2 Crucial Misconceptions Most Writers Have About Writing On Medium
That’s including me
What’s one of the biggest mistakes Medium writers make? In fact, it’s more of a misconception than a mistake. Acknowledging this might turn average views and reads into a successful career on this platform.
The number 1 misconception
In theory, Medium is nicheless. You don’t have to write about one topic only. Instead, you could pick and choose any and every topic. For some, this works out great. They’re hitting viral post after viral post. For most of us, though, this approach is not the best idea.
Because in reality, niches matter a whole lot on Medium. Even top writers like Zulie Rane acknowledge and low-key complain about this. Zulie’s fans love her freelancing content. That niche seems to do best for her.
While she still loves to write about other topics like data science or psychology, she’s fully aware of the fact that these stories typically won’t get the reach as her freelancing articles. Not because they’re bad but because her followers look for certain types of posts from her.
So what?
In and of itself, that’s not a huge issue. It is noteworthy though. The mistake most writers make is thinking niches don’t matter on Medium. They do. To maximize reach and earning potential, they do.
This is even more true since Medium introduced the subscribe feature. Before that, it had been easier to write in multiple niches as followers didn't directly translate to views. Posting in fitting publications did.
It still does. Publications take care of some of the niche issues. But the other part is the subscriber feature. Your subscribers agree to get your stories in their inbox because they expect a certain set of topics. In some lucky cases, they really subscribe just because of you and they read everything you write, but in most cases, subscribers subscribe to read your “usual” content.
This brings me to the next misconception.
Misconception number 2
Your usual content. Even if you think you don’t have a niche. More often than not, your readers would disagree. Inadvertently, you might have picked a niche a long time ago. You just haven’t realized it.
I’m the best example here. My first few well-performing posts were all over the place. Multiple niches and topics. These performed well because they were published in prestigious publications. While they led to a good amount of views, it’s not even close to now.
For a couple of months, I’ve been niching down. Inadvertently in the beginning. While this sometimes bugs me a little, it has certainly had a very positive effect on my overall views, reads, and earnings. I bet Kristina God could tell you the same.
The bottom line
Does this mean you should only write in one niche ever? Not at all.
As I said in the beginning about Zulie Rane. It’s not about confining yourself to one niche, it’s simply about the awareness that other topics might not do as well as your main niche posts do.
But you’ll never know. By trying other topics, you can hit viral posts and create a “new” niche for yourself. One that your subscribers enjoy too.
Key takeaways here:
- Don’t underestimate the power of niching down on Medium. It will undoubtedly improve your overall views, reads, subscriber counts, and earnings.
- Don’t let this discourage you from experimenting. You might just find a new niche. And be even more successful. Find a balance of niching down and experimenting.
P.S.: First of all, you should get my posts in your inbox. Do that here! Secondly, if you like to experience Medium yourself, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. It only costs $5 per month, it supports us, writers, greatly, and you have the chance to make money with your writing as well. When I started, I made $3000 in 6 months. By signing up with this link, you’ll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won’t cost you more. If you do so, thank you a million times!
