11 Ways I Reached That $100/Month Plateau On Medium
Climbing the Medium learning curve is an all-consuming pursuit
I’ve been on Medium with a vengeance for a little over a month now. And in the past week, I’ve finally reached the $100/month level (which means earning $3.33/day).
In one way, it’s a pitiful milestone. But in another? A considerable accomplishment. After all, statistics show only 9% of us reach those lofty heights.
Unfortunately, I am handicapped when it comes to navigating social media. I’m simply not of a generation that is fluent therein. Plus, I’m not an especially social guy. Yeah, I’m great with people I like. But in all candor, I don’t like a lot of people. And that’s a problem right there!
What I have going for me is the ability to write essays quickly. And I almost never suffer writers’ block or run out of ideas. Thus, writing two to three articles per day isn’t a problem. Some might not be worth the time it takes, granted. But I can churn them out. That’s for sure.
And since I got laid off from a shitty job and am now on unemployment, I have all the time in the world to really put all my effort into Medium. Which I have — and is one big reason I’ve hit the plateau.
Here are a few time-worn strategies I’ve used. Whether they actually worked or not I don’t know. But I followed the yellow brick road (what all the advice posts told me) and here’s my take:
- Befriend the community
Reading other writers’ articles, clapping if you like what you’ve read, and commenting is important. You must make friends and influence people. This is paramount.
2. Use Facebook
I’m not a big fan of Facebook. But there are several Facebook groups dedicated to Medium writers sharing their material and knowledge on how to navigate the Medium waters. I joined and posted articles on them all.
3. Write like your life depended on it
Get pissed off and then ventilate. One advice-giver proffered a gem: “If you can’t think about what to write, think about what makes you angry.” Works every time.
4. Sing and play the blues
Be vulnerable and honest in your writing. Wear your emotions on your sleeve. Write relatable stuff.
5. Bring value to the reader
This is important on Medium. On more than a few occasions, I’ve imported old material from a bygone blog and then added a paragraph or two at the end with a takeaway I didn’t include originally. For better or worse, that’s what Medium readers want.
6. How to’s and lists work
This is my first Medium article with a list. And I’m not big on how to’s. But I recognize it works on Medium. Which leads me to #7.
7. Recognize who your audience is and cater to them
By and large, Medium readers aren’t the edgy/alt crew I used to write for. We’re more mainstream. Thus, self-help and uplifting entries do much better than dark/I’m gonna kill myself material. I’m a downbeat and irreverent guy. But I recognize the audience and do my best to cater to y’all while still being me. It’s worth the compromise even if you feel like you’re spreading your legs for a buck.
8. This ain’t Quora. Get ready to work your ass off
For Quorans like me with millions of views, don’t expect to migrate to Medium and become the next “it” writer. Not gonna happen. It’s an entirely different world.
9. Follow the formatting rules and be grammatically correct
I’m not going to link to or describe Medium’s formatting rules here. They’re easy enough to find. But follow them. And if your grammar and/or punctuation sucks? Use Grammarly. Yeah, it’s bullshit artificial intelligence. But taken with a grain of salt, it can be helpful.
10. Submit to publications — but only sometimes.
This is a pet peeve of mine. To reach a wider audience, your writing needs to be accepted into publications. But you’ve just written what you think will go viral. And the last thing you want is to wait one publication at a time (you can only submit that way) to be rejected while your shit gets stale!
My take on this is publishing immediately with some pieces — and submitting and waiting it out with others. Yes, it doubles your writing load. But hey! One of the most important formulas for success on Medium is writing your ass off constantly. And if you’re prolific enough, it will work itself out.
11. Use embeds
What the fuck is an “embed?” I’m going to show you just down the page. It’s a visual link to a related article of yours which will hopefully lead the reader to your next pearl of wisdom. This article is basically about how to reach that $100 plateau, right? So the embed after this will be another making fun of Grammarly…and a second about Medium’s mission. They’re related to this one.
Ok! That’s enough. If you’re reading this, I assume you’ve read it all before. Just not from a guy who doesn’t constantly view the world through rose-colored glasses.
More on reaching your financial goals: