disappointment among their smaller counterparts.
"To the smaller creators on Patreon: the lack of discovery you’re seeing right now is not your fault. It’s ours," - Jack Conte
Understanding the Problem
The issue stemmed from a focus on matching similar creators rather than aligning posts based on content and style, regardless of creator size. This approach inadvertently created a bias towards established, larger accounts.
The Proposed Solution
To rectify this, Patreon will shift its algorithm to match posts based on topic, style, craft, and themes, ensuring that niche and well-crafted content reaches a wider audience, regardless of the creator's follower count.
Data and Results
Patreon provided data alongside their roadmap, revealing that the network currently sends 1.5 million new members to creators monthly. Memberships attributed to the feed have increased fivefold since April, with public posts leading to a 25-30% growth in paid memberships for comparable creators.
Recent Challenges and Future Hopes
These improvements come on the heels of Patreon laying off 93 jobs (20% of its staff) in July. Despite these challenges, Conte remains committed to the roadmap, aiming to enhance the platform for all creators rather than focusing solely on increasing engagement through short-form content.
New Features Inspired by Competitors
Some features, like Clips (in early access on iOS), draw inspiration from platforms Patreon has criticized in the past. Clips extract shareable moments from longer videos and can be posted to TikTok, Reels, or Shorts for broader exposure. Suggested previews, another new feature, highlight engaging content from paid videos, offering a more enticing glimpse to potential viewers.