A look at the 100,000+ operations methodology from Toutiao

I believe that many people who work in self-media have this obsession, which is to write articles that go viral on WeChat Moments . If it is expressed in a number, it would be 100,000+.

It can be said that writing 10w+ has become the main or even the only goal of people who run their own media or write public accounts . Because of this goal, many editors are working hard to make themselves able to make a comeback by achieving this goal.

However, many people have actually fallen into the misunderstanding that "self-media = public account".

Because of this misunderstanding, many people fall into the career trap of ineffective efforts and cannot extricate themselves.

In fact, self-media is not just public accounts, but also includes other platforms, such as Toutiao , Yidian Zixun , Penguin and other content platforms.

In the past, writing for a public account could barely be considered a self-media person, but now, it can be said that a self-media person is no longer a simple public account operator , but a comprehensive talent who can manage multiple content platforms.

In other words, the ability to build a self-media matrix is ​​the core competitiveness that a self-media person needs to possess.

1. Building a self-media matrix

Generally speaking, a self-media matrix requires a team to build, and it is difficult to build it by one person.

This is because each self-media platform has different characteristics, different content requirements, and different traffic quality. The best way is for one person to be responsible for the operation of a self-media platform.

Unfortunately, there are very few such teams. From my observation, most self-media teams focus their energy on official accounts (including mini-programs ), and only a few operate on Toutiao.

For an individual who wants to build a self-media matrix, the fastest and most effective way is to distribute content .

It is best to have only one purpose for doing this, and that is to pursue the total reading volume, because only this goal can make you more focused and avoid distraction.

In general, if you want to build a self-media matrix, you must have two abilities.

One is the ability to continuously output content, and the other is the ability to operate.

If you have to choose one of the two as your focus, content output is definitely the first choice, but it is also the most difficult because it is the most important criterion that distinguishes you from other self-media.

However, content alone is definitely not enough, operations must also keep up, but this requires thinking about one question:

What is the purpose of self-media matrix operation?

My answer is to acquire users or divert traffic.

So, is it appropriate and worthwhile to divert traffic between self-media platforms?

The answer is yes, because this is one of the reasons and purposes for a team to create a self-media matrix.

So what should we do?

In order to clarify this issue, we take another famous content creation platform besides WeChat - Toutiao as an example to illustrate how to obtain cross-platform traffic.

2. How Toutiao operates

Toutiao is a content platform that mainly relies on algorithm recommendations and is a traffic giant. The company has many apps under its umbrella, such as the famous Douyin , Toutiao, Wukong Q&A, Xigua Video, and Huoshan Video .

Toutiao product matrix

For self-media that mainly uses text, Douyin, Xigua Video, etc. will not be the first choice (unless your strategy changes), and you can only choose to output and operate content on Toutiao.

When it comes to the operation of text content on Toutiao, there are actually three platforms that need to be focused on, namely: Toutiao account , Wei Toutiao and Wukong Q&A.

1. Toutiao

This is the main way of content output on Toutiao. Its operation is very simple, which is to write articles, try to write original articles, or appropriately choose some popular articles for reprinting. I personally recommend trying to be original, because originality will force your own abilities and benefit you greatly.

When it comes to article writing, there are only two key parts: one is how to come up with a good title , and the other is how to write good article content.

Let’s talk about the title first. I personally recommend these two ways of writing titles: either subvert cognition or relate to authority.

To subvert cognition, simply put, is that your title expresses counterintuitive and counterintuitive viewpoints. Once people's cognition is subverted, they will become curious and click to browse your article.

Subvert cognitive title

Associated with authority, that is, to establish a relationship with famous people, events, or even companies. This kind of title is generally used to follow hot topics or to subvert cognition.

Related authoritative titles

For an article, almost half of the time is spent on coming up with a title, and the remaining half is spent on polishing the content of the article. When it comes to content, many people tend to overlook this point, namely the article framework.

There are actually many frameworks for articles. The more famous one is SCQR, which stands for scenario-conflict-question-answer. This is a formulaic writing method that can be applied directly.

