When The Algorithms Don’t Work In Your Favor
It is what it is.
It’s been a while since I’ve been posting and actively engaging with other writers on Medium. My monetized articles got a few views and claps, so I earned a few dollars over the past two months, but it’s safe to say that taking a mini hiatus from consistent posting and engagement on this platform caused my stats to TANK (big time). I posted an article about the New Year. It was a so-so, slightly rant-y article, but the end results were pretty much crickets. Sigh. That’s when I realized that the algorithms were no longer working in my favor compared to when I was consistently posting. I am now “losing” in the Medium Hunger Games.
I don’t think I ever had the algorithms figured out on this platform, and I don’t think I ever will (and now I really don’t care anymore).
The same thing happened with my Instagram. I posted a picture after not posting anything for three months, and I had the same result: not as many likes. Granted it could be because it was a picture that didn’t have me or anyone else in it, but the engagement was flat.
It is what it is.
I didn’t join these platforms to become internet famous. I joined them to express my thoughts and share little tidbits of my life. I never really had a huge interest in being a social media influencer. That lifestyle looks tiring in my opinion.
With the algorithms no longer working in my favor, it was a good reminder to put myself in check and ask myself WHY do I post all of these things on cyberland for all of these strangers to see?
Is it for attention?
Hmmm, partly. As much as people love to deny it, we do seek some attention and interaction. There’s no shame in that. I think the problem lies when you become a slave to pleasing everyone else before yourself.
It still happened, even if you didn’t post it.
Sometimes things don’t need to be shared with everybody, even the small stuff. I may not consistently post on Medium or other social as much anymore, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not jotting down my thoughts or reflecting on the Instagrammable moments in my life.
I can 100% agree with Sunny Creates’s thoughts when it comes to being obsessively focused on your Medium stats. Screw ’em! Likes, views and engagement do not determine self-worth.
The Ten Commandments of blogging and social media influencing are simply optional, not mandatory.
Write when you feel like it. Post when you feel like. Find your balance. Find your truth.
