[Sneak Peak]

Greg Muender

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Book Resources

4 min readApr 30, 2015

Chapter 8: The Future

“We are continuing to evolve and build Medium. The site is written in code, not cast in stone.”
— @e

The following is a free excerpt from Chapter 8 of “The Ultimate Guide To Medium.” Order the book before May 20th to get 35% off.

Imagine being a YouTube expert in 2006 or a total Twitter pro in 2008. If you kept at it, you’d likely be famous by now. Medium is still small and young enough so that those that get in now will reap the rewards down the line. By using the information contained within this book, you’ll have the tools and knowledge you need to capitalize on this emerging platform.

“I think that the publishing world, post-Medium, will look a little bit different than it did before and I think that’s a good thing for the world.” — @stirman

Listen up folks — we are about to see a huge shift in advertising. Prudent marketers aren’t slathering their products with fallacies of jargon anymore. Instead, they are tearing down the artificial walls that previously guarded their brand and letting customers and users see inside their inner workings. Those folks identify with the brand and have a deeper connection, and consequently become loyal and long time advocates.

Treat your audience like your friends, not like dollar signs. If I wanted to sell your friend trendy jeans that you make, would you hold a poster in front of her face? I doubt it. In an organic way, you would share your story of making the jeans, give a tour of the factory, and hand deliver them. It’s not about pushing purchasing anymore, it’s about pulling the right interest.

Medium is the kingpin catalyst for the evolution of digital content, the fist mover in an industry that is ripe and ready for change. Those that build meaningful content are well positioned for the transition, and will be rewarded handsomely. When the imminent monetization switch kicks on, the writers who have gained a loyal following are first in line. Be one of those writers.

Business Model

“There are a lot of websites that have built audiences…and when it comes time to monetize, they either fail to do so or do it in a way that turns off the audience.” -@janovum

Medium hasn’t fleshed out a business model just yet, and we as writers and readers should be thankful for that. Whatever form it takes, it will likely hinge from the platform’s current most important metric — TTR. Since Medium has explicitly stated the importance of TTR, it’s important to have this in mind as you think to the future.

The folks at Medium are thankfully taking the time to identify the proper moment and means to introduce a commercial engine. Their seasoned track record of experiments proves they are obsessed with finding mutual value for the entire community. Making a buck is essential to the longevity of the platform. With proper execution and an eye for user empathy, it can be done right.

Ideas

“We have a lot of creative ideas and I think we will experiment with them, try to do some creative stuff and I think this publishing industry is ripe for some innovation in this regard. I think we’re well positioned to be disruptive in a good way…” — @stirman

Eventually, Medium has to get paid, and eventually, writers may expect to get paid. These two are not competing interests, but rather most likely complemetative of one another. Monetization for both parties could be done in tandem (Medium takes a cut of payments that writers earn), or in isolation (Medium and the writers each have their own sperate model of monetization.)

Medium’s own interest are aligned with writers, so the future looks encouraging. Medium has that potential to create an ecosystem that lifts everybody up — writers, readers, and shareholders. Here are some ways that is could play out.

Tip Jar

Just like you tip your barista for the Cappuccino because it is the cultural norm, perhaps we will enter an age where consuming quality content doesn’t cost anything outright, but a tip in the writer’s direction is somewhat expected.

Pay Wall