How Medium Top Earners do it: The Early Bird Strategy You Need to Try

This is why early bird writers get the worm: a proven strategy for boosting earnings on Medium

Every day I read stories about how people find it hard to succeed as content writers. I can relate to their struggles, my journey had its ups and downs before I got to the point where I’m at today.

As a seasoned author on the platform, I’ve discovered a proven strategy to boost my earnings and increase readership.

And in this blog post, I’m going to share my insider tips and tricks with you, so you can set up your writing calendar and blitz scale your earnings.

You don’t have to be a writing expert to use this system. All you need is a passion for writing and a willingness to add value to your stories.

So if you’re ready to take your writing to the next level—and maximize your earnings—read on and learn more about my early-bird approach to content writing.

The early bird strategy: why it works

I’ve been writing on Medium since 2019, and I’ve found that early-bird publishing is one of the most powerful strategies for enhanced content monetization.

By strategically planning and publishing my stories early in the month, I’ve been able to achieve amazing results on this platform.

After more than a decade of writing in the blogosphere, it was here that I managed to skyrocket my content reach to +100K monthly views.

I’m sure you’re wondering why early-month publishing is more effective for earning money via the Medium Partner Program.

Medium uses a complex algorithm to determine which stories get featured and recommended to readers.

This algorithm takes into account various factors, such as the story’s engagement metrics, including views, reads, and claps, as well as the author’s following and previous performance on the platform.

But there’s another crucial factor that often goes overlooked, and that’s the timing of your post.

You see, like any other company, Medium has a monthly budget for paying writers, and as the month progresses, that budget dwindles.

So if you publish your story later in the month, Medium may not have the means to feature your story as prominently as it would if you had published it a few days earlier.

By publishing early in the month, you increase your chances of getting more exposure and earning more money.

Let me break it down for you.

1. Stories that perform well in the first few days of the month are more likely to get noticed and recommended by Medium’s algorithm within the monthly window.
2. By publishing early in the month, you give your stories more time to gain traction and get shared on social media and crawled by search engines.
3. Non-members have access to three stories. After a couple of days, their hits will not count as reads and ultimately they will just clap and run.
4. As the month goes on, readers’ engagement and attention spans can wane, making it harder to get noticed.
5. Finally, publishing early in the month gives you a head start. With so many writers on Medium, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But by getting your stories out early, you increase your chances of getting noticed and gaining readers.

The “early bird" strategy is all about giving yourself the best possible chance to succeed.

By understanding Medium’s algorithm and using it to your advantage, you can get ahead of the pack and achieve amazing results.

In the next section, I’ll show you exactly how to implement the early bird strategy in your writing.

How being an early bird boosts my earnings

Now that you know why the early bird strategy works and how to implement it, let me tell you about my personal experience with this approach.

As a writer on Medium, I’ve seen firsthand how this approach to publishing can make a huge difference in my earnings.

I’ve published 925 stories on Medium so far, and I can assure you that most of my top-earning stories were written within the first half of each month.

By publishing my stories early in the month, I’ve been able to get more traction, gain more readers, and ultimately earn more money from the Partner Program.

For example, in the early days of January, I wrote a piece titled “What makes me skip your story.”

Within a few days, it had already gained several hundred views and thousands of claps.

By the end of the month, it had more than a hundred fans and earned me a significant amount of money.

Now let me explain what I think helped this story gain traction.

1. First, I planned it well in advance and made sure to send it early in the month to a top publication. This way, I made sure the editors would have time to review and publish my story within the first half of the month.
2. Afterward, I promoted it on social media and engaged with readers who left comments.
3. Finally, I made sure to keep writing throughout the month, publishing several more articles and inserting links to my early-bird stories.

The early bird writing strategy has been a game-changer for me on Medium, and I know it can be for you too.

Content is the new black and by planning it ahead of time, publishing early in the month, and promoting your work on social media, you can start seeing amazing results and becoming a top earner on Medium.

Ready to give it a try?

Take a look at your content calendar for the next month and start planning your stories.

The early bird gets the worm.

My tips for Success with the early bird strategy

So, are you ready to give this system a try? Here are my top tips for making it work for you:

1. Plan ahead: Set aside time each month to plan your content calendar for the upcoming month. This will help you stay on track and ensure you’re publishing early in the month.
2. Write consistently: The more you write, the more opportunities you have to earn money on Medium. Set a goal for how often you want to publish and stick to it.
3. Promote your work: Share your stories on social media, engage with readers who leave comments, and be an active member of the community.
4. Engage with your audience: Interact with your readers by responding to comments and engaging with them on social media. This will help you build a loyal following and keep your readers coming back for more.
5. Keep track of your stats: Monitor your stats and see how this system is working for you. Run readability tests. Keep an eye on your earnings, views, and reads to see if there’s any room for improvement.
6. Stay focused on quality: While it’s important to publish early in the month, don’t sacrifice quality for speed. Make sure you’re still putting out well-written and engaging stories that will resonate with your readers.

By implementing this system, you can start seeing real results on Medium.

And remember, it’s not just about making money—it’s about creating meaningful connections with readers and building a community around your writing based on a simple equation:

On Medium, it’s all about providing value to your readers. When you give them something worth their precious reading time, they’ll stick around and engage with your content.

The more value you provide, the more time readers will spend on your stories, and we all know what that means: more money in your pockets.

So, focus on delivering quality content that resonates with your audience, and watch as your earnings soar.

Unlock your Medium earning potential

So there you have it, dear reader. The "early bird" strategy has been a game changer in my writing journey here on Medium and other publishing platforms.

By planning ahead, staying focused, and putting in the work, I’ve been able to consistently earn more and more every month.

And the best part? It’s not just about the money —I'm building a community of loyal readers and connecting with like-minded writers along the way.

Despite the challenges that writers face on the platform, success is still achievable if you have the right system in place.

Are you ready to unleash your full potential on Medium?

Give the "early bird" strategy a try and see how it can transform your content writing career.

So don’t hit that snooze button, don’t let procrastination take over, and don’t doubt yourself.

Instead, set yourself up for success by adopting a new approach and putting these tips into action.

You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

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