I published 11 articles in my first 7 days on Medium. Check out the transformative results…

Discover how to avoid 5 mistakes.

“If You Can Think and Speak and Write, You Are Absolutely Deadly.”

— Jordan Peterson

I joined Medium on Saturday, 3 February 2024.

It’s now Sunday, 11 February 2024.

Seven days ago, Medium was a brand-new playground for me. I joined with zero followers, no plan, and no prior platform knowledge.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my first week. But it’s okay to make mistakes; it’s the only way to learn.

If you’re new to Medium, welcome! I hope my lessons will help you navigate this mysterious digital landscape.

Only here for the numbers? Scroll down.

Mistake number one:

Diving in without doing some research.

I should have joined some ‘New on Medium’ groups or used the correct tags to let people know I was a newbie.

I also failed to introduce myself or write a “Hi there, I’m Ellie, I’m new to Medium” post. It strikes me as ironic, considering my quintessential British conditioning to be polite at all times.

Not to worry! It’s better to fail fast and pivot quickly. Note to self…

“Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Only assholes do that.” — Haruki Murakami

Lesson to share: You should research trending tags and introduce yourself as a newbie.

Mistake number two

Be specific: I should have chosen more specific titles, especially for my first post based on turning up on the platform wearing Harry Potter’s invisibility clock.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”- Leonardo da Vinci

It had a tongue-in-cheek, provocative title, and I expected it to be an instant hit (at least from a curiosity perspective).

It currently has 4 reads and 4 views with a 100% read ratio.

I’m still messing up some of my titles and need to remember that the title is a promise to the reader (it’s my job to deliver on the promise instead of trying to be clever).

Lesson to share: Be specific in your titles. It’s tempting to use catchy titles like popular influencers, but they have an established audience who will click on their posts to be the first to comment.

Focus on building trust and credibility by delivering what you promised. Be specific and reliable. You can switch things up once you have an audience like Mr Beast, Dan Koe or Seth Godin.

Mistake number three

I have not blogged for over a year and was a little rusty (and still am).

Therefore, I should have spoken about blogging in my first few posts to reignite my dormant knowledge.

I skipped this step, so my posts’ current structure, headlines, and formatting are slightly higgledy-piggledy.

Consistency is the best way to create authority in your niche. It’s how you become recognisable (this includes the look and feel of your posts).

I’m now writing a series of posts about blogging to jog my memory, create a process, and remind myself that ‘done is better than perfect.’

“Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.” — Anne Wilson Schaef

Lesson to share: Plan out your posts, themes, and the topics you wish to write about in advance.

Your posts will pack more of a punch when you pick ONE topic per post. It’s not only the best practice for digital writing; it’s better for your readers as they can digest your message in little bite-size pieces.

Mistake number four

Voice: I forgot to find my voice.

I’m an in-house copywriter used to writing in a corporate TOV (quite different to my own voice).

Therefore, I should have (a) considered my personal brand TOV, and (b) ruminated more on the concept that I am the niche in the realm of value creation.

Sometimes, it’s good to throw yourself in at the deep end (it’s how I learned to swim); however, I should have contemplated my why and what I wanted to share a little more.

The good news: It’s better to take massive action to gain momentum with the knowing that I have the freedom to pivot once I find my flow.

I’m currently reading Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo for the second time, and she states…

“You must disobey the voice in your head that says, I’m not ready yet.” — Marie Forleo

Lesson to share: It can take time to find your voice. I’m a singer with a wide range, which often translates into my writing. I’m still learning to harness and refine my written voice, but my top tip is patience, Grasshopper.

It’s good to be consistent; however, the beauty of having a small following is the freedom to express yourself like Katy Perry on the 4th of July!

“Come and let your colours burst, you’re even brighter than the moon… Ignite your light and let it shine.” — Katy Perry

Mistake number five

Research: I should have researched how to join publications sooner.

The job of digital writing is to get more eyes on your posts. Sadly, the whole “Build it and they will come” mindset will guarantee tumbleweed rolling past your screen. You gotta fail fast , learn lessons, and pivot — Ellie Kingswell.

However, one of my posts was linked to a publication, and it (a) took hours to show as published and (b) didn’t get an increase in reads.

Therefore, I think I’m happy to publish as me for now. My growth is slow and steady, but that’s how the tortoise wins the race.

“It’s not your job to like me. It’s mine.” — Byron Katie

Lesson to share: Writing is not a competition! Sure, it feels good to see the metrics increase, but the only person you should compete with is the person or writer you were yesterday.

Keep taking small steps forward to build your writing muscles and increase your stamina. You’ve got this!

Want to know my results for 7 days on Medium?

• 63 views
• 37 reads
• 80 followers
• 4 email subscribers

And the amount of money I made…

Is…

$ 8.22

Here’s the breakdown…

Was it worth the effort?

Yes! I worked on several 7-figure campaigns and weekly newsletters in 2023, so I’m no stranger to Google Analytics and conversion + engagement metrics.

Without sounding like a braggart, I made a whopping amount of money with my words last year. And I have the results of two current campaigns to look forward to.

I help Eurail sell with words. I love my job, but writing on Medium has reignited the joy of writing without worrying about the result.

And this is the most satisfying $ 8.22 I have earned in years.

The most profitable story I wrote makes me smile! I joined Medium to escape my day job, but it would seem that the appeal of European train travel is ubiquitous. It made $1.49 with a read ratio of 71%.

And the least popular story was about grammar rules (it’s a fun read, I promise). It made $0.27 with a 17% read ratio.

I’m super excited to see my follower count increase (I’m currently at 80 followers).

Grazie mille to everyone who has followed me, left a comment or clapped (especially Anthony English, who has cheered me on each day and left such thoughtful feedback).

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead

Ready to change the world one word at a time? Join me.

Disclaimer: It’s Sunday; therefore, I have not edited this post. I will check for typos tomorrow.

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