My article was featured on SmartNews. It was the 'readers' who told me. ——I'm aiming for an account that grows together with its readers.

An unexpected feature on SmartNews.
But it wasn't me who noticed, it was the 'readers'.

That's when I thought.
'Ah, this account really is growing together with its readers.'

Zero reactions. But I felt like it was being read—I think I finally understand the reason why.

With note, don't you ever feel like someone is reading your work, even when there are no reactions, just because the 'view count' keeps going up?

I had just written an article about that 'feeling' two days ago👇

……And then.
(It was a different article, but) I received a surprising comment.

……Huh? SmartNews?

Does that really happen?

I never dreamed that a note article would be picked up by SmartNews, so I was honestly surprised.

I had always thought that 'feeling' meant external traffic via SNS.
But I guess this pattern exists too…….

A world where your work reaches people without the writer even knowing—that's what SmartNews was.

I thought, 'If it's featured, I want to take a screenshot!' so I hurried to look for it, but I couldn't find it at all.

Even when I searched by article title or creator name, it didn't even come close.
I opened every channel I could think of, like 'Column,' 'Life,' and 'note,' but they were all misses.

I was so curious that I looked it up online.

Then, I found a few stories about people saying, 'I got a notification from SmartNews that my note was featured,' but they were all articles from one or two years ago.

It seems that now,you don't get a notification even if you are featured.

When I looked further, it said that on some SmartNews channels, note articlescan be automatically picked up.

What's more,it just flows through the algorithm so itdoesn't even show up in searches.
……No wonder I couldn't find it.

That means,
if that person hadn't left a comment,I would havenever realized my article had its 'moment of glory' for the rest of my life—is that right? (Too sad)

The reader took action from a place where no views or likes would remain.

Due to SmartNews' specifications, note articles can be read in full within the app.

Neither view counts nor likes remain for the writer.

In the first place, even though I read articles on SmartNews myself, I have almost never gone out of my way to jump to the original site.

But that person
found my article on SmartNews and became interested.

From there,
they pressed 'Read other articles by the creator' or
'Read on the original site',
and went out of their way to jump over to note.

Then, they 'liked' the featured article,
and even read other articles as well.

And at the end of that, they left such a wonderful comment, right?

……Perhaps it was something they did casually.
But it really resonated with me.

Honest comments help the writer grow

Of course, I was happy that they told me it was featured on SmartNews.

But what made me even happier was
thehonest feedbackthat was in that comment.

……These are all things I am always conscious of.

'I want to think about the reader and write sincerely,' I think every time.
But sometimes I worry if that actually comes across in my writing.

That is precisely why, when I receive a response in words like this,
I feel relieved, thinking, 'It did come across.'

That becomes the reason I think, 'Maybe I'll try writing again.'

Even if there's no reaction, someone is reading it properly.
And, beyond reading it, they are feeling something from it.

When I realize that, I feel like I've been gently pushed forward.

It might be a bit of an exaggeration, but
I feel like I'm being raised by the words of my readers in that way.

The story of the comments I 'want to frame and hang on the wall'

“I read it on SmartNews and got curious, so I came to your note.”
“I read your other articles, and they were comforting.”

……To be told things like that, I'm truly overjoyed.

It's completely different from social pleasantries like 'returning a like' or 'I'll follow you back'.

The comments remain as 'proof' that they truly touched someone's heart.

Honestly,
they're at a level where I want to frame them and hang them on the wall.

For me, they might be more valuable than a 'Congra Board*'.

* A commemorative image from note management, such as 'Your article [Title] received a lot of likes last week'.

My account grows together with its readers

Interacting with readers becomes motivation for a writer.
But I think the good thing about note is that there is an atmosphere where even those interactions can be shared as an article.

For example,
writing an article saying 'Thank you for 1,000 followers',
or expressing gratitude by writing about 'Wonderful comments'.
There is a culture of keeping the relationship between writers as a 'record' in that way.

There are also people who add my articles to their own magazines,
such as 'Articles I want to read again' or 'Articles I resonated with'.
When that notification comes, it makes me quietly happy.

Also, like this time—
sometimes a passerby will honestly leave a comment about the moment their heart was moved.

And now, I am turning that 'encounter' into an article here.

With this article added to my account,
I feel like it has gained a little more depth.

As a writer, I am always conscious of the presence of my readers.
Encouraged by their reactions, I can think, 'I'll write again tomorrow'.
I believe that accumulation is what will surely help my note grow.

This account will grow together with its readers.
I am writing with the goal of creating such a place.

Well then, good night. See you tomorrow.

Thank you for reading until the end 😊

If you 'like' or 'follow' me,
・Do you have a comment you'd want to frame and display?
・Are you someone who enjoys the interaction between 'writers and readers' on note?
・Did you resonate with the idea of growing together with readers?
I will interpret it in my favor and be happy ✨

Here is the article that was picked up by SmartNews this time 👇
(There wasn't really an explosive increase in views. lol)

My self-introduction article is here 👇

'You don't have to try to pierce through to people, it will reach them properly'—I suppose that's what this means. ——This recent event made me think that way.