Online Community Building
An Authentic Open Letter to Non-Members
Articulating the value of membership for curious minds, avid readers, and global collaboration seekers
Non-members can read this story for free via this link.
Recently, a data scientist friend of mine became curious and decided to explore my followers using APIs. He discovered that a significant portion of my followers were non-members. This revelation wasn’t surprising to me, considering that over 8,000 of the 27,000 writers who contribute to my publications are also non-members. Still, we support them as a diverse and inclusive community.
Unlike some writers, I hold no grudges against non-members. In fact, I embrace them with empathy and compassion, as I used to be one of them years ago, with skepticism and not seeing the value initially.
Back then, I didn’t quickly grasp the value of membership and was even unaware of how to become a member as so many blogging platforms offered various services.
However, once I understood its significance, membership to Medium proved to be a game-changer compared to any other platform or blogging site I have supported over the decades. Interestingly, none of my content subscriptions were more affordable and of higher value than Medium.
My Perspectives on Non-Members
I truly appreciate the interest of non-members who follow my content out of curiosity, stumbling upon it on social media. However, I am often bewildered and disappointed by the lack of control over distribution on this platform. As a result, I cannot directly support non-members unless they subscribe to my content.
My new strategy is to make my content accessible through platforms like Substack and ConvertKit, allowing more readers to benefit from my knowledge, research, and life lessons. Recently, on a viral platform with great distribution, my stories reached out to over 5 million readers in a month as they found them free.
While the monetary gain isn’t my priority on this platform, I genuinely care about my audience discovering my valuable content. It is rewarding when non-members encounter valuable stories initially. Many great writers feel like me. I personally share the friend links published in my publications and the stories of my proteges to help them build their audience quickly.
However, since they can’t access the content through Medium and are prompted to upgrade to membership, many potential readers likely give up and never return. As a result, my large following doesn’t effectively amplify my content.
In fact, based on my observations, it has had adverse effects. The inability of non-members to read my content has significantly reduced my read ratio and, ironically, lowered my views. It is also possible that the algorithm perceives my content as less valuable due to this trend. So, the more followers I gain, the fewer views my stories get.
Why did I write this heartfelt open letter today?
This heartfelt letter invites you to explore some of my high-impact stories for free through my FriendLink. If you enjoy these stories, I encourage you to consider a subscription-based membership, priced at only $5 a month — equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee in my country, Australia.
Within just one month, I guarantee that your perception of Medium will undergo a transformation. A monthly subscription allows you to access an extensive library of stories from thousands of writers, some of them edited and peer-reviewed by volunteers, ensuring no harmful content.
In addition, Medium significantly invested in a Boost program that amplifies exceptional stories with nominations from community editors like myself and many more. My publications support the Boost program to amplify high-quality stories and delight readers.
This platform hosts millions of stories and thousands of publications. For instance, my publications (ILLUMINATION Community) alone have published over a million stories contributed by 27,000+ writers since 2020.
With over 20,000 publications available on this platform, the possibilities are endless. Some publications specialize in specific content, like my Technology Hits pub, which offers thousands of tech stories across various domains. It’s a haven for tech enthusiasts and professionals seeking valuable insights and opportunities to connect with experts in the field.
This leads me to the crucial topics of collaboration and network building. Medium is an ideal and serendipitous platform for finding collaborators, especially if you are a specialist in a specific business or a business owner.
Since becoming a member, I have connected with thousands of professionals, some of whom became collaborators and others lifelong friends. I even found some clients. In fact, they found me through this platform.
This platform is not just for reading ad-free and extensive real-life content written by genuine people. It is a global community facilitating networking and collaboration with like-minded people even for creating lifelong friends.
With features like leaving comments, sending private messages, subscribing to content, and even emailing subscribed writers, Medium provides excellent tools to connect with like-minded individuals.
While Medium simplifies audience building and collaboration, I took an extra step by creating a virtual community through a Slack workspace. It is a free, moderated space designed for easy, comfortable, joyful, and secure audience-building. Everyone with a Medium account can join my writing and reading community and benefit from our free services.
