How to Set Up Your Medium Profile for Maximum Earnings
Most people don’t talk about this.
There are many ways to make money on Medium.
You get paid from the stories you write, you can promote products or links, direct traffic to other content you make, the list goes on…
And, regardless of how you use Medium, there’s something I see all the top writers do, to maximize their earnings.
But, no one really talks about it.
Here’s how you can earn more money on Medium simply by how you set up your profile. Although all the top writers do this, you don’t have to be one to benefit from the following advice.
In fact, it’s better if you’re not.
Let’s get started…
The golden rule of Medium.
I find a lot of writing advice overly complex.
Sure, Medium has many money-making applications. But, at the end of the day, it all boils down to one golden rule.
More views = more dollars.
Regardless of who you are, how you write, or what Medium’s algorithm is pushing, there’s something all writers should be doing to maximize each view that lands on your stories.
With some simple tweaking, you can attract the right eyeballs and direct them to the right areas of your content.
Thus, creating a net of profitability…
The 5 keys to a profitable profile.
Like most things in life, much of the success of your profile comes down to creating an optimal first look.
Humans are inherently simple and judgemental creatures.
So, whether someone has stumbled upon your profile from their Medium homepage or has been following you for a while, it’s important to organize the information on your profile to be clear and simple.
Your ultimate goal is to create a net of profitability.
Re-iterating 3–5 actions you’d like readers to take.
You can do this, by focusing on 5 key aspects of your profile. Starting with the first thing people see when they navigate to your profile.
Your ‘About Me’ story…
#1. About Me story:
If a reader finds themself face-to-face with your profile, chances are they’ve just read one of your stories.
And, they liked it enough to tap on your little picture to see what you’re all about.
At this point, depending on the device they’re using, they may not have even seen your bio — and likely have no idea who you are.
So, this is your chance to make a great first impression.
Being that most languages are written from left to right, most people’s eyes naturally start at the upper left-hand corner of their screen. So, the first thing readers’ eyes will be drawn to is your latest/top pinned story:
I recommend all writers (especially new ones) write a story introducing themselves to new readers. It can be short, 3–5 sentences, introducing yourself and then providing one major action you’d like the reader to take.
Some examples are:
- Read your most-popular stories
- Buy your book, course, or product
- Follow you on other social media channels
The purpose of this About Me story is to introduce yourself to new readers — but also, direct them to more of your content. This is one vital step in the overall call to action your profile will create. More on that later.
Pro tip: for more views, you can apply to become a writer for a publication called “About Me Stories” and submit your story there.
After you’ve written your introductory story, pin it to the top of your profile, so it will always be the first story readers see when they land on your profile.
#2. Pinned stories:
Have you ever wondered why so many writers have so many stories pinned to their profiles?
Although there are a number of reasons, most writers pin stories to the top of their profile for 2 reasons:
- To gain social proof
- To earn more money
When you write a high-earning story, it only makes sense to pin it to the top of your profile — as it’s proven to be popular. And, more people will be likely to see it.
It acts as a profitability net, of sorts.
It’s the same reason why Amazon showcases their best-sellers at the top of search results. Bestsellers sell… well, the best. And, it makes the decision to buy that much easier.
The same goes for stories — if readers are your customers, then it only makes sense to lead with your most-popular or highest-earning stories.
You’ll see almost every popular writer do this.
And, if you’d like to know how to find writers’ highest-earning stories, here’s a little trick…
If you search for any writer’s name, the first page of results will be a mixture of their highest-earning and most-popular stories. You’ll normally find the writer’s highest-earning stories within the first 3–5 search results.
For example, if you search for my name, you’ll see my most-popular stories pop up, first. My highest-earning story comes up as the 4th result:
**I discovered this recently, through a little reconnaissance. After reading stories and watching YouTube videos from Medium writers revealing their highest-earning stories, I searched for their names and low-and-behold, every time, I’d see that top-earning story within the first page of results.
This is also a helpful way to research trending topics. And, you’ll notice many popular writers pinning these winning stories to their profiles.
More eyeballs = more reads = more money.
If you’re new to the idea of pinned stories, here’s a quick breakdown…
Pinned stories will always show up at the top of your profile, even when you post new content. And, you can pin a maximum of 5 stories at a time.
This means, if you’d like to pin them in a specific order, I recommend opening them all into new tabs and then pinning them in the reverse order you’d like to see them displayed on your profile.
Here’s a visual breakdown:
Also, if you haven’t already, I’d love for you to subscribe to my channel. :)
#3. Your bio:
Writers are notorious overthinkers. Especially with simple things, like writing bios.
