How To Reach The Top 5% On Medium In 6 months
What I’d do if I was starting again today
Very few writers earn more than $100/month Medium.
Estimates are that around 5–10% do.
My first few months on Medium suggested I would never join this illustrious group.
I started in January 2023 and after 3 months I had the:
- $0 earnings
- 66 followers
- 499 views
But 6 months later I now earn $300/month and have 1000+ followers.
My road to growth hasn’t been an easy straightforward one. I’ve hit plenty of dead ends. There is no simple secret to earning triple figures on Medium. But success does leave clues.
If I was starting again on Medium this is what I’d do to reach a triple-figure income quickly.
Find your niche
You can’t build a loyal audience if you write about lots of different topics.
Big accounts can do this because their name becomes their niche. But when you start out you need to write for a specific reader. If a reader enjoys your article about investing in real estate. They are unlikely to appreciate your poetry or your reflections on how to make a marriage work.
These are different audiences.
So how do you decide what to focus on?
Don’t rush this decision. You will be with this topic for a long time (although there are opportunities to pivot further down the line).
You don’t get to make this decision. Your readers do. If I was starting again this is what I’d do:
Pick 4 topics to write about that:
- You enjoy thinking about
- You have a level of knowledge
- You are curious to learn more about
Then do the following:
- Write an article every week on each topic (4 articles/4 topics)
- After 3 months look at the data. Pick the most popular two and write 2 articles/week on these (drop the other 2)
- After another 3 months look at the data again. Pick the most popular topic
Your niche is that sweet spot between you and your reader’s interest.
Apply writing advice to every article
There are no secrets on how to write well.
All the information is available in books, articles & newsletters.
Applying it is less common. New writers make 3 mistakes:
- Get overwhelmed by all the advice & spend all their time reading about how to be a great writer
- Be consumed by their content they ignore any writing advice
- Assume their previous writing experience works online (I’ve got a degree I know how to write)
You have to commit to improving your writing with a simple clear process.
This is mine:
- Pick 3–5 writing tips you’ll want to use
- Write them out and keep them in view when you are writing
- Include them in your editing checklist
- After 1 month pick 3–5 new tips
If you don’t know where to start — key things to learn:
- write concisely
- craft compelling headlines
- effective introductions
- storytelling
- outlines
Write more
I saw a dramatic growth when I increased my writing from 1 article to 4 a week.
Volume is a key tool to help you grow and develop your writing. Writing more takes more time. However developing strong processes can help you write quicker.
I’ve previously written about how to do this. But the key ideas are:
- write when you are at your best
- separate writing and editing
- have a regular flow of ideas
- use a checklist to speed up your editing
- let go of perfection and aim to publish more
Promote your stuff
Most writers just want to write.
But if you want to grow. You’ll need to swallow the bitter pill and accept you need to promote your stuff. Otherwise, no one will find it.
If I was starting again — I’d do these 3 things:
make valuable comments
Commenting on other writers in your field is a simple way to get in front of your ideal reader. Too many waste this golden opportunity. You need to make valuable comments that intrigue readers so they check out your content.
Saying ‘nice article’ doesn’t do this.
The following will though:
- Add an extra tip
- Explain how you will apply the tips
- Drop in a taste of your achievements
Facebook groups
There are many Medium groups where writers support and follow each other. This doesn’t work long-term (you only grow with genuine followers). But can be useful to kickstart your growth.
your social media
Post links and mention your writing on all your social media. Add your Medium profile to your bio.
Some platforms have more Medium readers than others (X is my preference). But in the early days, any reads help.
Content people want to read
It’s a lot to ask, isn’t it?
To ask someone to choose your article over everything else available to them online.
Crafting compelling headlines and writing skills will get you views. But only quality content works long term. People will come back to your writing if it is worth reading.
High-quality content comes in three types:
solve a problem
Identify your reader’s pain points and problems. And then offer a solution to these. This is the foundation of effective writing.
You’ll lose respect if you trot out a few cliches. Think about why readers are struggling and what could work for them.
Test out the ideas yourself first to give a deeper understanding of your readers.
share what works
The internet is awash with ‘how to’ articles. You’ll stand out by sharing your ‘how I’ articles. Share your successes and failures. Write about what you are trying and why.
People love stories and authenticity. It’s like catnip. Irresistible.
original thinking
At some point, you’ll need to transition from solving problems to doing some deep thinking. This is so you can offer original thoughts.
Many writer’s content consists of paraphrasing what everyone is saying. ChatGPT has made this worse.
This is something I’m wrestling with.
Do the inner work
This is the biggest surprise for new writers.
Writing online raises internal issues that threaten to derail your efforts:
- insecurity
- fear of failure
- perfectionism
- need to succeed
- fear of being judged
- comparison to others
- obsession with numbers
Don’t beat yourself up. All writers wrestle with these issues. But if you want to succeed and conquer Medium. You’ll need to conquer yourself first.
Notice these. Be gentle with yourself and bravely write regardless.
If I was starting again this is what I’d relentlessly do.
There are no guarantees. But I’m confident if you consistently do these — good things will happen.
Medium isn’t the only way I’ve earned money from writing.
Check out these other ideas:
