A Realistic Year on Medium — and a Few Tips On Growing Your Following
After a year of writing on Medium, let’s take a look at the results.
As a professional freelance writer, my days are typically filled with writing for other people. NDAs and ghostwriting are the name of the game, and much of my work will never see that coveted name attachment.
It’s a living, and I’m grateful for it — but it does leave me precious little time to blog for myself.
Over the last year or so, I’ve been trying to change that. After all, writing for yourself is often one of the best ways to beat writer’s block and keep your skills sharp. But it’s not always easy to find the time — or the inspiration — to do so.
So, to try and make sure I was putting out content that was just as good as what I was getting paid for, I decided to start writing on a blog platform where I could get a feel for how people react to my work and get some feedback.
I chose Medium.
Why? Well, there are a few reasons why Medium has quickly become one of my favorite blogging platforms:
- The interface is clean and straightforward to use.
- There’s a built-in audience of engaged readers looking for new content.
- Writers can get paid for their work through the Medium Partner Program.
At first, I was able to quickly join the Medium Partner Program and start making a few pennies for posts that seemed to do well.
But after a few months, Medium switched up their Partner Program requirements, which meant I no longer had the following necessary to monetize my posts.
No problem, since the real purpose behind my blog was to help with my writing skills anyway — not to make money.
But even without the Partner Program, I’ve found that Medium can be a great way to connect with new readers and grow your audience.
In fact, over the last year, I’ve been able to use Medium as a launching point for many of my articles — which has resulted in a number of new clients and opportunities.
One Year of Medium
This month (June 2022) marks a year since I joined and started posting on Medium. Some months saw more posts than others, but the growth has been steady.
Now, here’s the reality. Will you blow up overnight and create a huge following? Probably not. But if you’re consistent and you write quality content, it is possible to grow your audience on Medium — even if it takes a little time.
Here’s a snapshot of the past year:
As you can see, while my following count doesn’t quite blow anyone’s minds yet, it has been steadily increasing over the last twelve months.
The key has been consistency. During the months that I neglected Medium — whether due to a packed client schedule or just losing creative momentum — I saw my engagement (and subsequent follower counts) plummet.
But in the past few months, I’ve really picked up steam. By generating content consistently, I have regained a steady growth of engagement, claps, and comments.
Is it enough to get me back to the big leagues of making $0.50 a month on partner content? Probably not anytime soon. But who’s counting?
Will I Keep Using Medium?
While my experience hasn’t been life-altering, I do enjoy the platform and the community. I’ve found that it’s a great way to get my work in front of new eyes, and I’ve connected with some really amazing people.
I think I’ll continue to use Medium as a tool to help grow my freelance writing business — and if you’re looking for ways to do the same, I would recommend giving it a try. You never know what creative outlets you might unlock!
So how can you supercharge your Medium experience? Below are a few tips I’ve found to really boost my success in the past year:
4 Tips on How to Use Medium Effectively
If you’re new to Medium, or if you’re thinking about using it to grow your freelance writing business, here are a few tips to get you started:
Tip 1: Pick a Niche
When it comes to blogging (or really, any kind of content marketing), it’s essential to focus on a specific niche. Not only will this help you attract the right readers, but it will also make it easier to come up with ideas for new content.
If you try to write about everything, you’ll quickly run out of things to say.
But if you focus on a specific niche, you can become an expert in that area — and people will be more likely to come to you when they’re looking for information on that topic.
For example, when I first started my blog, I tried to write about whatever was on my mind at the time. But I quickly realized that this wasn’t working — mostly because I didn’t have a specific audience in mind.
Now, my Medium account has three main focuses:
- Personal growth and self-development (a passion of mine)
- Freelance work tips and insights (my experience)
- Copywriting and content writing advice (my work)
By combining these three areas, I’ve been able to create a cohesive brand that appeals to my target audience.
And while I still occasionally stray from these topics, for the most part, I stick to writing about things that will be of interest to my target reader.
Tip 2: Find Your Voice
One of the best things about Medium is that it’s a platform for writers — which means that if you’re a good writer, you can really shine.
Of course, this also means that there’s a lot of competition. But don’t let that discourage you — because the best way to stand out on Medium is to find your voice.
What do I mean by this?
Well, every writer has their own unique way of expressing themselves. And the more you write, the more your voice will start to come through in your work.
So don’t worry about sounding like everyone else. Just focus on being yourself, and let your personality shine through in your writing.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard is to “write like you talk.”
In other words, don’t try to sound like a different person when you’re writing. Just be yourself, and let your natural voice come through.
The bottom line is that people want to read your work because they’re interested in you — not because they’re interested in some made-up version of you. So just be yourself, and let your voice shine through.
Tip 3: Choose Your Topics Carefully
As I mentioned before, it’s essential to focus on a specific niche when writing on Medium. But that doesn’t mean that you should only write about one thing.
For example, my three main topics are personal growth, freelance writing, and copywriting. But within those topics, there are endless possibilities for new articles.
You want to find specific angles that you can write about to attract the right readers and offer them valuable information.
For example, if you’re a freelance writer, you might write about:
- The best ways to pitch to clients
- How to negotiate payment rates
- The pros and cons of different freelancing platforms
By writing about specific topics like these, you can offer value to your readers and help them solve particular problems.
And that’s what people are looking for when they read articles on Medium. They’re looking for solutions to their problems — so if you can offer that, you’ll be successful.
So when you’re choosing your topics, always ask yourself: what specific problem can I help my reader solve?
If you can answer that question, you’ll be on the right track.
Tip 4: Format Your Articles Properly
One of the best things about Medium is that it’s a very visual platform. This means that people are used to seeing articles that are well-formatted and easy to read.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours formatting your articles. But it does mean that you should take the time to format them properly.
For instance, you want to make sure that your articles are broken up into small paragraphs with headlines and subheadlines.
You also want to use images, quotes, and other visuals to break up the text and make your article more visually appealing.
And finally, you want to make sure that your article flows well and is easy to read. This means using short sentences and an active voice.
If you can format your articles properly, they’ll be more likely to stand out and be successful.
What’s Next?
Will I continue using Medium? Absolutely.
As a freelance writer, I’ve found it to be an invaluable platform. It gives me a chance to reach a new audience, but it also allows me to build my brand and get exposure for my work.
Plus, it’s a great way to connect with other writers and learn from them. In fact, some of the best advice I’ve ever received has come from other writers on Medium.
So if you’re a freelance writer, I highly recommend using the platform. It’s a great way to get exposure and connect with other writers.
And if you’re not a freelance writer, I still think Medium is worth checking out. It’s a great way to read and write articles on a variety of topics.
What tips would you give an aspiring Medium writer? Offer your advice in the comments below!
