A ‘Read Only’ Subscription would be a Game-changer for Vocal

I read a new article almost daily from my fellow creators suggesting improvements for the Vocal platform.

The more I read, the more the cogs were turning in my own brain over what would really make the platform a must for creators.

The answer?

Readers.

Think about it. Creators get paid via reads, and though we do our best to support our fellow creators, many of us find ourselves struggling to get time to work on our own writing, let alone having time to read and heart as much content as we would like.

Enter the ‘Read Only’ subscription option.

Here’s how it works:

1. It’s a paid subscription. Much like Vocal+ but for members who only want to participate in the platform as a reader.

2. Subscribers get paid to read and heart content. Obviously, for this to be viable for Vocal, the thresholds would have to be substantially higher than they currently are for creators who read and heart other articles. So, instead of a bonus at 15, offer one at 50.

3. Subscribers are able to review or leave feedback on articles for creators. Again, bonuses would apply. The caveat would be that creators would need to opt in to receive comments or feedback. For financial viability, the opt in would only be available for Vocal+ members.

4. Subscribers share and promote articles. This would drive up reads for creators and drive traffic to the Vocal website. If you’re like me, you were probably drawn to the fabled “$6000 per month” earnings you could make on Vocal. It also probably didn’t take you long into your membership to acknowledge that although possible, probability was low. Read Only subscribers promoting and sharing work would take the pressure to self promote off the creators who often find this component daunting or draining.

5. Subscribers can follow their favourite creators. Creators deserve this feature. There are too many creators to be able to keep track of who your favourites are, and they should be able to be revisited easily. This option should be available to all Vocal members.

6. Subscribers can vote in Challenges. The judges would still make the final call but the votes of the readers would contribute to the shortlisting and could be used as a tie-breaker.

7. Readers become Creators. This is the endgame for Vocal. Most writers are avid readers. Some may want to write but lack the confidence. Reading the works of others would potentially encourage them to try, and Vocal can in turn encourage them to ‘upgrade’ to creator status (Vocal+).

Now that I’m done ‘Shark Tanking’ that idea, here are a few features that would take the current platform from a fair to preferred option for creators.

1. Creator Curation of Public profile. Creators should be able to order their articles and choose ‘featured stories’ to promote at the top of their list.

2. Top Story badges. That are displayed on the image or next to the title before you click the link to the article. Likewise with stories that win challenges. New visitors to your profile should be able to identify these quickly to increase the likelihood of reads.

3. Read suggestions. These come up now, but they seem quite random. They should be based on your hearted reads and also include stories from the creator whose work you’ve just read.

4. Follow option. I’m mentioning this again, for good measure. Creators should be able to follow their favourite creators.

There you have it. My 100% opinion based answer to the questions Vocal never asked.

Over and out.