Let Medium Do The Marketing

Focus on your writing and leave the rest to the platform

Only recently, I received a few invites to some Medium groups on Facebook. And without a doubt, they’re a great way to promote your stories. The daily shares and other threads certainly help in discovering great writers, their work while also bolstering the visibility of your pieces. I’m glad to have met people from all over the globe(whom I can now call friends) and gained fresh perspectives on writing and life at large.

But one fine day, I received a message: “If you give me 50 claps, I promise to do the same”. This made me wondered if writing on Medium is slowly becoming a rat race where money has become the driving factor? The answer is an obvious yes, given the recent surge in writers and how some of them are eyeing this as a “money-making” platform.

Having written and observed this platform for over eight months now, I figured there are some myths that need to be busted. Specifically about claps and Medium in general.

Claps Might Show The Story Was A Hit But It Won’t Fetch You The Popular Tag

In case, you’re new here, let me put this straight: Claps don’t matter anymore. Until October 2019, they did play a predominant role in determining the earnings of your story. But today, it’s no longer relevant.

Getting rid of the claps model of payment is perhaps Medium’s best move till date as evidently there was clap for clap contract which was dangerously creeping up. It could have easily ended up in capitalism.

The number of claps might grab a reader’s attention(its called a bandwagon effect) but it won’t matter if the story can’t hook them. Asking or binding people into a clap for clap contracts wouldn’t put the story in the popular tag(you know the tag, we all look forward to) and you’ll only waste precious writing time.

In the end, reading time and how well your story engages the audience is all that matters.

Medium’s Distribution Algorithm Is Smarter Than You Think

The recent entry of new writers on Medium has prompted many to promote their stories more than ever. While that’s great but the internal views that Medium brings are far greater than what you’d achieve by promoting yourself.

While their distribution algorithm is always secret, it’s smarter than you think. If your story has quality, they’ll distribute it in a staged manner. If the readers are hooked into the story, they’ll promote and bring views to you like no one else.

Their distribution and recommendation system is on par with Netflix if not better. No wonder, Medium is the Netflix of writers.

Closing Advice

This piece isn’t meant to discourage or stop you from marketing your work on social networks. Or to indicate that I’ll stop promoting my stories on social media. I’ll only say: Don’t lose sight of writing, your primary job here.

You didn’t come here to be a marketer so don’t let your writing take a back seat. Focus on it and let Medium do the rest. Trust me, they are the best in their business.

Remember, you aren’t obliged to give claps to anyone only because they did. Competition is getting so tough that some are clapping randomly without reading a story only to make you notice their profile.

I’d say, clap without compulsions and only if you truly like a story.

As a closing note, don’t get intimidated by other writers or get drawn into the numerous writing and success advice you see. What worked for others may not work for you.

That’s a wrap-up. Thanks for reading.