Like and Subscribe if You Enjoy My Content
Why can you say that on YouTube and not on Medium?
If you’ve ever watched a YouTube video, you’ve heard the creator tell you to “Smash the like button, subscribe, and hit the bell for notifications” at the beginning or end of their video.
This is a basic example of a call-to-action (CTA). Essentially, it is a marketing tactic that compels the reader, viewer, customer, etc., to support your content or company.
In the case of YouTube, the creator wants you to like their video, to help with algorithms, and subscribe/opt-in to notifications to ensure another view for their videos.
On Medium, however, it’s generally considered tacky and unprofessional to say, “Please clap, follow, and read my entire article.” But a short sentence or paragraph at the end of your article to promote your publication, another article, or your social media account(s) is usually fine unless the publication explicitly disallows it.
Aren’t CTAs a tad obnoxious?
Throughout my time on Medium, I’ve gone through a range of feelings about this. At first, I understood that even a simple CTA at the end of your article was a no-no. I also heard that if you mention one of your older articles, don’t link it; people will search for it…
