The uncluttered, ad-free environment is the first thing you will notice about Medium, but the professional content and big name contributors quickly make you realise that this is the future of content distribution.
Deepend’s Engagement Coordinator, Jonathan Butler, spoke to Gabe ‘The Wolf’ Kleinman, Special Projects and Partnerships Manager at Medium, to get the inside scoop on the must-visit platform.
JB: Tell us about what’s happening at Medium – what is your focus right now?
TW: We’re excited and optimistic about everything that’s happening. We’re in the process of trying to update the Medium business in terms of measurement, as well as publishing. We’re listening to the people and trying to make sure that feedback is reflected in updates to the product.
We’re also continuing development in our ‘Pop-Up Publications’ sector. If you visit www.Medium.com/gone you can see what the Marriott portfolio of brands is currently doing in the travel communication space as an example. We’re working on the launch of an Education sector project funded by a major foundation too.
JB: There are a few consumer brands on Medium, despite it being an advert-free environment. Do you really think brands, publishers and individuals can play in the same space?
TW: People choose to consume what they want to. If an individual doesn’t want to interact with a brand then it’s pretty easy not to. I’d also say that the bar is set much higher for brands, because they have to compete with professional and quality user generated content. There are some brands that are using it masterfully, for example, Dropbox and their publication Dropbox Makers. Dropbox is not producing content for the sake of it, they are using the platform with a definitive purpose to recruit people and showcase existing employee profiles.
JB: What do you think is the next big thing for digital content?
TW: I think an interesting dynamic that you’re going to see on over the next few years has to do with creation versus aggregation. There are some people who are ‘creators’ and they are wonderful at making content. They may also distribute it. There are other players who are exceptional at aggregating or curating content, but don’t make any of their own. This is a classic ‘who creates’ and ‘who distributes’ scenario that we’re going to see continuing to unfold and evolve over time. For example, there are so many content creators on Facebook, yet Facebook itself is essentially the distribution vehicle.
JB: What are your top three tips for getting read on Medium?
TW: The basic rules of the Internet apply here:
- Write a great title.
- Get a solid image that will show up well on screen.
- Finally, promote your work through both Medium and other channels.
Read the full interview here.