You don’t need to be a member to join my community — having an account on Medium is sufficient. However, to expedite audience building with meaningful communication and engagement, a $5 membership can greatly enhance your experience and make it more enjoyable.
Furthermore, volunteers who support my publications, which produce free content for members and non-members, also engage in content curation to give back. For instance, you can explore sample curated collections such as this one by Mike and another by Aiden from ILLUMINATION-Curated, a formal boost-nominating publication on Medium.com.
To enhance collaboration and networking, I introduce my collaborators, who are experts in their fields, by interviewing them, reviewing their books or services, and creating unique profiles through the free services of our volunteer editors. These tools facilitate seamless collaboration and networking with like-minded individuals.
Medium is an innovative organization that constantly introduces new products to assist writers and captivate readers, allowing them to engage meaningfully by putting stringent rules and carefully governing so the platform is not abused or misused. One of its most intriguing and beneficial offerings is Friends of Medium, a special subscription priced at $15 per month or $150 per year.
This subscription provides additional monetary support to writers, encouraging them to publish more meaningful, impactful, and valuable content to attract discerning readers.
Moreover, Friends of Medium subscribers can share friend links with anyone online, enabling them to access content for free while supporting the writer’s income. This innovative solution creates a win-win scenario for both writers and readers.
In this post, I will link the profiles of some of my Friends on Medium so you can reach out to them by clicking on their profile to learn why they chose to upgrade and their experience with it so far.
The program is only three months old, and many upgraded members express great satisfaction with the deal. I will write a story about my remarkable findings from around 100 early adaptors soon.
You may also check out my perspectives on the new Friends of Medium subscription in the attached stories, which are all friend links you can read for free.
Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
How Friends of Medium Can Amplify Important Stories Via Customized Social Media Sites
Celebrating My Reading Anniversary with My Upgraded Subscription to New Medium Friendship
In the next section, I provide some of my most popular and impactful stories that you can read for free. If these stories resonate with you, I invite you to try Medium’s base membership for one month.
A $5 investment can potentially change your life personally and professionally. Consider this a serendipitous encounter leading to a golden opportunity. You may thank me anonymously later — I don’t need any acknowledgment or praise. Your happiness and satisfaction will give me joy.
FREE Gifts for Non-Members from My Collection
All these stories have friend links, so you may choose the ones that resonate with you. They reflect my decades of research and experience to contribute to the well-being of society.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Rises, Concerning Me As It Was My Big Problem
4 Well-Research Benefits of Trimethylglycine (TMG) as a Methyl Donor Addressing Homocysteine
MTHFR Polymorphisms or Mutations: Getting Checked to Prevent Cardiovascular Issues
Soulful Connections: Finding Meaning in Mammadou’s Childhood Letters
Here’s How I Train My Brain Daily for Mental Clarity and Intellectual Productivity.
Meditation Can Boost the Cortical Thickness in the Brain and Prevent the Thinning of It
A New Clinical Trial Found a Low-Carb Diet Better Than the Dash.
Here’s How to Make the Nervous System More Flexible and Functional.
Here’s Why I Focus on Nutritional Biochemistry Rather Than Diets
A New Allergy Research in “Science” Sparked My Childhood Memories
Why I Take 1g N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Daily for Over a Decade
After the Heart & Male Reproductive Health, Viagra Now Has the Potential for the Brain Function
Queer Organisms: Nature’s Lesson for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality
How Writers Can Attract More Readers by Using Design Thinking Principles
Why I No Longer Chase Money & How I Escaped Hedonic Treadmill to Find True Joy
Thank you for your attention to this message, checking my stories, and sharing them on your socials. I wish you the best in your life journey.
Dear Friends of Medium,
As collaborative friends, I would appreciate your comments on this story, depicting the value you derive from your upgraded membership.
Your inspiring comments might encourage non-members to become members and current members to consider upgrading to Friends of Medium subscription to make this platform more vital and sustainable.
Additionally, I’d appreciate it if you could please share the friend link of this story so that more non-members can read it, understand the value proposition of the Medium community, and possibly join our joyful and collaborative journey on this wonderful platform.
