Why I “Cheated” to Get to the 100 Follower Mark

And why I’m still “cheating” to go above and beyond

As many of you have likely done as beginning Medium writers, I started reading every “How to Get 100 Followers in X Days” post I could get my hands on, many of which I have found to be incredibly helpful.

I’ve linked to a few at the bottom that really helped kickstart things for me.

The basic gist of most of these articles is: try the suggested tactics in the article, leave a comment below, interact with others who left comments that are also still looking to hit the 100 follower mark, and voila.

It actually worked. I hit up a couple of these posts, clapped for each comment, and genuinely interacted with each person. I went from 21 followers to over 100 in just over 24 hours. Boom.

For many, the 100 followers mark seems daunting. Another hurdle before being able to start -potentially- earning money from your writing. I promise it’s a very small barrier to entry. It’s meant to sift out the people who will see the requirement, throw their hands up in exasperation, and give up before they’ve even started. You’re reading this, so I already know you’re more tenacious than that. ;)

With this strategy, you are targeting already engaged Medium writers who are also highly motivated to reciprocate. It’s a win-win for both parties and a huge time-saver for you if you are still working on the 100 follower goal to get into the Partner Program. Or it’s a practical, down and dirty way to keep growing your audience beyond 100 followers.

In addition to just clapping and genuinely commenting, I also make sure I interact with people who follow me. I read some of their work (actually click on an article and read it through), leave meaningful comments on the ones I really love or find inspiring, and highlight bits I love to show I read their work.

Of course, you probably won’t be able to engage with every single person on a deeper level. I just looked through my followers’ bios and engaged with the ones who intrigue me.

I have found some incredible writers this way and made some amazing connections. I am in love with their work, and I may not have found them (at least, not as quickly), had I not used this strategy.

I make it a special point to answer each meaningful comment someone left on my work. They took the time to stop, read, and start a discussion with me. Please acknowledge your commenters and discuss back, even if it takes you a few days. I get so excited when I read an article or piece that really speaks to me, I leave a comment, and the author continues the discussion. I get warm fuzzies, they get a solid fanship from me. ❤ I look for more of their work to read every time I’m on Medium doing my thing.

Obviously, you do not need to engage with any trolls or someone going off on a tangent in your comments about something that has nothing to do with what you wrote.

I do want to mention, I see many writers follow the author and leave a comment on these kinds of posts and then just sit back and wait for followers to come to them. Your growth will be much slower if you take this approach. If you’re serious, go find them. Go find them and interact with them first.

The moral of the story is: you’re not actually “cheating.” If you do it right, you’re engaging with other writers on a social media platform meant specifically for writers. You’re doing exactly what the platform was built for.

And guess what? People reciprocate and interact with you back. I can’t tell you how many people not only choose to follow me of their own volition, but they clap, comment, and highlight my work as well. For those of you who have, I truly appreciate you!

And the algorithm will see that others are interacting with your work and that you’re actively interacting with others too. You are driving on a two-way street with writers who are picking up what you’re laying down, and the algorithm will reward you for it.

My short-term goal moving forward is to continue to look for these kinds of posts weekly to engage with new potential followers and continue to grow at an accelerated rate.

That being said, I am putting out at least one piece of content each day. Again, looking to please the Almighty Algorithm. Praise be! 🙌🏻

I would say submitting to a publication should be in addition to publishing to your personal page on your own chosen schedule, as you do not have control of when they hit publish or if they even choose to publish your work at all.

Practice writing, see what your audience likes from you, and seek out publications that could be a good fit for you, your goals, and your audience. You not only want to gain exposure from the publication’s audience; you also want to cross-pollinate and introduce your current audience to other great publications and writers.

My goal here is to 1) become a better writer, 2) figure out what others are looking to read that aligns with my interests, and 3) one day make a living from my writing.

I chose to start with poetry because I had a lot saved that I wrote this year. (Oh, Covid.) Plus I am finding it to be the most time-effective form of writing at the moment. I have kids, a full-time job, etc. I am all about working smart, not hard. I mean, I’ve only gotten around to posting a haiku some days, for crying out loud.

I have about 15 drafts for articles and poems that are in the works at any given time, so I have several ready to publish when needed. Life can definitely get in the way, so I like to be prepared.

This is my very first long-form post on Medium, which I plan to write more of since being accepted into the Partner Program. (Let’s get you there too!!!)

Best of luck on your Medium journey! Let me know what your goal is on the platform and how I can best support you!

Check out these really helpful posts regarding followers:

PS — A very special thank you to my very first 100 followers: Hidayatullah, Anony.Mom.Me, Chris Patton, Andrea Zanon, Swayam Bhatt, Renuka Ramesh, Sasha K, John Doiron, Jordan Kovacsik, Yamini Hundare, Christina DeFeo, Makayla Morales, Somewhere only we know, Alisha Grace, BichoDoMato, George Doherty, Antonello Zanini, Raffaele A. Magaldi, Mdcpsych, NearAndDistant, Oluwatosin Ogunsola, George Ngerah, Kristen Lynn McClure, Zara Relphman, Kelsie McWilliams, Leandru Daniel, Ricky Brown, Jamey Brock, Ripley J. Cloud, Zaria Rashay, James Cussen, Ansuman Bhujabal, Xavier, Shuvashis Das, Clement Brian, Hannah LaDuke, Lawrence Luckom, Vansh Jain, Carmellita, Saman Fatima, Peter_sDreams, Nicholas Scott, Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue, Valerie Ivy, Tara Emmanuel, Kristie Leong M.D., Daniel Mesa, Ans Rehman, Daniel Wylder Mendez, WL Winter, Jill Alyson, David Hopkins, Spyder Darling, augmented man, VOICES OF THE LOST, Yogesh Dahake, Mr. Curiosity, Zaheen Aqeel, Reshnee Tabañag, Brittney Anderson, james musau, Zachary Phillips, Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff), Tze Lin Sam, Thùy Linh, Vignesh, Nas Alin, Brenda Henning, Michael Arthur Sanderson, Luis G, Rebecca McGee, Jayne B. Stearns, Lucy Harriss, Giana Pella, Marti Purull, Zaineb Abrar, X Anon, Masterclass Notes, Roshan Antony, Lisa Dyble, RAKESH CHANDRA, M.J.Song, Jessica Wolf, Nasim Ahmed, ApsaraK, Amanda Laughtland, Jagajith, Bruce Brill, Rowan Abd El Meguid, C.A. Jaymes, sylvia wilde, Filiz Özer, Abby Cox, Nona Nicklin, The Boring Team, Joan Didak, Autism Flow, Vivian Oguguo, Barry Dawson Jr. IV, RonNa!