Summary

The article discusses the author's personal approach to tagging on Medium, reflecting on its effectiveness, and the balance between acknowledging other writers and maintaining authenticity.

Abstract

The author of the article, who has been writing on Medium for a year, shares their evolving perspective on tagging other users. Initially, they tagged frequently to gain visibility but later adopted a more selective approach, tagging only when the content was particularly relevant to the tagged individual or when their work had been referenced. The author values quality interactions over quantity, preferring to read and engage with work that resonates with them. They also emphasize the importance of genuine responses and the enriching experience of direct communication with authors, which is a unique aspect of online platforms compared to traditional media. The author has experimented with expressing gratitude through tags but found it more meaningful to engage with readers' work directly. They believe that good content will naturally attract readers and that word-of-mouth recommendation is the best form of advertising.

Opinions

The author believes tagging should be used judiciously and meaningfully, not excessively.
They appreciate being tagged by certain individuals whose work they respect and find beneficial.
The author acknowledges the challenge of keeping up with a large number of writers and the impossibility of reading everything.
They prioritize reading and commenting on works that provide them with insight or emotional connection.
The author values the interactive nature of online platforms, which allows for direct feedback to writers.
They have ceased writing monthly "Thank You" notes with extensive tagging, finding it somewhat insincere.
The author emphasizes that the best way to thank a reader is to engage with their work.
They trust that quality content, coupled with an engaging title and lead photo, will naturally draw in readers.
The author believes in reciprocity on Medium, such as reading and commenting on or sharing another writer's work if they have done the same.
They recommend an AI service as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4) for those who enjoyed the article.

To Tag or Not to Tag

That is the question

I’m sure that question has occurred to you often in your writing on Medium.

I’ve gone both ways on this.

A year ago, when I was relatively new to Medium, I tagged a lot. I figured it was the only way to get my work noticed. I wanted to make a connection with people and broaden my readership.

Some people like to be tagged, others don’t.

I don’t think I abused the tool. At least, if I did annoy anyone, they did not tell me.

Now I tag only if I have written something that I think that person will have a special interest in, or if I have quoted or referenced something they’ve written.

I don’t mind being tagged by some people as I know their work is good and I’ll benefit from reading it.

If I receive a notification that I’ve been mentioned in a story (i.e. tagged), I’ll look at the author and the story title to see if it is something I want to spend time reading. I can’t read everything, but if the title looks promising and I know the author turns out good work, I’ll take a look.

I know such a practice can be self-limiting, so this year I’ve set myself a goal of each day reading at least one writer whom I have not read before. I select such writers because either they appear in my recommended reading list or a writer whom I trust recommends them.

To be honest, I can only read a small fraction of the work by those I follow. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to read it all, plus, I’m a slow reader. I know many good writers follow hundreds or even thousands of other writers. There’s no way we can keep up with so many writers, many of whom are quite prolific.

When I read, I often highlight, and if I get something out of a piece, if it stirs my thinking or touches me in some way, I will clap and comment. I do this to show my appreciation and to help the writer earn a few more pennies on Medium.

I want my responses to be genuine, coming from my soul, my heart if you will. I respond in order to connect with the author. Responses keep me reading and writing on Medium and other social media sites. I know many of you feel the same.

I don’t do these things to get you to come read my work (though I’m grateful when you do). I do it to show my appreciation for what you’ve written.

One of the drawbacks of reading conventional books and magazines is the lack of any convenient way of communicating with the author. Though I love to read, being able to comment and communicate my appreciation to the author makes the reading experience much more fulfilling.

To me, tagging is a short way of saying “Hey, look at this. Come read what I’ve written.” While that may be a legitimate ploy, I think it can be overused.

For a while, I wrote a Thank You Note each month to my readers. In those notes, I would tag all the people who’d read and responded to my work during the past month. I wanted to thank each of them for reading and responding. It was a lot of work. After writing those pieces for several months, I began to feel it was somewhat disingenuous. Sure, I appreciated the reads and interaction, but is that the best way to show it?

I decided it wasn’t. So, I stopped doing it.

The best way to thank a reader is to read and comment on something they have written.

Like you, I want my work to stand on its merits. If it is good, people will find it. If I write an attention-grabbing title and select an eye-catching lead photo, new readers will take a look.

If I write an engrossing first paragraph, you’ll stick with me and hopefully read to the end. If you find my work meaningful or if it touches you emotionally, I’m confident you’ll let me know. It’s one of the things Medium and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are designed to do.

What’s more, you may be inspired to share my work with others through Twitter, Facebook, etc. When that happens, I know I’ve found a friend and a writing compatriot.

Whenever someone does me a kindness, I try to reciprocate. If they read and comment on my work, I read and comment on something they’ve written. If they share one of my stories, I’ll share one of theirs. But I do these things only if I find their work meritorious, only if what I read truly hits me and I think it is something others will enjoy and appreciate. After all, we are judged not only by what we write, but also by what we recommend others read.

That old saying “build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” has some merit. Of course, a little advertising never hurts. And the best advertising is word of mouth (pen or keyboard).

My friend Terry Mansfield wrote an excellent piece on reciprocity and how it can help us succeed on Medium:

You Don’t Need Magic To Succeed on Medium — Reciprocity Does The Trick

I received an interesting message on LinkedIn from a fellow Medium writer.

medium.com

These are my thoughts and feelings on tagging. I’m curious to know yours. Please tell me in the comments.

Happy Reading, Writing, and Connecting, dear friends.