Aiden (Illumination Gaming), Mike Broadly, DHSc, Dr. Lutz Kraushaar, Elizabeth Emerald, Josh Balerite Acol, Dawn Ulmer, Lorwen Harris Nagle, PhD, Antonio Segovia, MD., David Mokotoff, MD, Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Dr John Frederick Rose, Dr. Christine Chuckle, Dr. Julian Barkan, Martha Manning, Ph.D., Michael Burg, MD (Satire Sommelier), Wayne Stelk, PhD, Seda Anbarcı, Rebecca Romanelli, Sven Vandenberghe, tarun bhatt, David B. Grinberg 🇺🇸, Pernoste & Dahl, Annelise Lords, Elaine Hilides, Bill Abbate, Angie Mangino, Haimish Mead, Rui Alves, Amir Bibi, Marcus Musick, The Bumble Life, Ali Alzahrani, Editor, Zeem, Barbara J. Martin, Luay Rahil, Sherry Atkinson, Jay Squires, Tom Kane, Fiona McDerment, Ammara Hassan, Rick Allen, Akaahan Terungwa, Mariana Busarova, Daniela Dragas, john creed, Meghan E. Gattignolo, Britt H., Shanté Nixon, Darlene López, Arosa Jabein, James Boylan, Ivylockewrites, Jodes Wiltshire, Kashi Writes, Robin Christine Honigsberg, Jill Ebstein, Libby Shively McAvoy, Lysandros Lysandrou, Alina Pitt, NADINE H, Senetta Diane, Omni Essence, Power of Positivity, Deborah Camp, Misty Rae, ✅ Doc Samurai Sam, Mhstuart, Wesley van Peer, Hira Chaudhry, Anshul Kummar, Ruby Noir 😈, Memoona Bilal, Charles Davie, Ani Vals, Cancer Husband, Usman Khalid Qureshi, Pete J J, Jake Roper, Gill McCulloch. FranMorelandJohns. Lovely Poems, Sanjay Singhal, Michael Zwierzanski, Patricia Ross, George M Pantazis, Lanu Pitan🥰, Matthew Bamberg, Leon Macfayden, Justiss Goode — 2.0, Marcus aka Gregory Maidman, Scarlet Ibis James 🦩, Frank Ontario | empathy, logic, love., Prasanna Srinath Subhasinghe, Oksana Kukurudza’s Sunflowers Rarely Break, Harry Hogg, Jamel Hendley/Greenviool/PawProfits, Parenteeny — teenagers can do more, Delaney Patterson, Livia Dabs RN,MSc, The Sturg, Øivind H. Solheim, David Rudder, , Haroon Shauket, Javad Oftadeh, Momentum, Sam writes 🌸, Eiman Fatima, B.R. Shenoy, Sweet Honeylu, Yana Bostongirl, The Daily Updater, Dr.Ramesh Chaurasiya, Saeed Sobhani two, Hammad Ahmad, Sania Haroon, Iqraashraf, Flow-Writer🌻, Alyce, Brian Dickens Barrabee, Nedelcu Alina, Derya Gungor, Ph.D., Tree Langdon, Britni Pepper, K. Joseph, Stories From the Mountain, James Boylan, Estella Writes, ilias B., Yana G.Y., MAGDALENA PONURSKA, Nicole Dake, Runa Heilung 🌻, Silva Mirovics, Chris Thompson, Vince Mao, Charles Bastille, Joellyn Rose Keener, Author of Deaf and Determined, Michele Cambardella, Sandra Afonso, Brenda Grate, C. Circe Reid, Player One, Bebe Nicholson, Joshua Mason 🔱, Aza Y. Alam, Sufyan Maan, M.Eng
Thank you for being so supportive and collaborative in growing this platform together. It is a pleasure to work with you.
If you’ve recently upgraded, please comment on this story, and let’s celebrate your support for our writers!
Many thanks to the Medium Staff for these opportunities. And heartful gratitude to ILLUMINATION editors and ILLUMINATION-Curators for supporting 27,000+ writers and thousands of readers on this platform.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, and humor.
I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness. 100+ Insightful Life Lessons from My Circles for the Last 50+ Years
If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 27K+ writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories.
Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
