No More Clap-and-Run: How to Gain Real Fans and Boost Reading Time
It’s time to bring the magic back to Medium
I’m sure many of you have noticed that Medium has been having some issues lately. Like many other social networks, our platform has been plagued by bots and spammers for months, and it’s become increasingly difficult to find stories that are worth reading.
I’ve spent the past few days looking into these issues, and I believe I’ve come up with a solution that can help restore Medium to its rightful place as the best platform to find quality writing and outstanding UX.
It’s time to end the vicious clap-and-run cycle
Medium creators have long struggled with ways to boost reading time on the platform.
Many are daunted when they look at their stats and realize they have more fans than actual readers. This happens because there’s a clap-and-run self-promoting trend used by those who expect their claps to be reciprocated.
The false-engagement tactic generates a never-ending loop that only adds entropy to the system and inevitably affects actual reading time rates for everybody.
Many fall into this trap and become “bouncing betties” hopping around the platform from story to story pollinating claps and the occasional response without leaving any actual reading time behind.
How to end this cycle and boost reading time for everyone? Well, read on because I believe I know the answer to this problem.
In this article, I’ll explain how this happens, why it’s bad for everyone involved, and how we can fix it by making a simple change.
This happens because the clap feature is visible at the beginning of each story.
Hence, Medium claps should not be taken for granted like Facebook likes, but serve a higher purpose.
It’s time to put the clap button on a timer
The answer is simple. The clap button pop-up should only become visible when a full read is achieved.
On Medium you can choose between clapping once, twice, thrice, and up to giving applause (50 claps).
In a perfect scenario, this system implies precious time and thoughtful consideration by the reader, and that cannot be achieved by just looking at the title and main image choice. Sorry, but that’s pure nonsense.
Clapping should come as the result of a full read.
What’s the point of being able to clap and become a fan without actually reading the first paragraph?
However, having the clap button available only after a full read is achieved will encourage users to keep reading, instead of just clicking away after a couple of sentences.
Simultaneously, this will afford authors insight into the impact and engagement grasp of their work so that modifications can be implemented if necessary.
Its’ time to bring bonuses back with a twist
Everyone that follows my writing journey, knows that one of my favorite mottos is “engagement is king.”
Hence, even in my sleep, I’m dreaming of ways to boost engagement for everyone in the writing community.
This morning I had a new insight.
Wouldn’t it be great if the product team could devise a new feature that rewards creators for engaging with stories on the platform?
I believe that this is what Medium needs to fix its reading time issues and do something they have been trying to do since they were first a startup called Blogger: build an engaged community of writers and readers focused on sharing knowledge and providing a better understanding of the world we live in, and our neighbors.
Thus, I’m proposing a new feature where readers can earn points by engaging with stories on Medium.
Get points for doing what you already love to do: reading on Medium. Plus, help authors spread the word by sharing their stories with your friends and family.
Here’s how it works:
- You read a story on Medium. At that moment the clap button becomes visible. Then you click on the button (this will be marked as an engagement regardless of the number of claps).
- You will earn one point for every engagement you make with any story on Medium (e.g., if you clap five stories total during that day, you’ll earn five points).
- Developers can build a milestone system that will trigger the algorithm based on engagement points.
- If you are also a Medium author, after reaching a certain engagement milestone you’ll be rewarded with any of the following:
- A story featured on the homepage;
- A story featured on social media;
- A story distributed by email.
- A bonus added to the MPP earnings.
It’s time to make the search bar matter
Medium makes it easy for you to get smarter every day but there’s a cohort of authors providing the knowledge that the platform requires for this task.
Thousands of awesome stories are published on Medium daily, and it would be helpful if the product team strived to make it harder for us to look away.
The third step is to use the medium search bar to find stories or publications based on topics related to your interests or expertise. There are several ways you can do this:
- Use the advanced search box at the top of any page: https://medium.com/#search
- Search a tag: (example: engage: https://medium.com/search?q=engage)
- Find related stories: https://medium.com/search/posts?q=engage
- Find a related topic page: https://medium.com/tag/engage
- Find a related publication: https://medium.com/the-engage
Readers often express discontent with the algorithm for not offering them the stories they wish to read, but they overlook the tools Medium has provided them to take charge.
We are accustomed to being catered to and having all our needs met immediately; however, it’s about time we take matters into our own hands.
The product team has the opportunity to make the search bar a powerful tool for boosting reading time for writers. I urge you to look for ways to give writers new tools to become more proactive in their search for knowledge.
By making the search bar more effective, you can help writers connect with readers who are looking for specific content. This, in turn, can help increase reading time on Medium, which is good for both writers and the platform.
It’s time to bring the magic back
There’s no doubt that being a writer is a tough gig. You pour your heart and soul into your work, only to hope that someone will read it.
Claps, sparkles, rainbows, and unicorns are awesome. But at the end of the day, what every author wants is simply to be read. To have someone connect with their work in a meaningful way. And if they can make a little extra money on the side, all the better.
So if you’re an aspiring author, don’t get discouraged. Keep writing and keep putting your work out there.
Still wouldn’t it be great if we were all in this together looking for ways of ensuring that when someone opens a story there’s some type of magic about to unfold?
Triggering the clap button could be a clear manifestation of that magic moment when the writer and reader meet at the end of a story.
If you enjoyed this story and made it this far you’re among those trying to make Medium better by being an adamant link in the writing chain. I welcome your fifty claps and any insights on how to improve the platform, please leave a response with your thoughts below.
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