Summary

Medium's recent updates prioritize follower engagement over algorithms, emphasizing the importance for writers to grow their followers and publish consistently to succeed on the platform.

Abstract

Medium's CEO, Ev Williams, has announced significant changes to the platform, including a shift from an algorithm-driven feed to a reader-curated one, which will allow followers to see all content from the writers they follow. This change is expected to make the size of a writer's following more impactful on their success, as readers will have more control over the content they consume. The update is part of Medium's efforts to provide writers with a more predictable income and to adapt to the increased engagement on the platform due to the pandemic. Writers are encouraged to focus on growing their followers authentically and to publish novel content regularly to capitalize on these changes and potentially increase their earnings.

Opinions

The author believes that Medium's shift towards a reader-generated feed is a positive change for writers, as it will allow loyal readers to consistently see their content.
The author suggests that the new system will benefit writers who publish quality content regularly, as readers will prefer to spend their time on content from writers they trust.
The author is optimistic about the potential for writers to earn a more predictable income through Medium's growing payouts to creators, which currently total $2 million per month.
The author emphasizes the importance of growing one's following the right way, without resorting to manipulative tactics like follow-unfollow, and to focus on providing readers with content they want.
The author sees Medium's changes as a response to the increased content consumption during the pandemic and anticipates a rise in paid subscribers and pageviews on the platform.
The author views the new discovery method as a game-changer, providing opportunities for writers to be compensated fairly for their work without relying on gatekeepers.
The author encourages writers to take advantage of the changes by enrolling in a free email masterclass offered by the author to help grow their readership and email list.

Breaking News: Why Having a Bigger Medium Following is Now Important

The tides are turning in the writer’s favor

Yesterday, Ev Williams, Medium’s CEO announced how much Medium has grown, especially due to the pandemic. Per Williams’s chart, Medium had1.2 billion pageviews in Q2 of 2020. Not only that, but they’ve tweaked the app and soon the website.

They made it easier for readers to follow writers they love, and get all their new content, no matter how frequent they publish!

Before, a reader might get a small percentage of your stories.

Now, with Williams’s announcement, if someone follows you in the app, the’ll get all your stories. Soon, the website will have the same capability. Medium is moving away from an algorithmic feed and towards a reader-generated feed.

This might be the best news for writers, yet.

The size of your following didn’t used to matter much. The algorithm decided if your story would show-up, and when. Although I’ve doubled my following in the past year, my reads stay relatively the same.

I know I’ve got a ton of loyal readers, but they have no way to see my content on a regular basis unless I push it to them via email, or they happen to hit the home page and my story is listed on ‘new from your network.’

This discovery method is all about to change.

The size of your following will finally matter. This means if you’re a new writer, it’s important to try and grow your following if you want to grow your readership.

When our readers will soon be able to curate their own experience, it won’t matter as much if you don’t make it to the big publications. It won’t matter if your story didn’t make it to the home page.

Your readers — the ones who love your work — will see your content on a regular basis.

This also means if you don’t publish often, your stories may not do well.

If a reader has 20 minutes to consume content, she’s going straight to her favorites. Why risk your time on writers you might not like? While I’m sure there will be plenty of room for discoverability, Medium’s move to a reader-generated feed is about to change the game for writers, completely.

This also means we’ve got to up our game.

You want your readers to consume your content on a regular basis. You’ve got to provide with new and exciting stories, else they’ll trade you for a different writer.

Ev said Medium wants to provide writers with a more-predicatble income. This is also a huge win. Medium currently pays $2 million per month to writers. And that pot keeps growing.

If you want your writing income to grow too, you’ve got to do two things:

Grow your following monthly — the right way, not the follow-unfollow way.
Publish daily — and publish novel content readers want to read.

I was bullish on Medium before, but this news is a game-changer.

I believe, over the next couple months, we’ll see drastic shifts in the growth of readership, increased income for those writers willing to do the work, and a more steady source of income for those willing to put their readers first (not some editor/gatekeeper).

There are hundreds of thousands of paid Medium subscribers. If the pageviews keep climbing that number will only rise. If your willing to grow your readership and put in the time to build your audience right, I believe Medium will be a fantastic source of income towards the end of this year.

Time will tell.

But I don’t see people habits changing soon. There are a lot of people stuck at home, working from home, working remotely, and staying home with kids in virtual school.

This new discovery method is a game-changer.

I hope you can see the possibilities as much as I do.

While Medium’s changes haven’t always been perfect, this new, reader-based dashboard will help hard-working writers and creators get paid well for the work they do.

It’s time to start growing your following.

We’re waiting for you.

Enroll in my Free Email Masterclass. Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers

August Birch (AKA the Book Mechanic) is both a fiction and non-fiction author from Michigan, USA. As a self-appointed email marketing expert for writers and creators, August helps indies make more work that sells and sell more work they make. The core of August’s process is your email list. When he’s not writing or thinking about writing, August hangs-out with his beautiful wife and handsome son, carries a pocket knife, and shaves his head with a safety razor.