5 Mistakes People Routinely Make on Medium!

Summary

The article outlines five common mistakes made by writers on Medium, including missing messages, suboptimal use of tags, overlooking publications, making content difficult to find, and focusing on followers rather than readers.

Abstract

The article "5 Mistakes People Routinely Make on Medium!" by Susie Kearley provides insights into common pitfalls that Medium writers encounter. It emphasizes the importance of engaging with readers by not missing comments, effectively using all five tags to maximize story reach, publishing through publications to gain more exposure, organizing stories into subject lists for reader convenience, and prioritizing quality content and engaging headlines over chasing followers. The author, Susie Kearley, highlights that a substantial follower count does not guarantee readership and that consistently good articles, along with a bit of luck, are key to success on the platform.

Opinions

Engaging with readers by responding to comments is crucial for reader appreciation and engagement.
Utilizing the full capacity of tags (five per story) is essential for broadening a story's audience, combining both general and specific tags.
Publishing through Medium's publications can significantly increase a story's visibility to readers who might not otherwise come across it.
Organizing stories into subject lists makes it easier for readers to find content that interests them.
The number of followers is not a reliable indicator of story readership; quality content and captivating headlines are more impactful.
The 'follow for follow' approach is ineffective and should be avoided in favor of attracting genuinely interested readers.
Consistently producing high-quality articles, along with an element of luck, is seen as the best strategy for achieving success and potentially going viral on Medium.

1. You’re missing messages!

You’re probably missing some of the comments on your stories. Most of us do from time to time. They get lost among the notifications. But you can switch to look at responses only.

Check the ‘responses’ tab every day when you remember. It’s beside your ‘notifications’ tab, and it will help to catch all the comments left on your stories. Then you can engage with your readers so they feel appreciated rather than stumble across the message you missed a few months later.

2. Not optimising use of tags

Tags or topics are how people find your stories. If you’re not using all five of them, you are limiting the reach of your story. Also, if you’re using unusual tags that no one searches for, you’re not making best use of the tool.

Choose some broad tags, like ‘writing’ and ‘self’ to appeal to the broad number of people who follow these topics, and also choose some more specific tags, like ‘guinea pigs’ and ‘pizza’ if you want to hone in on niche subjects that are followed by fewer people. A mix of broad and narrow is good.

3. Don’t ignore publications

If you don’t publish through a publication, you may be missing out on readers. Most of us will visit a publication from time to time. This is an opportunity to get new eyes on your stories — people who might otherwise never see them. Submit to a range of different publications to give your work a little extra exposure.

4. Making it hard for readers to find stories

If you write on a range of topics, it’s really helpful to collate your stories into subject lists. Readers can then click on your list to see all your stories on a subject. Create lists by clicking on the sideways flag symbol at the top and bottom of your stories — it also shows on the preview pane.

5. Chasing followers, not readers

The number of followers you have does not translate into the number of readers you have. It helps to have a decent following, but I have over 3600 followers, and recently, my stats have been in freefall, along with my earnings. These are not 3600 readers. Many of my recent articles have had fewer than 20 reads. I need a viral story again!

So, don’t worry too much about your follower count, and forget the ‘follow for follow’ thing. It’s nonsense. It doesn’t work. You need people who are interested in your stories. And for that, producing consistently good articles, accompanied by a headline with the curiosity factor, is probably the best combination, along with a hefty dose of luck.