Summary

A writer reflects on their journey to reaching 100 followers on Medium, sharing lessons learned about consistency, engagement, authenticity, and the power of personal storytelling.

Abstract

The author began taking Medium seriously in August, setting a goal to write and publish daily, which they mostly achieved. This dedication led to a sense of accomplishment and a continuous flow of writing ideas. The author then set a new goal of gaining 100 followers, starting with 15, and expresses gratitude to those early supporters. They emphasize the importance of genuine engagement with other authors' works through comments and highlights, which contributed to their follower growth. The writer initially kept their Medium activity private from family and friends to ensure authentic growth and interest in their content, not just out of personal connection. They also acknowledge the role of publications in increasing visibility and followers, while noting the challenge of balancing self-publishing with submitting to publications. Personal stories, despite the author's initial doubts, proved to be engaging and helped attract more followers. The author is thankful for their followers and is committed to writing as a form of self-expression, with or without financial gain.

Opinions

The author values the act of writing and the sense of achievement it brings, regardless of financial incentives.
Engaging with other writers' content through comments and highlights is seen as crucial for building a community and increasing visibility.
Authentic growth is prioritized over inflating follower numbers with people who are only connected through personal relationships.
The writer believes in the impact of personal stories, despite initial reservations about their appeal to readers.
Publications are recognized as a valuable avenue for reaching a wider audience, but the author is still seeking the right balance between publishing independently and through publications.
The author is open to advice from others on how to manage the balance between self-publishing and contributing to publications.
Gratitude is expressed towards followers who have shown interest in the author's work, emphasizing the mutual benefit of such interactions.

I Reached 100 Followers, Here’s What I’ve Learned

Whether there’s 1, 100, or 1,000 I will continue to write

I started taking Medium seriously August of this year. I can’t even tell you what gave me the burning sensation to start taking Medium writing seriously, but the writers on Medium had something to say and so did I.

The day I decided to make it happen was the declaration to start and finish a goal. The first goal was to write and publish every day. To be transparent, I didn’t quite conquer that goal, but I published most days.

When I finished that month of writing, I felt accomplished and even wrote about it. Writing was on my mind daily and I was constantly coming up with ideas to turn into posts. I was on a writer’s high. However, I had a new goal to set and accomplish.

What I Learned From Posting Every Day for a Month!

At least most days in a month

kaseyaharrington.medium.com

Goals

I set the new goal of earning 100 followers in the second month of taking writing on Medium seriously.

I started my journey in August with 15 followers. And to those original followers, thank you! I don’t even know how or why you started following me, but I am forever grateful and loved seeing those notifications.

I learned some valuable things that I continue to try to work on to get better as a writer. How I feel at this moment is, I truly love writing even though it doesn’t earn me money in any capacity. I get on each day in hopes of learning more with every article I read and every post I publish. I also enjoy connecting with others.

I will continue to set goals for different reasons but earning these followers makes me pumped to write every day.

Engagement

I upped my game on engagement in the second month of publishing. I didn’t just clap, I took the time to highlight and comment. Whether it resulted in 0, 1 follower, or 5, I commented because I felt compelled to do so. Whether the author’s writing made an impact, validated my feelings, or made me consider a different approach on a topic, it was nice to leave a comment to let them know.

My advice is to engage with other authors! Real people are behind the words and I know I get thrilled when someone comments!

Authentic growth

I kept writing a secret from family and friends the first month. I didn’t want them to ask me about it constantly and was afraid of what they might think of it. A few weeks ago I finally told my brother and he asked why I hadn’t said anything because family and friends would result in more followers.

I didn’t want a follower just because they knew me. I wanted to gain followers that wanted to read what I had to say.

In addition, I didn’t follow to get a follow back. By reading material I found interesting, I would follow and expect nothing in return. I want to continue getting followers who like what I write, want to interact with me, and in turn, I will engage back as well.

Publications

The posts that I sent in to be published through a publication helped my views and follower count. I want to continue to be part of publications that align with my topic interests. Those publications will, hopefully, bring on followers that like my style of writing.

However, I am still trying to find the balance between what I self-publish and what I send to publications. I torment myself between wanting to send it to publications but also wanting to post to feel accomplished. Therefore, I tend to ask myself if I need to write more to have more on my page.

If anyone has any advice on that, I would appreciate it.

Personal Stories

Not only did the articles published by publications result in higher views, but it seemed among those, my personal stories brought fans. Who knew.

I enjoy reading about personal stories but feel when I tell my personal story that I would bore the readers. However, others seem to have found it helpful and/or amusing because I got more followers with my personal stories.

Thank you to those that want to read about me. I plan to include more stories — when necessary.

Thank you

Thank you to every single one of my followers. I write because I love it. I may not make money through writing in any shape or form but I am hoping to one day make it into my career in some capacity. However, whether I make nothing on Medium or $1, I will continue to write because I can express myself.

I am beyond grateful for those that took the time to follow me. I appreciate each of you more than you will ever know.