Tag Archives for content

Big Changes at Medium: Early Feedback on Paywalls, Community, Value .. and Content Strategy

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Lots of change happening on medium.com this week. A new membership plan for active readers was released in beta, creating a paywall for the the good stuff and promising more to come.

That left much unanswered. And it sparked a wave of concerns from members. One thing’s clear, Medium could be doing better in the PR department. A good FAQ goes a long way at times like these, and I actually found one among comments to member posts (link below).

A well-kept secret? Go figure.

It’s especially ironic that it’s easier for me to summarize what I’m learning about Medium here on WordPress, where I can create content more fluidly. Medium provides a beautiful content experience. But the simplicity of their toolset becomes limiting when you want to organize, curate, or otherwise assemble information.

Perhaps that’s the good stuff yet to come? Here’s hoping.

We’ve been discussing Medium strategy on Twitter via both #mediachat and #smchat, and I’ll sum up those conversations like this:

Medium is elegant, attractive and intuitive. It could play a huge role when it comes to your content strategy. Where are you developing your public voice, the messaging and stories you want to share with the world?

The net of it:  I think Medium is worth a look, especially once we get through all the changes. Personally, I love it there, and plan to stay with it. And I’m not afraid of change, or a reasonable monthly subscription.

Worst case, we go back to clickbait and plain old internet.

Meantime, while the dust is settling (and it may take awhile), let me provide a few key links for quick access and reference.

Let’s start with the official view:

Next, insight from a few top Medium writers:

And stay tuned for my own two cents:

  • Taking Chances .. my post has been written, I will put the link here.

Stop back in. I’ll add more links if they offer new insight or perspectives. And yes, I’m a founding member, whatever that brings. If you’re on Medium, you can tell who’s “in” by looking for the little green semi-circles on Medium profile photos, like mine. You’ll learn who’s placing their bets. Or, at least, who had a spare $5 spot.

Let me know your thoughts – on here, Twitter or Medium.

One way or the other, I’ll see you online.

Chris (aka @sourcepov)

The Value Stream of 140c: The Why and How of Sharing Good Ideas

In NYC this week, #140conf is pulling back the covers on “meaning” in the social context.  Over at #e2conf in Boston, they’re taking a hard look at Enterprise Social, aka #e20.  It’s a unique opportunity to take a checkpoint.

What is our intention for engaging via social media?  Why are we here?

Sometimes it can feel like a very large echo chamber, but I think that’s self-inflicted. In short, we’re not focusing on the value in front of us. Here’s my take:

The value of social is linked directly with our content equity .. our ability to recognize, expand and share good ideas in the marketplace.

Sounds like a mouthful, but its easier done than said.  The best way to accomplish this in Twitter is to be focused and intentional in what we tweet about, putting thought to what we’re saying and who we’re trying to reach.  And it starts with a well designed tweet.  A powerful tweet has 5 primary elements, to drive maximum value:

  • Your opinion. This is the value add that you provide to the content. It’s the essence of social media. Without this, you’re simply passing the raw idea on “as is” without benefit of your experience.  You play a HUGE role in interpreting the content.  I think it should appear first in the tweet, for maximum impact. Often saying “YES” or “AGREE” or “+1” is enough.
  • Idea Frame (aka the Headline). What is the big idea?  Be creative.  Succinct.  Relevant.  If you’re RTing a poor headline from another source, now’s your chance to fix it.  I try to put it in quotes, so it’s clearly the main focus.
  • Link to long-form content (use a shortener, like bit.ly). There must be a link to valuable content, even if (and often especially if) it comes from someone else. It’s possible to deliver meaning in 140c, but it’s easier to deliver it in a 350-word blog or white paper, then amplify/discuss it in 140c.
  • Credits. Who is behind this great idea?  Use their Twitter-IDs.  I use “by” for the author and “via” if its a referral.
  • Context (aka the Hashtag). Without relevant connection points, the content in question lacks context. Who cares about this idea? What communities or thought streams need to know? A tweet without a hashtag has a significantly shorter half-life. This is perhaps the single most under-utilized aspect of effective #140c engagement.

And you’ve got 140-characters to do all that.  Get to work :)

As T.S.Eliot said, constraints force the mind to its maximum creativity.  All these elements matter.  This is both art and science, really.  The most valuable and meaningful tweets reflect the DNA of good ideas.

In the social space, many, many smart people are out there, and they’re eager to share their great ideas.  That means we have an almost limitless opportunity to drive/extract/expand value by participating in the exchange.  Our role in the social marketplace is about connecting on quality content and bringing it forward, enhancing it, making it better, more relevant, more useful .. and yes, #140conf folks, ultimately making our collaborations more meaningful.

I’m in the back channel for #140conf (NYC) and #e2conf (BOS) this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a part of the fray. If you want to discuss this further, you’ll find me at the event hashtags as well as my home collaboration tag: #cdna.

See you online.