TAGGING TIPS
How to Utilize and Master Topic Tags: Tag, You’re It!
Get more eyes and reads on your hard work
I first realized I was getting old when I overheard my friend’s seven-year-old ask, “Mom what’s a hashtag 2 pencil?” The number sign is now ubiquitously known as the “hashtag symbol.” Most kids tag their social media posts as easily as adding butter to their toast. I finally caught the hang of tagging posts in my various social media platforms, and I was so cool.
Then, I joined this writing heaven. I was lost. I was confused. I needed help. Writers here are given the special feature of utilizing five Topic Tags for each story. And, tags here work differently than tags for social media.
Story tags are meant to give curators and publication editors clarity for distribution purposes. And, it’s important to utilize all five tags. If you write a fantastic humor piece on say, your fear of butternut squash — which is admittedly horrifying — don’t solely use the tag “butternut squash.”
Chances are very few eyes will read and assuage your fears. You could trigger the passionate lovers of butternut squash as well! Your story definitely won’t squeak past the AI algorithms.
Let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts of tags.
The Specifics of This Platform
You’ve finished your masterpiece. You’ve bared your heart and soul. You wrote a kick-ass title, and had several beta readers before polishing your final draft. But when it comes time to add tags, you’re left scratching your head.
Don’t treat tags here like an Instagram Post: Best Friends Forever, Left Earlobe, Banana, Tired, and Hot Bod. These tags have no place in your story. They are not leading topics on this platform. The tags are used to distribute your story to a wider audience. Thus, choose tags with topics in mind.
Do use tags that are topical. Some great examples of top tags are: Life Lessons, Relationships, This Happened to Me, Humor, and Writing.
Here’s a great article on the Top Tag Categories:
Distribution
I typically add my tags after I’ve written my story, and after I’ve updated my SEO description. My tags are my finishing touch. I reflect on what audiences I want to reach, and then choose accordingly. Remember there are five slots for tags. If you only use one or two, you’re doing yourself a disservice, and per Medium guidelines, your piece will not receive further distribution.
Tags also help with the publications to which you’re submitting. If you send a story to MuddyUm, a humor publication, utilizing Grief, Depression, Death, Horror, and Mayhem are signs you haven’t chosen the correct publication. Some publications will even suggest you use specific tags in their publication guidelines. The tags allow a publication to automatically sift your story under one of their tabs too. For example, if you tag Advice on your MuddyUm submission, your work will show up both under “Latest” on the homepage, and under the “Advice” tab.
If you’re ever in doubt, ask a fellow writer, or an editor with whom you have a relationship. On the desktop app, you can also scroll to the bottom of your favorite stories and see what tags the author has utilized. This can help you discern your own use of tags.
Remember — when in doubt, spend time studying both the general platform submission guidelines, and the submission guidelines of specific publications. Go forth, and tag away!
For further tutorial fun:
