Medium is a money grab — But, most writers aren’t doing it right
I get the feeling that a lot of writers here on Medium are really tightly focused on Medium’s Partner Program (MPP). It’s a way to monetize your Medium stories and get paid based on the number of internal reads you get.
I’ve made up to nearly $6K in one month through MPP.
I totally get it but, MPP is probably one of the least lucrative paths you can take to make money on the platform.
Let me explain…
Is Medium really a money grab?
Yes, it is.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons why I spend far less time on my personal blog and way more time on this platform..because of all the opportunities.
Here are 6 ways I make money on Medium that aren’t through MPP.
6 ways to monetize your Medium stories that aren’t the Medium Partner Program
1. Affiliate marketing
Medium and affiliate marketing is like marriage made in heaven. That’s because of this…
This is a screenshot from the Ahrefs SEO tool.
It shows Medium has a domain rating (DR) of 94 out of 100.
That’s super high!
It means that content published on Medium will get ranked fast so, if you write an affiliate article around a keyword, it’s likely to show up in the first or second page of Google quickly.
Showing up on the first page of Google for a ranked keyword means you get more traffic to your article and the opportunity to make money from affiliate links is high.
I’ve had a number of articles accidentally rank in the first position on page one of Google without even trying and I received thousands of views to that article every month for a long time (and still do).
Are you sleeping on this opportunity?
Find affiliate programs to join in your niche, write an article that you can link those products to, and start making affiliate commissions.
2. Selling digital products
Medium is a great place to sell your digital products.
You can either direct sell in your content by linking to your sales page.
Or, collect emails which you can add to your email marketing software and email those subscribers about the products.
Or, both!
I’ve gone with the first path and made this much off my first Gumroad product so far…
Choose a pain point your audience is struggling with.
Create a problem-solving digital product to help them then, talk about it on Medium or email them about it.
3. Selling services
This can include selling your…
- Writing services
- Coaching program
- Subscription to Substack, Patreon or Ko-fi
A great way to figure out what your audience is wanting is going to the comments. Look at the questions being asked and the discussions going on to see people are really interested in.
Then, create a service to fill that need.
I made a Substack to monetize my writing and get paid for the research I do and expertise I share.
It’s only $5 a month for the paid version which I email every week and while I’m getting paid to write a newsletter, it also encourages me to keep up with those emails consistently which is a big struggle I’ve had in the past.
Click here if you want to check it out. I talk about content creation, social media, business and entrepreneurship, side hustles, making money online, finance and related topics.
4. Connecting with other professionals
Medium is a great place to build community and connect with other people. A lot of the writers here hang out on Twitter so hop on that network, follow them and spark a conversation.
I’ve gotten contacted for…
- Podcast appearances
- Interviews
- Beta test invitations
- Joint venture partnerships
So connecting with others can come with a lot of perks. Learn from them, work together on projects, increase your visibility online, and make money.
5. Medium referred earnings
This is different than MPP.
Referred earnings is Medium’s affiliate program. You refer new members to Medium on a paid subscription and you get to keep around half of that monthly subscription.
It’s easy to refer this and it’s a way to make passive income on Medium.
Each referral amount is only around $2.60 or so but, it does add up. This is how much I make every month passively from it (it changes from month to month)…
6. Email list growth
Grow your email list.
The money is in the list, as they say.
Building an email list can make you money on a recurring basis and passively in the future.
You will have engaged readers in your niche interested in what you have to say. It’s the perfect selling ground and you can grow that list like crazy on Medium.
All you have to do is add a call to action at the bottom of your Medium articles, inviting readers to join your email list. Super easy.
Onto You!
These are some of the ways I make money on Medium outside of the Medium Partner Program.
Did I miss anything?
What are some ways you monetize your Medium presence?
Want to read more stories like this? Check out my Substack where I talk about side hustles, social media, content creation and business.
