Why I Give 50 Claps on Every Article I Read
Can we all give a round of applause? It could change everything.
In the first few months of trying Medium out, I never clapped for anyone’s articles. I was brand new to the platform, and I only wanted to get the information I wanted and leave.
In the ensuing months, I began writing for Medium. I have a bucket list, and one of the items on it was to start a blog. I wanted to be able to say I gave blogging a chance. Whether or not I was good at it wouldn’t matter. All that would matter is that I helped someone out. Helping others is what makes me feel good inside.
Early on in my writing process, I noticed a few of my articles would have 3, 11, or 22 claps on them — small random numbers. Nothing to write home about.
Why couldn’t they just give me 50 claps? Was my article not worth 50 claps? Am I not meant to do this? In my head, I asked myself why they wouldn’t hold the clap button for just a few more seconds.
Like many people on Instagram or Facebook, I realized I was chasing the likes. Research has found “likes” linked to social rewards and providing them to others activates regions of their brains. We naturally crave attention because it releases dopamine (a good feeling).
Handling the Claps You Receive
When I see a notification saying “John Smith clapped for so and so article, I get both excited and curious as to how many claps they gave it.
If there’s anything less than 20, I assume it impacted them only a little.
If there are 21–49 claps, I assume they got a few useful insights out of it.
If there are 50 claps given to a particular post, I feel on top of the world and motivated to write another amazing article.
After putting myself into the shoes of a writer, I have been more empathetic about how people respond to different actions on Medium. For the past month or so, I have left no less than 50 claps on articles I land on.
Odds are, if an author’s title grabbed my attention, then the content would pertain to exactly what I was looking for. Luckily, this routine has been the case for pretty much all of the articles I’ve read. There’s quality work to be found all over Medium.
For the Newer Writers
The newer writers on Medium need all the support they can get to truly give themselves a fair shot at creating content. I’ll leave these newer writers a solid 50 claps and highlight my favorite points in their article I found useful.
Claps and highlights are pure motivation for writers. Utilizing Medium’s interactions conveys to writers that their thoughts are valuable, and people are noticing.
To lay the cherry on top, I’ll write a detailed response to the article and sometimes ask further questions. The authors of articles are typically more than happy to engage with their readers, especially if they genuinely care about their audience.
No need to feel any self-doubt after such positive feedback, right?
Medium differs from other content creating platforms like Instagram. While using Medium, I’ll frequently catch myself getting incredible value out of an article written in 2018 or earlier. A decent amount of time has passed, but the value the author shares stays intact.
On the flip side, I will rarely ever go back to an Instagram post from 2016 and feel inspired to take action. Writing is a different kind of interaction that can’t be matched. The way you can consume information on Medium is a lot more effective.
Fifty claps are the fuel that gets writers’ bonfires burning red hot.
It’s only about five seconds of our time that’s needed to give a struggling or amazing writer the pat on the back to keep them grinding on.
Readers who land on articles that have a decent number of claps are reassured that the time they’re about to spend reading is going to be worth it.
I want writers not to be discouraged if they have posts that only receive 5 or 6 claps. Continue pushing. All it takes is one individual who drops by and turns those six claps into 56. Claps build the momentum to keep writing from the top writer down.
Medium is a tremendous platform for sharing great ideas and helping other people. Let’s all support one another by passing off 50 magical claps after reading every article. You never know how much those claps can affect a person. These simple claps may be the fuel some writers need to pursue their dreams as a writer or even the author of their very own book.
Claps could change somebody’s life.
A Little Appreciation Can Go a Long Way
If you’ve ever written an article, you know how much hard work and diligence you put into it.
Famous entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk made an excellent analogy that will stick with me forever. It goes like this:
“If you want to have the biggest building in town, stop tearing down everyone else’s buildings. If you are a true winner, just build it.”
It’s true. We don’t need to bring other writers down so that we can try to outperform them. No, we must focus on ourselves and find a writing system that works specifically for us.
By supporting one another, we can reach new heights together.
And it won’t be at anyone else’s expense.
Clap it up, Medium! Let’s fill this platform with a round of applause that echoes past the mountains and into the great galaxy above us.
I proudly consider all of the members on Medium part of an extraordinary family.
“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see your smile & who loves you no matter what.” — Tiny Buddha website
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