Like, subscribe and... punch in the face!
Two paragraphs of vague text or ten seconds of a video — and already there’s the irritating prompt: “If you like it, subscribe.” Like what? The visitor hasn’t even had time to figure out where they are or what’s going on. Why would you, the content creator, need such a subscriber? Of course, it’s all about the views — nothing but views.
Let’s say the situation is a bit better, and the subscription prompt appears at the end. It’s based on the assumption that future content will be just as useful and interesting. But more often it is the opposite. Even putting aside financial motives, it’s simply because creators evolve, and their interests change. To decide whether to This is not limited to articles: it goes for YouTube videos, media platforms, and messenger channels. Without a substantial and thematically cohesive body of content, subscribing is a leap into the unknown. or not, the reader is left to skim the old stuff and hope the new stuff will be of similar quality and about the same things.
Today, media platforms are oversaturated with content, all competing relentlessly for our time and, most importantly, our attention. Creators casually toss around calls to “stay connected,” with little thought for how much of their audience’s time they’re consuming. Take investors, for example, they want a business plan before putting money in. An audience has the same right to see the value before casually handing over attention, a resource even more precious than money.
The relationship between creator and audience should be built on transparency and fairness. My proposal shifts the focus to an invitation, giving the audience a genuine choice. This lays the foundation for a loyal and engaged community. And if you’re lucky, a casual visitor may become a devoted follower.
That irritation had been piling up for a long time, and at some point I decided to do something about it, if only on my own blog. Instead of a call to subscribe, there is a page with a publishing plan: what has not been published yet, what stage it is at, and for some posts an expected date too. The reader looks and decides for themselves whether it is interesting.
Next to every row of the plan, I added a “👍 interested” button. I wanted a simple and anonymous way to say “waiting for this one”: no sign-up and email, everybody’s used to a “like”. It is also a hint for me about which of the planned posts someone actually needs; maybe it is worth changing the priorities.
The next step (someday) is a one-time email notification about a specific article instead of a subscription to the whole future stream. That does not exist yet. Maybe I will build it once the audience grows and there are enough reactions to the planned posts. My guess is that it is only possible in personal blogs and some home-grown engines, but it would take into account the interest of each particular reader.
For now the site has only RSS and the plan page. I am not asking anyone to subscribe.
In the end, the goal shouldn’t be to gather as many subscribers as possible, but to build a community that trusts the creator. With mutual respect, a simple subscription transforms from a passive click into a deliberate decision.