The Art of the Reply: 5 Steps to Show Your Readers You Hear Them
We open our Medium accounts and see a sea of notifications. Which ones do we look for? I doubt I am alone when I look for the ones that say
“responded to…”
These are the “money” notifications.
They are the ones that generate the most money for us. More importantly, they represent true engagement and connection. These are the priority notifications.
What do we do if we have hundreds of them?
Well boo fucking who you popular bastard.
That’s a good problem to have. Roll up your damn sleeves and start showing each and every one of them your gratitude.
Replying to comments is a top priority. To me this is the most important step we can take to develop a true relationship with each other.
Heaven forbid some clone account replies to you before I do and tries to get you to sign up on whatsapp.
I am not that popular to worry about clones
Replying to comments is crucial to your success on Medium. As the number of readers grow inevitably some are going to slip through the cracks.
I know there are some comments in my older stories I missed and they nag at me. If you left a comment on one of my stories and I never replied, be patient. One day, possibly six months from now you will get a notification.
I follow a simple process in the morning before I start writing. I do not use the notification system for this process. To me that is reactionary. Here is a step by step process.
Step 1: Do not reply too soon
I like to wait. Medium has a recency bias. We treat stories a week old like leftovers in the fridge. After a week they are destined for the bin.
My stories are no exception. In a week, if my stories are not pinned to the top, they will drift into obscurity.
This is when it’s best to reply to comments for two reasons. This time reminds the reader you still exist in the sea of Medium word noise. It’s also when your story is less likely to receive any more comments.
Step 2: Mirror
“Thanks for sharing”
“Thanks for reading”
“I enjoyed this story Josh, your style and the content helped me think through my thoughts. I’ve already adjusted my processes. Thank you.”
“Thank you so much for reading my story John, you honor me. I always try to look at Medium and think of the main things I wish I would have known 6 months ago. This was something I learned the hard way and wanted to try to write it out so someone else wouldn’t have to. I am honored you read it and it helped in some way.”
I matched each commentator with the level of effort they showed in their comment. In this way I build connections with those that are genuine and I am polite to those who, for one reason or another, put little effort into their engagement.
Step 3: Add something
I let their comment spark my response in a way that adds to the story. Sometimes it will guide me to talk about the inspiration behind the story. Other times it gives me an idea related to the story.
Showing you I see your comment, I hear what you said and I want to continue the conversation to the best of my ability.
I want to connect with each and every one of you. I do not have the time to do that everyday. I still try and will continue to.
Step 4: Open your profile in another tab
I right click on your name and open your profile page in another window. When I reply I try to factor the time it takes to read and comment on one or two of your stories.
We cannot rush this process.
I started lurking on certain profiles because they do not engage with my work. If I read one of their stories, clap and comment they will immediately highlight, clap and run on mine. Automated reciprocation that is not genuine. So I became a lurker. I read and do not clap or comment.
Step 5: Absorb the content
This is the most important step. This takes time because you need to read the story. Some people, like the above mentioned person, highlight arbitrary lines, clap and run.
This is shallow and has had the opposite effect than their desired result.
I refuse to engage with them now because I do not want their “reciprocation.”
I try to follow the golden rule. I want you o read my stories because you enjoy them. I want you to reach out to me and say something that continues the conversation.
If that is not you, great.
Move along, no hard feelings. Don’t use my profile to create backlinks to yours and don’t try to trick me into reciprocity.
How I engage with you
This is my five steps to show you that I hear you. It’s becoming harder and harder to scale. I will continue to try. I hope it helps you develop a system to improve your engagement and foster a more perfect Medium.