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stories. Why would my read ratio have changed so dramatically on older articles?</p><figure id="7b36"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*kenXZN3_7RwQV0Lc"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@g_r_a_f_i_s_c_h?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral">Marc Markstein</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2 id="fba9">I think it is follow-for-follow and click-and-run folks.</h2><p id="bf2b">I don’t want to waste my time complaining about things I can’t control. I can’t do anything about it, so making a fuss is just wasting my energy.</p><p id="ca1e" type="7">Once I’m done with this article, I don’t intend to say any more on this subject. I will do my best and take what I get.</p><p id="ef1d">My follower count exploded at the time of my viral article, which I think launched my account to noticeable account status. That article had an incredible 80% read ratio and brought me some 1000 followers.</p><p id="2153">Since then, my follower count has steadily increased each day. However, my reads and engagement have stayed nearly constant. Every day, I receive 50+ new follower notifications, and most of them don’t even bother to clap.</p><p id="d1b8">I’m not sure what, if anything, I can do about this trend.</p><p id="a4e5"><b>I thought follow-for-follow didn’t hurt anyone, but I think I was wrong.</b></p><p id="53bc"><a href="undefined">Marcus Musick</a> suggested blocking the offending accounts — maybe I should pivot from my “ignore them” policy and start wielding the ban hammer.</p><p id="9cf9">Have you noticed a dramatic change in your read ratio? What, if anything, have you done about it?</p><h2 id="88e4">Please check out these stories next:</h2><div id="ab13" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/follow-for-follow-isnt-hurting-you-d70274309511"> <div> <div> <h2>Follow For Follow Isn’t Hurting You</h2> <div><h3>Why you should ignore your follower count</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*NztM26oaFTgiDEM6)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="1f02"><a href="undefined">Sam Krämer</a> has a suggesti

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on for read ratios:</p><div id="52be" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/stop-killing-your-read-ratio-with-this-common-mistake-72f215a9027d"> <div> <div> <h2>Stop Killing Your Read Ratio With This Common Mistake</h2> <div><h3>I am reading on Medium, looking through some great posts with an immense amount of value. But every single post does…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ZbFLDwAnGCaVjRs3seOERQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="7d6d"><a href="undefined">Lea Bardot</a> has noticed the same problem, with a different suggestion:</p><div id="6686" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/low-read-ratios-heres-how-i-m-fighting-back-2e1cb6b187bd"> <div> <div> <h2>Here’s How I’m Fighting Low Read Ratio’s</h2> <div><h3>How I’m planning to get higher read ratios. </h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*[email protected])"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="20d6"><a href="undefined">Brett Anderson - I do writing and business stuff</a> has some great suggestions for making friends with the ol’ algorithm:</p><div id="7986" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-think-i-finally-understand-amed-how-the-medium-algorithm-works-1cc89a3ef7fc"> <div> <div> <h2>I Think I Finally Understand How the Medium Algorithm Works</h2> <div><h3>I’ve been watching him. I know what he likes, and what he doesn’t, and the 12 ways that knowledge can help you!</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*1Vr-yN6R2l3d75n70wlR-g.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="a5f9"><b>Have a great day friends, and don’t let the ratios get you down!</b></p></article></body>

I Claimed Follow For Follow Wasn’t Hurting You

I might have been wrong!

Photo by Judith Prins on Unsplash

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article saying that follow-for-follow wasn’t hurting you (link at the bottom of this article).

I might have been wrong.

At the time of that writing, I had about 700 followers. Just today, I have surpassed 2,000. Yay me!

Unfortunately, something very unpleasant has been happening in my stats…

I have noticed that my read ratio has gone down as my follower count has gone up.

From a high of 75% two weeks ago, to where I am sitting today at 35%.

Thanks, you jerks.

Photo by Kjell-Jostein Sivertsen on Unsplash

What is causing this undesirable trend?

I have a degree in economics, so I know better than most that correlation does not equal causation. Just because two things happen at the same time, does not mean that one causes the other.

Perhaps there is some other factor at play here that I am not seeing.

Maybe my content isn’t delivering on what my headlines are suggesting. That’s the usual implication of a low read ratio.

Perhaps my intros are boring, and people are running before they get into the article.

These are factors that I can (somewhat) control. I can give more thought to my headlines and make sure the content matches and is engaging. I can study good advice for writing hooks and intros, and put it into practice.

But I’m not convinced that these are the root of the problem. The low read ratio is spread across numerous articles, including old, unpinned stories. Why would my read ratio have changed so dramatically on older articles?

Photo by Marc Markstein on Unsplash

I think it is follow-for-follow and click-and-run folks.

I don’t want to waste my time complaining about things I can’t control. I can’t do anything about it, so making a fuss is just wasting my energy.

Once I’m done with this article, I don’t intend to say any more on this subject. I will do my best and take what I get.

My follower count exploded at the time of my viral article, which I think launched my account to noticeable account status. That article had an incredible 80% read ratio and brought me some 1000 followers.

Since then, my follower count has steadily increased each day. However, my reads and engagement have stayed nearly constant. Every day, I receive 50+ new follower notifications, and most of them don’t even bother to clap.

I’m not sure what, if anything, I can do about this trend.

I thought follow-for-follow didn’t hurt anyone, but I think I was wrong.

Marcus Musick suggested blocking the offending accounts — maybe I should pivot from my “ignore them” policy and start wielding the ban hammer.

Have you noticed a dramatic change in your read ratio? What, if anything, have you done about it?

Please check out these stories next:

Sam Krämer has a suggestion for read ratios:

Lea Bardot has noticed the same problem, with a different suggestion:

Brett Anderson - I do writing and business stuff has some great suggestions for making friends with the ol’ algorithm:

Have a great day friends, and don’t let the ratios get you down!

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