Why I Leave Responses on Every Article I Read
Feedback and acknowledgment leads to spicy engagement
The one thing that gives me a greater dopamine rush than seeing my Medium income is receiving responses from other human beings.
It could be due to the Coronavirus that having more human interaction in the comment sections gives me such a high. When readers take the time to leave a comment on an article telling you “great read!” or “my favorite part was XYZ,” it feels incredible.
Through offering and receiving feedback between writers and myself, I have experienced tons of personal growth as well as genuine connections.
For thirty days, I experimented to see how responding to every article I read would affect me, and my efforts have paid back tenfold.
1. Imagine You’re at a Networking Event
You are an entrepreneur just starting and need to grow your network. The company you started has little to no customers, and you need to get the product in front of more eyeballs. You’re not going to the event just to consume all the food and wine now, are you? Eating and drinking during the event are kosher, but if you want to make an impact, use the Tim Ferris technique.
Tim Ferris is a multi-million entrepreneur who says to eat before you go out networking and show up early. Both of these habits allow you to meet with the biggest fish and focus on having a quality dialogue. Throughout the interaction, you would want to remember vital information and acknowledge the other person.
Using all highly regarded communication skills will allow every person you come in contact with to look at you like a million bucks. Genuine conversations will lead them to remember you and your product. That’s what we want.
Being present in each response you leave encourages writers to remember you and check you out. Supporting authors throughout Medium will not steer you wrong. Supporting another’s success won’t ever dampen yours.
2. Engage with Other Writers, and They Will Engage with You
Over the past thirty days, I have left 263 comments on the articles that I have read. That’s a lot of comments! Benefits I’ve seen include:
- Authors follow you back
- They read your featured article
- They leave responses and claps on your writing
All of the good deeds eventually find their way back to you. I have seen how being genuine and making “social media” actually social enhances the entire experience.
A response I received that warmed my heart read:
“Thank you, Jordan. A great way to wake up in the morning — reading your fine words.” — Jay Squires.
Rightfully so, I am not one for buying bots that automatically follow random accounts in hopes they follow you back. Nope! I’m all about the process and honestly curating an audience. Directly engaging with others is extra motivation for us all. It feels good to share positivity, especially since its free and comes at the expense of just 30 seconds.
3. Marketing is Engaging with the Community
You may think, “Jordan, this is a waste of my time. Commenting on articles is going to do nothing, and I’m just going to write and focus on myself”.
It’s best not to think that way because the Medium algorithm will reward those of us who take the due diligence to engage with other writers.
Instead of worrying about forcing another article down someone’s throat, all you have to do is show empathy and authenticity with other writers. It’s far easier to earn the trust of paying members who help you make money so long as you genuinely read their content and engage appropriately.
Everyone wins when we read each other’s pieces and provide quality feedback. If you have something to say about the article that needs feedback, do so in a respectful way. English is not everyone’s first language, nor are we perfect writers.
More people will naturally flock to your profile, which is where you want to make a great impression by having a quality featured piece and an authentic bio.
“The gap between what’s expected and what you deliver is where the magic happens, in business and in life” — Jay Baer
Show up early to the networking event. Genuinely listen to what others have to say. Be present. Every little thing adds up to the way we leave our footprints.
I want to leave footprints that say “you are awesome” all over the platform and see how much positivity it generates.
Put in your two cents when you can, it can go a long way and pay dividends.