The truth is, bios have very little impact on a reader's decision to follow you or read your stories. So, try your hardest not to overthink it. If you’re not sure what to write, a great rule of thumb is to simply write:
- Who you are
- What you do
For example, “I’m Hudson! I write about living healthier and happier.”
This gives readers just enough information to know who you are — and, what to expect from you.
If you have any relevant accolades to share, go ahead. But to be honest, most people are far more concerned with who you are than what you’ve done in the past.
Instead, I would suggest using what little real-estate a bio offers to promote a product, service, or link you’d like readers to check out. That is, if you have one, of course.
When it comes to bios, the simpler the better. They can act as a great headline, promoting whatever is most important to you.
For example, I’m currently focusing on my YouTube channel:
Some more examples of common links to add are:
- A freebie
- Your website
- Newsletter sign-up
If you have something to offer, offer it. If you don’t, you can simply write “follow me for more”.
But once again, don’t overthink it. Introducing yourself is enough — and you can always change it later.
#4. Lists:
Lists are a powerful yet underutilized tool on Medium.
Most people use lists as readers — organizing stories they’d like to re-read or save for later. And, although this can be very helpful, you can also use lists as a writer to maximize your views/reads.
This is especially helpful if you don’t stick to one niche.
Personally, I like to write about all sorts of things. It’s one of the reasons why I love Medium, and also, probably a contributing factor as to why I gain and lose so many email subscribers each month.
Sticking to one niche makes you objectively easier to follow — but, if you’re not inspired by what you’re doing, you’ll inevitably burn out. So, I prefer to put passion first and write about anything and everything on my mind.
If you’re like me, you may have many interests, lists can act as a great middle ground.
I find it helpful to organize stories into lists, by niche. For example:
This not only allows readers to browse your content more easily but you can also share links directly to your lists.
To add one of your stories to a list, or create a new list, tap on the little “save” icon under any of your stories:
All of this, brings us full circle, to the last piece of the puzzle — your stories…
#5. Your major call to action:
At the beginning of this story, I mentioned creating one major call to action — a profitability net.
Well, here’s where it all comes together.
As readers can stumble upon your profile in any number of ways, it’s important to re-iterate the same actions you’d like them to take, consistently.
Here’s what I mean…
First: the reader finds one of your stories.
This could be from a Google search, seeing your story shared by someone on social media, or most commonly, from Medium’s homepage.
They’ve read your story and enjoyed it. Amazing. This is where the reader’s journey begins.
Your goal is simple — turn this 1 read, into more reads.
One of the most basic rules of business is it’s easier to keep existing customers than it is to find new ones. If you think of a reader as a customer, reading to the end of your story is equivalent to making a purchase.
So, like any profitable business, this is where you can see if they need anything else. And, offer a way to stay in touch.
You can do this, by adding 2 simple calls to action at the end of each story:
- Read more now
- Read more later
For example:
**Although everyone is different, I generally avoid adding additional articles for readers to read or asking for claps/comments. This is because Medium will provide relevant articles already. And, I feel as though readers will naturally engage with your story, if it’s engaging.
Instead, I like to offer a way for readers to keep in touch — to come back and read more.
Experiment and see what works for you. But, as a rule of thumb, I would keep your end-of-story calls to action, to a minimum of 2.
Then: they’ll navigate to your profile (eventually).
If the reader opts out of your calls to action, that’s ok.
Because they’ve read one of your stories, Medium’s algorithm will push more of your stories to their homepage. If they keep reading, they’ll keep seeing your stories.
If you’re writing quality content, eventually the reader will find themselves looking at your profile. This is, on a micro scale, what success on Medium looks like.
It’s for this reason, I don’t believe followers are important.
There are many writers on Medium with 100K+ followers who struggle to make 4-figures per month. Whereas many new writers are raking in the dough, simply because readers like what they write — even if they don’t follow them.
Eventually, after seeing enough of your work, they will inevitably navigate to your profile, see your best work, learn more about you, and in turn, become returning readers.
Final thoughts: it all comes full circle
There’s a term in psychology known as the “mere-exposure effect”.
Essentially, the more a person is exposed to… well, anything, the more they begin to like it. It’s the basis of building an online presence and why setting up your profile to be clear and simple is so valuable.
To summarize — maximize your earnings by:
- Creating a human connection
2. Showcasing your best work
3. Organizing content for easy navigation
4. Making your bio clear and simple
5. Re-iterating your calls to action throughout your stories and profile
All of this, will create a self-serving vortex of views, leading to returning readers, and ultimately, a net of profitability.
In other words, creating net profitability.
Hi, I’m Hudson. I write about living healthier, happier, and more mindfully… and sometimes writing. To have stories sent directly to you, subscribe to my newsletter.👇
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