The Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make on Medium

And what to do instead.

When I started writing on Medium, I was clueless.

The popular advice “write every single day” didn’t work for me. Although I wrote one article per day, my articles never got curated, and my views were close to zero. No matter how much work I put in, I didn’t seem to crack the code.

For the first months, I let the frustration take the best of me. I felt like I was lied to: quantity didn’t lead to more followers, and it certainly didn’t increase my earnings. At that point, I was ready to give up.

Until I realized I couldn’t feel sorry for myself. The only way to make it on Medium was by changing the strategy. I was clearly doing something wrong: I just didn’t know what.

After studying successful writers, I finally learned: yes, quantity matters. You can’t publish five articles per month and expect a reliable source of income.

But you have to publish the right articles.

What does “publish the right articles” mean? It means you have to follow the rules of the platform — a small change that had a huge impact on my results. I went from a flopped writer to:

• 1.2k followers
• $1000,00/month
• 27k views in one article

Here are the basic rules that you have to follow to become a successful writer on Medium:

Focus on the title.

Imagine writing the best article in the world. You did your research, polished every word, and brought immense value to the reader. Except after all this work, no one clicks on your article.

People won’t read your article if the title is bad — no matter how good it is.

The title is the first thing your reader sees. It’s what makes people click and read. You’re competing with millions of articles online, so you have to make sure yours will stand out.

Here are the ingredients of a good title:

• Speak to a specific audience. Who exactly are you trying to help? For example: “The Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make on Medium.” The audience is beginners on Medium.
• State the benefit for the reader. For example: “6 Tricks That Make Men Insanely Attractive.” The benefit is to become attractive.
• Use curiosity. For example: “What Happened When I Accidentally Swiped Right on Tinder.” The title makes the reader wonder, and they have to read to find out the answer.

Get the right picture.

Medium has clear rules for pictures: if you don’t have the right to use them, they won’t curate your article. There are two ways to guarantee you’ll have the right to use your picture:

• Free right websites. Medium has a partnership with Unsplash, and you can pick the pictures right from the editor. Another option is Pexels.
• Create your own image. You can use Canva to create a cover or take a picture yourself.

Once you ensure you have the right to use your picture, write it on the caption.

Pay the membership.

Let me be clear: you don’t have to pay the membership to get paid on Medium. But it’ll help tremendously.

You have to read other people’s articles to understand what performs well.

There are two ways to improve your writing. The first is by writing — no secret there. The second is by analyzing the work of the best writers. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. The best writers on Medium did something right. So when you read their content, you’ll learn what readers expect.

But, to study their work, you need access to Medium articles. And, for that, you need the Medium membership.

Bring value to the reader.

The reader doesn’t care about you. Unless you’re Beyoncé, they don’t care about your life — stories focused only on yourself and your opinions won’t perform well.

When you write, always ask: “what’s the benefit for the reader?”

Sure, you can use your personal experiences in your article. But your personal story has to work as an example of some universal truth. Bring lessons, takeaways, and insights. This way, you put the reader’s needs in the center.

Join a community.

Writing can get lonely. There’s no one to guide you, share the journey, and exchange experiences. For the first year of my writing career, I struggled by myself.

As a beginner, connecting with other writers will help you grow.

Chances are, other writers face the same challenges as you. And writing is not a win or lose game: there’s room for everyone. So instead of struggling by yourself to overcome your problems, share them with others. The solution may be easier than you imagine.

There are two ways you can connect with other writers:

• Facebook groups. My favorite group is the Medium Writing Academy, from Sinem Günel.
• Discord communities. Recently, I bought the course Publish & Profit, which gives you an overall view of how to start on Medium. For me, the best benefit is that it includes a private community, where writers can exchange experiences and grow together.

As a beginner, you’ll make a lot of mistakes — and that’s okay. The problem isn’t the mistakes themselves; it’s to insist on them. The good news is that these mistakes are easy to fix.

If you’re a beginner, my advice is: take the first step, experiment with Medium, and enjoy the process. When you start, it gets easier to adjust the direction. But, if you never start, nothing will change.

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