Product Overview: Medium
What is Medium?
Medium is a social publishing platform founded by Ev Williams in August 2012. It is designed to be an open and diverse space where individuals and organizations can share stories, ideas, and perspectives. Medium serves as both a platform and a publisher, hosting a wide array of content, from blog posts to longform articles, on various topics.
Key Features and Functionality
User-Friendly Publishing
Medium offers a simple and clean layout that makes writing and publishing content incredibly easy. The platform features a minimalist design and an easy-to-use editor that focuses on content creation rather than formatting. This allows writers to concentrate on their writing without worrying about the technical aspects of publishing.
Content Ownership and Sharing
Content on Medium is owned by individual authors or publications. Readers can easily share and comment on articles, enhancing the interactive nature of the platform. Authors can add images, videos, and various embeds to enrich their written content.
Monetization Options
Medium provides authors with the option to monetize their content through its Partner Program. Authors can choose to keep their stories free or place them behind Medium’s paywall, earning money each time a member reads their content. Paid members contribute to the authors’ earnings by engaging with the articles.
Publications and Authors
Medium distinguishes between authors and publications. Individuals can establish themselves as authors, while brands, organizations, or media outlets can set up as publications. This structure helps in organizing and presenting content effectively.
SEO and Discovery Tools
To help writers reach a broader audience, Medium provides basic SEO tools. These include customizable story descriptions and URLs, which can be automated or manually adjusted to give readers a brief overview of the article and improve its discoverability.
Change Tracking and Revisions
Medium includes a change tracker that helps writers and editors keep track of revisions made to their articles. This feature ensures that changes are documented and easily manageable, even after multiple edits.
Story Options
Authors have the flexibility to write single stories or series of articles. This feature allows writers to engage their audience by indicating that more content is forthcoming, encouraging readers to anticipate follow-up pieces.
Feature Store and Recommendations
Behind the scenes, Medium uses a feature store as part of its recommendation system. This feature store is a repository that stores features used by machine learning models to power recommendations. It handles high-volume and high-throughput access patterns efficiently, enhancing the user experience by suggesting relevant content.
Conclusion
In summary, Medium is a robust publishing platform that combines ease of use, monetization options, and advanced features to support both authors and readers. Its clean design, user-friendly editor, and SEO tools make it an attractive choice for those looking to share their ideas and stories with a global audience.