I Landed Top Writer in ‘Innovation’ in Two Days

Literally after trying for TWO DAYS. I have reason to believe tagging is more valuable than curation. Let’s dive in.

Okay, my jaw just hit the floor. What the hell! I just landed top writer status in the topic ‘innovation’ after tagging my relevant stories with the tags published on May 9th and May 10th. It’s May 11th, and my about section surprised me with a shiny new ‘top tag.’

I am beaming.

Here’s how I did it (without the intention of getting it so quickly.)

I recently produced a list of the tags eligible for Top Writer for 2022. It has since gone viral after posting on the 6th. Bookmark it for later. Because it legit makes a difference.

Since writing that article, I decided I would start giving some extra TLC to my tag selection.

After all, I want to practice what I preach and I know tagging makes a HUGE difference.

So with every recent article I have posted, I have a picture of the top tags in front of me. This allows me to tag precisely, accurately, and efficiently. As an experiment and for better reach, of course.

I guess I have been using the tag innovation more often, as it is suitable for many of my recent posts.

But the thing is, I posted a lot in a short amount of time.

I recently announced that I will be sprinting on Medium for the duration of May.

I was pretty absent for the first week of the month because I was recovering from surgery. Unfortunately, all I could do was sleep. I managed to get two articles out though, because I’m a workaholic.

Anyway, I saw my stats drop significantly due to reduced overall engagement.

It made me sink a little bit because I’ve been working really hard to make Medium a significant source of income for me. I know it can be done and I know I can do it. I love to work and I am patient. And I love to write!!!

So I thought, okay. I know what to do. Maximize output. Really, really try. Maintain quality. Just keep writing, writing, writing. About anything and everything. Every curious thought that crosses your mind. Just do it. Push the envelope. Work overtime. See what happens.

Over the past 3 days, May 9th, 10th, and 11th, I have published eleven articles. This is a personal record.

I typically try to publish once per day, (excluding weekends), and that doesn’t always happen.

I have many more in the pipeline waiting to be published.

I also decided I would spread my seed across pubs big and small.

It’s part of a bigger experiment that will help me develop my Medium course curriculum.

I would never advise something I didn’t try myself first.

And now, just three days in, I know I will have plenty to say about the benefits of experimentation on a regular basis.

And how maximum output actually affects your earnings.

The Most Significant Thing About My Reach

I noticed that my views for each new story published have gone down. Because I am posting so much, they are divided across stories. And it takes them a few days to gain momentum.

Unlike typically, one story a day or every few days will earn all the views.

It’s an interesting thing to watch.

Also, the majority of my pieces are still pending curation.

The black box is the topic they were curated in. The question mark means they are still pending review. (via Chrome extension Medium Enhanced Stats.)

Also, shoutout to ‘Teal Me!’ a new publication by incredible Medium writer Jeanne Marron. I just published the Centenarians piece today, and it’s already been curated. And I’m looking forward to publishing more there. Jeanne is an og TOJ writer who writes the best stories ever. I literally tell her stories at parties because they are so friken good.

So that tells me proper tagging is way more important than curation with the current Medium algorithm.

Because I landed top writer in innovation in literally two days, and none of my articles have been curated in innovation yet.

Honestly, I had no idea.

And it’s blowing my mind.

Challenge Yourself

I invite you to take on a challenge of putting out the maximum content humanly possible for just one week. Publish in different publications, and write about anything and everything you want.

Most importantly, use my top tags list to tag intentionally.

And write good stuff!!

Watch the magic happen.

And by the way, once you land top writer, you must maintain it.

You can easily fall right off the list. It has happened to me.

But it’s easier to maintain than it is to get on. Keep that in mind.

So what are you waiting for? Get writing!!!

Best,

🆂🆄🆉🍊

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