Engagement Etiquette On Writing Platforms 101

What is engagement on a writing platform and why is there etiquette?

Engagement on a writing platform is one of the many ways a writer networks, builds their audience, and forms connections. And for many of us on Vocal it's how we create strong friendships that last for chapters and chapters of our stories.

I don't know if anyone else calls it 'engagement.' I do because it's where I 'engage' in interacting with the readers who have left a comment on one of my articles, or I am commenting on another person's article. Other platforms have messaging systems. Vocal has a discord where authors can join and talk with each other and the admins.

Engagement is when you open a line of communication and possible future connections with another person. And there is etiquette because not ALL engagement is created equally.

Some forms of communication and engagement can be harmful, spammy, or downright rude. And if you are hoping to BUILD an audience, and not get repeatedly reported for spam it's important you understand HOW to properly engage with other writers on your writing platform.

Why is engagement important?

Experienced writers will tell you that it's not all about quantity when it comes to building your audience on a writing platform. If you have chosen to be a writer on any writing platform, you need to start out with something to read. So you pump out articles to get the ball rolling.

Reads don't always come organically at first. A worm doesn't swim to a hook without bait. So you share your articles on your social media. But that won't be enough. I found out the hard way that I didn't get real traction until I began to read other writer's works and comment on them.

Not only are you supporting another author when you click on their article (and take the time to read them, and stay on the page for at least 30 seconds), like and comment on their article, you are also helping yourself.

Your name gets out there for people to see. You say the right thing, and people will become curious about you. All it takes is telling someone your opinion on their article, complimenting someone on their technical skills, or some other relevant and meaningful statement.

Not only will that author see your name, engage with you, and perhaps become a follower and dedicated reader of yours, but so will THEIR loyal dedicated readers.

And if you so happen to connect well enough to make other writers talk about your work, then you have come full engagement circle.

The No-No's Of Commenting

It's safe to say that there are some expectations of readers commenting on articles. A lot of people will simply ignore comments that are irrelevant, but people like me report and block.

There are rules to genuine engagement. Scratch that, there is only one rule: Be genuine.

What does genuine engagement look like?

1. You took the time to thoroughly read the article you are commenting on.

2. You are not a macrobot spamming the same comment over and over again with an article link, trying to siphon an audience. If you are a bot you WILL be dismantled by the more enthusiastic members of our community. We are REAL writers here - and we are NOT tolerant of your AI/Bot/Spam NONSENSE.

3. You do not post links to your own articles in the comments unless the article written was a direct response to that article or in direct relevance to the article. Mentioning an article you wrote about a topic is okay - it allows that person to go to your profile and look through your hard work. Maybe even get interested and read a few. But posting links to your OWN articles, and posting them repeatedly in other people's comment sections is in poor taste if not done correctly.

4. Your comment is relevant to the article that it is posted on, meaning either you had something constructive to say about the writing or an opinion or perspective on the topic at hand.

5. You do NOT use comment sections as a place to spread concepts of hate, violence or oppression. Do not use the comment sections as your verbal target practice. Do not be toxic. Don't be a TROLL. Unless you're a good troll that doesn't bite when you're fed.

6. Don't feel like you have to comment and engage in EVERY article you read. Be selective, and think about what kind of audience you're trying to attract before having something to say.

The Best Things To Say:

Not all advice or comments should be submitted. Not all advice or comments should be replied to. The hard part is knowing how to pick your battles.

A rule of thumb that we should all be pretty familiar with this: If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all.

Go with the flow of your platform and understand not all writers are the same. Some write satirical or cantankerous articles specifically to make people angry so that they engage. Others choose more positive standpoints. Others choose to empower and educate.

It's important to make your comment match the article. That's not to say you can't disagree with an article and have a discussion on it, but remember to keep all back-and-forth respectful. These back and forth discussions are how connections, loyal readers, and good friendships are made on writing platforms. So never use the comment section as a stomping ground for the ugly things you think.

If you have a strong opinion that may not be so nice, it's perfectly fine to write an article on the topic. NOT okay to verbally trash other writers. Okay?

If you have advice on how to help a writer be more successful, it's okay to kindly and respectfully give them the critique, like suggesting the use of headings to break up big blocks of text as segways into new information.

For example:

"I love the topic you wrote on. It was very educational and I learned a lot from it. Thank you for taking the time to share your expertise.

I will admit it was a little hard to read all of that information just jumbled up together in a big wall of text. Might I suggest the use of headings in future articles to make it easier for your readers to read?

Why is proper engagement important?

Networking can either build or break your following and interacting on writing platforms is no exception. This is the internet, and you WILL be held accountable by somebody out there for what you write on here.

Engagement builds your support network, it grows your audience, and it builds your reputation among readers and writers on your platform.

It's easily the second most important part of contributing to a writing platform (with writing being the first I suppose!). You can either build yourself up as an upstanding writing community member who genuinely supports your fellow authors and cares about their dedicated readers.

Or you can be a link-spamming twat, whom most writers and readers ignore and report until eventually you are banned.

Meaningful and Genuine Interaction With Other Writers Helps You Build Your Audience Authentically.

Proper engagement can pave your road to success. But it has to be done correctly.

In order to be a successful writer that people want to read... you have to present yourself as someone people can like. Even if you're not a particularly pleasant person, and you're a complete jerk like me - you still have to make people THINK you're likable to build an audience.

Yes, it's exhausting and hard. And yes, sometimes you have to control that evil 'respond out of emotional urgency' demon that lives inside of us. But here we are. I've got a pretty good following. And I did it by following my engagement etiquette rules.

And believe me, if I can do it, so can you.

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