How to get noticed on Medium
Start by writing what people won’t stop reading…
There are no strict rules on how to be a successful writer on medium, but one thing is constant; your ability to get noticed is largely dependent on how much effort you put into it.
On Medium, the rules of the game work differently. While some people believe that consistently writing everyday is a must, other writers who are not so consistent still make tonnes of money writing here. The “showing up everyday” mantra does not work the same way for all writers.
There are writers who have written for months without making much money, whereas others have written for shorter periods and cashed out big time.
Even though there are no defined rules, it is obvious that getting noticed on medium is based on the following:
1.Your ability to write what will keep readers glued to your story. 2. The interest of readers at a particular time 3. Joining the medium partner program. 4. Curation
Although there could be other reasons why your writing may stand out from the crowd, the above mentioned ones are the most evident.
They all point to one thing; if you write well and people love your style of writing and chosen topic, that’s a very good start! Welcome to medium!
Here’s what medium is all about:
Medium is a fantastic place to write and earn good money. It is an excellent platform where people can share their writing on any topic. A unique quality of medium is its ability to showcase diverse ideas from various authors. Simply put, it gives you an opportunity to reach a larger audience for your stories.
The Medium platform uses “reading time” as a basis for paying writers. With over 60 million unique monthly readers, medium is the best place to write. No ads, no compulsion for affiliate marketing. You can simply write what you like as long as you are making your payments for medium membership.
If you love to write regularly and are looking forward to writing on medium, it’s crucial to ask yourself the following questions: “What is my exact goal as a potential medium writer?,” “Would I rather be a full time medium writer or do so on a part time basis?” Depending on your reasons for deciding to write on medium, just get to it already. Even if it’s a hobby or a part time or full time job for you, the doors of medium are open to all writers.
Start by writing a couple of medium stories per week and commit to it. Remember; start writing already!
One thing is needed here: great content.
Here’s what you can do to get noticed on medium:
1. Submit to a publication that aligns with what you have written
Make a decision to start writing and submit to any publication of your choice.
Most publications would require you to fill a form or write a message indicating that you would like to write for them. Others publications may simply ask you to send email or attach the link of your unpublished draft.
Examples of well-known medium publications are Ascent, P.S I Love You, Illumination, Forge, Better humans, Innovation, The Writing Cooperative, Postgraduate survival kit, Age of awareness and the writer’s blokke amongst others.
Depending on your choice, you can decide to submit to larger publications or the smaller ones. It is sometimes advisable to submit to smaller publications if you are just starting as a new writer, because some large publications take a long time to respond and this could be discouraging for new writers. However, once you have decided to submit to a publication, read their guidelines thoroughly before submitting. Most of these instructions can be found on the publication’s medium page or website if they do have one.
The advantage of submitting to a publication is that it helps you gain more visibility. After you must have published more articles and gained a fairly good number of followers, you can then submit to larger publications.
The worst that could happen is a rejection, nothing more.
There are also medium writers who have also succeeded in getting more readers without doing any routine publication submission. Whatever you decide at the end of the day, do what works best for you.
2. Join the Medium Partner Program
Here, each writer’s earnings will be calculated based on the reading time.
To join the medium partner program, click the check box which allows you “make your story eligible to earn money” and then publish. This will allow readers to view it. As soon as your article is published, you are eligible to earn money as part of “Medium’s metered paywall”.
As a writer on the the medium partner program, medium will pay you monthly, based on the amount of time other medium members spend reading your stories. For example, if a member spends 10% of his time reading your story, you will get 10% of his revenue share.
No matter how much you write, you won’t get paid by medium if you haven’t joined the medium partner program.
Asides the partner program, there are other medium publications which pay writers. Check here for a list of medium publications that pay writers
3. Increase your followers (and following too)
If you want to be popular on medium, you have to grow your followers. One way you can do this is by writing consistently till you become a household name in the streets of medium.
You also have to keep your followers interested by dishing out the best writing pieces. Let your writing be so intense that readers won’t stop wanting more of it.
An engaging style of writing is all it takes. The more you write stories that people can relate to, the higher your chances of visibility. While some people relate to personal stories, others may prefer history mixed with science, politics or even love stories. Whatever it is, be engaging as much as possible. Let your writing flow like a physical conversation would.
You can also create an email list and update your followers whenever you have new information.
Apart from making efforts to increase your followers, try to follow and interact with other writers on the platform.
Don’t forget that once people read, you will earn more… That’s it.
4. Curation
You can may get more viewership if medium decides to curate your story. Curation is when medium handpicks stories to further distribute to a wider audience.
Once your article is curated, it means that more people will be able to see and read it. With curation, your article has a greater chance of visibility because it would be put in a category where medium readers will be able to view it. For instance, if medium puts your stories in categories such as money, writing or freelancing, it means that if someone browses through any of these categories, they will easily see your story. This form of exposure will most likely bring more readers to you.
If you do want to get curated, your story must meet up with medium’s curation guidelines. Check it here.
However, if your stories don’t get curated, don’t let that discourage you. Keep writing! Write because it makes you happy and because you enjoy doing so.
You can still earn a decent following and gain more money.
5. Join Medium writing groups on social media
Most people don’t join medium as perfect writers. They start out small and get better as they grow. Through all of these, writing shouldn’t be a lonely process.
There are different groups for medium writers; like a community where you can find support and never feel alone through your writing process.
From writing classes to online tutorials and group meetings, there are different medium group for various purposes. In most groups, reading and applauding stories of fellow members are ways of showing support. Highlighting sentences, leaving encouraging comments and expressing valuable opinions are also important forms of rooting for other writers.
Doing this often may seem too regular, but if you do these things, it could spark curiosity in other writers too to want to know more about you. As your visibility grows, you will meet more writers who share similar interests as you do. Become more visible on medium and writing support groups on facebook, quora and other social media platforms. Take advantage of these groups by joining them and keep yourself motivated by reading the stories of other writers. Build relationships and have strategic conversations with others writers like yourself.
As you read more medium stories, make an effort to read intricately and comment if need be. Skimming may not help. In making it on medium, no man is an island.
Lest we forget, medium is a community of writers!
Also remember to connect your medium account to your other social media accounts so that people can easily check out your stories, even when they are not actively searching.
“We rise by lifting others.”- Robert Ingersoll
Experiment different styles of writing till you find what works best for you. If you want to be conversational, fine. If you want to be strictly professional, that’s ok, but no harm in discovering your niche and your preferred area of writing. Your writing niche is a style of writing that is particularly suitable for you.
When can you publish?
Publish when you have quality content!
Final thoughts
If you want to get noticed on medium: 1. Don’t just write; write well.
2. Publish when you have great content. Remember, quality over quantity.
3. Research before writing and properly organize your work so that readers will find it interesting to read.
4. Whenever you write, promote it through your social media pages.
5. Know what curation on medium is all about.
6. If you want to start making money on medium, adopt a strategy and stick to it if it works for you. If it doesn’t, find something else that’s most suitable.
7. Lastly, write with a voice. Let people feel as if you are speaking to them. The truth is, people read for themselves and if they are able to develop a deeper level of communication when they start reading your work, they will read till the end.
8. When you write, check for spelling errors, include appropriate links where necessary. Use important tags too.
If you write well and are passionate about writing, medium is the best place to be.
