Why I Never Want to Make Money on Medium
I stopped chasing the money on Medium. You might join me too.
Do a quick online search.
You’ll find 50+ articles on how to make money on Medium. The platform pays many creators to share their stories and passions with the world.
Tim Denning is one of the top writers who earn a living on Medium. He makes six figures writing about entrepreneurship and self-improvement topics.
Reading success stories from such creators can motivate you to start your Medium writing journey. And that’s okay. You also deserve to get a share of the cake if you create great content for your readers.
But as for me, that’s not my plan. I don’t want to make a single cent from the Medium Partner Program. I won’t take their cash even if they shove it deep in my pockets.
That sounds counterintuitive, but you’ll resonate with me after reading my reasons below.
Everyone is obsessed with making money
What happened when Medium decided to start paying their writers? Everybody rushed to join their paid program to make money.
Later, Medium changed the monetization rules. You now need 100 followers to join the Medium Partner Program. That can’t happen overnight.
Nowadays, beginners do anything to gain 100 followers. They take part in follow-for-follow challenges here and on Facebook groups. We’ve forgotten there’s a real process for growing a profitable writing hustle on Medium.
That’s why I decided to take a different path. I won’t participate in such queer challenges. I’d rather earn 100+ real followers after ten years of writing daily than join the follow-for-follow trail.
There’s more to making money on Medium
It feels nice to receive a sweet pay check from Medium, but there’s more to life than that.
Instead of focusing on joining the partner program, I decided to use Medium to put myself out there and create genuine connections with readers and writers.
The network I’ll build here can open many doors for me. For instance, I can land job offers, well-paying freelance clients, invitations to write for top publications, etc.
That’s 10X better than what money can buy.
I have better plans for Medium
As I said earlier, the Medium owners can keep their money. I don’t need it, and I like it that way.
Instead, I’m on a mission to share my passion and interests with Medium readers. I’d love to touch as many lives as possible. Here’s what motivates me to create content here:
- Leave a mark with my words
- Change my readers’ lives
- Share fresh perspectives
- Guide my audience to the right resources
- Help my fans avoid making costly blogging mistakes
My goals above keep me awake all night. I always wait for mornings to come so that I create content for my readers.
My tribe means the world to me
I value my target audience a lot. I enjoy engaging with them more than making money.
I know my readers are out there waiting for me to find them. So I give them the best content that will convert them into raving fans.
In turn, I feel excited when I earn a follower or when someone claps my articles. That’s proof I’m making progress, even if it’s little.
So I’ll focus on connecting with my audience. I’m confident I’ll earn 100+ followers, but I still won’t monetize my readership.
Medium is one of my stepping stones
Medium has nearly 100 million active readers interested in different topics. We should take advantage of the platform, not vice versa. Here’s how I exploit Medium:
- Practice writing — I’m becoming a better writer the more I create content for my readers
- Gain fans — I ask them to check out my blog and service pages
- Build a brand — my work gains more exposure when I write for different Medium publications
- Own my audience — I request my fans to join my email list to access my gated content.
I prefer to use Medium to grow my brand. That will help me generate sales in the future when I run promotions.
Medium works in weird ways
Writing on Medium is fun and games until you realize you’re at the mercy of their editors and algorithms. For instance, they decide how they share their content. The curators can skip the top-notch content you spent hours writing. Sad.
Here are other risks of blogging on Medium:
- Medium can ban you from their platform if you violate their policies
- Your monthly readership can drop at anytime
- There’s no guarantee you’ll make money writing on the platform
Blog owners, on the other hand, don’t encounter such setbacks. They get a good ROI on their time and resources if they create good blog content and market it heavily.
The pay is meagre
Medium pays writers depending on the readership time. You’ll make more money if your content gets more eyeballs.
Unfortunately, only a few writers live off Medium wage. According to this analysis, 90% of Medium writers make $100/month or less. You must write viral articles or several guides to earn more money.
Profitable business ideas like affiliate marketing or selling digital products can make you huge profits in a few years than writing on Medium.
So if you live in a country with high living standards, get a well-paying job or sell your skills instead of banking on this blogging platform.
The competition here is mad fierce
It’s hard to make money writing on Medium. First, you need 100 followers to join the partner program. It takes time to gain fans.
Next, you must create read-worthy content consistently. If not, nobody will read your articles, meaning you won’t earn a single cent.
Additionally, you’ll compete with many established writers with a huge following. They have spent years building their audience. You have to do the most to beat them: create unique articles, publish regularly, connect with top bloggers, etc.
That’s a long way to go if you’re a new writer. But you can achieve your goals if you put your mind to it.
Medium is not the best place to make money
Medium owners have made it clear in their guidelines: Medium isn’t a sales and marketing platform. Instead, we should use it to share our stories.
I respect their decision. I also find it weird to monetize my content on third-party platforms. I will feel like a spammer if I include affiliate links in my Medium articles.
My plan is to build a following here, then encourage them to subscribe to my email list. That’s where I’ll run my future promos.
In the mean time, allow me to use this precious platform to share my ideas with the world.
My heart will always be here
Top writers like Tim Denning, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, and Ayodeji Awosika, earn a livable wage creating content on Medium. It’s okay to join them. You’ll will make money if you write read-worthy articles for your fans.
Like I said before, I didn’t join Medium to earn money. I’m here for a different reason and I’ll stick to that. I’ll use this blogging platform to connect with my fans, build a brand and explore non-monetary opportunities.