My personal favorites are actually these two writing routines:

One is WWH (What-Why-How);

The second is story + chicken soup.

In the WeChat ecosystem , stories are very easy to spread, because in "Go Go Squid", story is one of the six elements of communication, and the same is true on Toutiao.

It is very easy to create a story-telling article. First, you need to collect a lot of story materials and adapt them when writing. Secondly, you need to clarify the theme and connect the stories that fit the theme.

Once you understand this, you will know why Mimi Meng is successful. In addition to her writing experience and teamwork, she has streamlined the "story + chicken soup" routine. No wonder most self-media people cannot compete with her.

As for how to write WWH, it requires a long time of practice.

Because this requires careful analysis and argumentation of a problem, it requires strong logical reasoning ability, and if you can stick to this writing method for a long time, it will be of great benefit to the training of logical thinking .

In addition to the title and structure, writing style is also very important, which requires daily accumulation and training. I will not explain it in detail here.

2. Wukong Q&A

This is the second text platform on Toutiao that is more important than home, and its counterpart is Zhihu.

Wuguoqia.com has a separate app, which is also recommended by algorithms on Toutiao to gain traffic and has a very large exposure .

Many people who run Toutiao accounts use pictures, texts and Q&A together. Moreover, the traffic directed to Toutiao accounts by Q&A is very considerable, even more than the number of fans gained by simply posting pictures and texts.

Wukong Q&A usually proactively invites Toutiao authors to answer questions related to their research fields, and also invites them to answer questions in other fields, but this usually happens when you are browsing other questions. After all, Toutiao is mainly based on algorithms, and your behavior will be recorded, which will affect the invitation and recommendation of questions.

Therefore, it is generally recommended not to pay attention to problems in other fields, but to focus on your own field, so that you can get more accurate traffic.

There are two ways to operate Q&A content:

One is to directly copy published articles, as long as the topic is similar;

The second is original answers. This has an advantage, which is that it solves the problem of sustained article creation.

For those who want to direct traffic across platforms, you can leave your WeChat account on Wuguoqia.com, but the effect of doing so alone is often not very good. It is best to expose the bait for diversion and the WeChat account at the same time, and conduct logical guidance. This is a good way to monitor the effect of diversion.

3. Weitoutiao

This is another entrance for text output, and it is also a hot spot that has been overlooked in Toutiao.

Weitao is a product designed by Toutiao for social networking . It can be understood as a product similar to Weibo and Moments , but it is different.

Because it is also recommended by the algorithm, which means that people who don’t follow others can also see other people’s micro headlines, of course, these have better content.

Because Wei Toutiao is ignored by many self-media people, it is rare to see a well-operated one. In fact, the operation method of Wei Toutiao is very simple. You can just copy the operation method of WeChat Moments, that is, text + pictures + conversion entrance.

The text can be brief and informative , in-depth opinions, or inspiring stories; pictures only need to match the text content, and should be as interesting and light-hearted as possible, without QR codes; the conversion entrance should preferably be a link that can leave information or sell goods, or a WeChat account plus bait.

For example, the Military Sub-Plane is an expert in the operation of Weitao, and we can study their content and operation methods carefully.

The operation of Weitou.com in the military sub-plane

Of course, if you want to rely on Weitao to divert traffic across platforms, you can refer to the method of Wukong Q&A.

Conclusion

The above is the operating methodology of Toutiao. The operating ideas of other self-media platforms are basically similar to this. As long as you study the product logic of the platform well, the corresponding operating strategies will naturally emerge.

It should be noted that the above are only personal experiences, but it is precisely based on these experiences that I have been able to accumulate tens of millions of readings. Of course, some of the methods here are not correct, but I hope they will be useful to those who are interested.

Finally, I want to say that it is not difficult to create an influence of tens of millions, and it is not difficult to write 10w+. The difficult part is whether you can do these three points, namely, pay attention to content, research platform, and create a matrix. If you can, your self-media may have unexpected development. Of course, it all depends on you.

I hope every self-media person can have his or her own influence.

Source: Dugushang