I studied the Top Writers on Medium to figure out how to skyrocket my followers
6 things you absolutely need to know before writing on Medium. I won’t waste your time with stuff you already know.
I’ve looked up all over Medium for an up-to-date article on simple, actionable tips for new writers like me to get started with, and I couldn’t find a single source of truth. So, I decided to study the Top Writers on Medium to learn from the very best, and I am excited to learn from the very best and put together this guide to help new Medium writers like me and you.
Most of the stories I could find are either outdated or simply an overgeneralization of blogging principles (for example, SEO strategies) rather than rules specific to Medium.
As a serious budding writer on Medium who has been consistently publishing stories every week, I wanted to create a resource that could guide writers like me to look back on as we journey towards the coveted 100 followers mark to be eligible for the Medium Partner Program.
Being part of the Medium Partner Program is the only way that writers like us can be eligible to earn money from the platform in two ways:
- A proportion of reading time your stories attracted from registered Medium members
- Recurring earnings from memberships for every new reader that you referred to a paying Medium member
Always remember that on Medium, you want to attract followers who trust you and care about the stories that you publish. The number of followers on Medium goes beyond social proof, and it plays into how much money you can potentially earn every month.
Here’s my bible for reaching 100 followers — without the fluff.
1. Use Medium article tags; preferably those eligible for “Top Writer” status
Article tags are Medium’s way of categorizing articles, and Medium allows up to 5 tags per story. The two main reasons that you will want to use tags in your stories are to:
- Increase visibility of your stories, making it easier for readers to find your content under relevant tags
- Reach the right target audience from relevant tags who are more likely to interact with and engage in your content, leading to a higher chance of attracting new, high-quality followers
Vico Biscotti has written a comprehensive Story that delves deep into “The Power of Tagging on Medium” if you want to learn more about Medium tags.
Additionally, you may want to take extra effort to use only tags that are eligible for “Top Writer” status. While there are countless Medium article tags, not every tag is up for grabs for “Top Writer” status.
The Top Writer badge is more of a vanity label and doesn’t mean much on Medium in terms of how your Stories will be promoted. However, it is still pretty cool to be recognized as a Top Writer, right?
I highly recommend getting the full list of Medium Top Writer Tags in 2023 from Kristina God (it’s free! But you can choose to donate if you wish).
2. Update your profile bio
If your readers are reading your Stories from the desktop, your profile bio will be highlighted on the right hand side of their screens as follows:
The great thing about having a well-thought-out profile bio is that it gives you a straightforward way of quickly introducing yourself and attracting the right followers.
In my profile bio, I’ve included a link to my Instagram profile. You can be as creative as you like and decide where you want to lead your readers to.
Some possible links could be:
- Your lead magnet (e.g. Gumroad, Substack)
- Your other social media pages (e.g. YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook)
Sinem Günel has delved deep into this strategy in her YouTube video titled “How To Gain Your First 100+ Followers on Medium”. She has over 60K followers on Medium — always trust the experts!
3. MY TOP TIP: Apply to write for established publications
On Medium, publications are shared spaces for Stories written around a common topic, usually by multiple authors.
These publications typically have an established follower base that are interested in the Stories surrounding that particular theme. If you desire, you can even create your own publication.
As a new writer, it is a great idea to write for established publications so that you can expose your Stories to an existing audience. In this way, readers from the publications who like your Story may also follow you, which can eventually provide a base to start your very own publication too.
You need to apply to a publication to first be granted writer access. After you have been granted writer access, you will be able to publish your Stories to the publication. Note that each publication have their own unique application process to be a writer.
Unfortunately, there are many publications that have come and gone. So, for every new writer, I’d highly recommend writing for active publications with a large follower base and long history.
I highly recommend applying to be a writer for ILLUMINATION. It is visited by over 50,000 unique members daily (and counting). The best part is that is it a generic publication, and it accepts every ethical topic meeting Medium’s guidelines. You can apply to become a writer for ILLUMINATION here.
The best part about being a writer for ILLUMINATION is their Slack workspace, which you will be invited to after being accepted as a writer. More than 14,000 writers use this Slack workspace — a community and safe haven for any new writer to build the right habits and environment for success!
4. Target at Medium Curation
This is the fastest way that you can get your Stories in front of readers who don’t already follow you, so that you can get more followers and potentially earn more money for the Stories you have produced.
As a writer on Medium, it is always ideal to be aware of Medium’s curation guidelines, so that you can adhere to them if you are aiming for your Stories to be curated. The bad news is that it is not under your control whether Medium decides whether to curate your Story or not.
The Medium curation process:
- You write a story
- You publish it
- Your story goes into curation queue for Medium’s curation
NOT ALL STORIES CAN BE CURATED. For example, Stories like this one that you are reading are disqualified from distribution based on Medium’s guidelines.
So why do I still choose to publish a Story that is disqualified from curation anyway? This is because I am intentionally building brands in public to show that it’s possible for anyone. Writing on Medium is a key component of my brand strategy, so I believe it’s important to share this story even if it may not be curated for distribution so that you can save time from figuring it out on your own!
5. BONUS TIP: DON’T use the Follow & Unfollow Strategy
The Follow & Unfollow strategy works like this:
- Follow any account for the sake of it
- Hope that the account(s) you followed will follow you back
- Unfollow them after a period of time, hoping that they will not notice and remain as your followers
While this strategy may get you more followers, it doesn’t pay in the long run to game the algorithm because the quality of your followers matters a lot on Medium. Always remember that earnings are distributed based on stories read by Medium members rather than the number of followers you have. You want to attract followers who care about your Stories and want to read it!
This tip is courtesy of Zulie Rane’s YouTube video titled “HOW TO GET FOLLOWERS ON MEDIUM: 3 strategies for beginners (these work for veterans, too!)”.
6. BONUS TIP: Engage with Medium’s community
While there may be strategies to ensure our Stories gain more exposure, at the end of the day, the objective on Medium remains the same as with any other social media platform — to be social!
Authentic relationships are easily established when based on a shared passion for writing.
Just by leaving comments on posts from writers that you find valuable and by truly acknowledging the worth that they are adding to your experience through their Stories, you not only offer them encouragement but also engage in the dialogue yourself!
Many writers like us simply write and publish for a personal sense of fulfilment and self-expression. Personally, I’ve published 4 stories to date (excluding this one) and would have done so even if nobody read it. However, if I’m being honest, how amazing would it be to be compensated for our writings?
You can’t compete with someone who is having fun. So, have fun!
Thank you for reading this post.
Hi! I’m Darien — a proud husband and digital entrepreneur from Singapore.
One of the main themes you’ll find in my work is philosophy on health, wealth, relationships, and happiness.
I firmly believe that these four pillars of life are interconnected and that we cannot have one without the others. I also believe that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving success in these areas. Instead, we need to find our own unique paths and embrace our individuality.
My goal is to challenge you to think critically about your own beliefs and values so that you can live a life that you truly love. If you’re ready to start living life on your own terms, then you’re at the right place.
