The Ultimate Medium Follower Blueprint: 50+ Followers A Month
Get ready to supercharge your medium profile!
It’s the first week of October, and I’m here to tell you that my follower count is on the rise!
So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump right in, shall we?
I joined Medium back in December 2021. My mission? Simple – make some cash through the Medium Partner Program.
Fast forward two months and many follow-for-follow comments later (before you judge, mind you that to participate in the Partner program back then, a 100 followers was a must & these follow for a follow was in trend here), I found out that my country is not eligible for the MPP. Ouch!
Now, there went my dreams of rolling in cash, but I decided to stick around on Medium because, well, it’s got some pretty darn intriguing articles. People were already visiting my page, thanks to those earlier comments, and I had around 50 followers.
But you know what didn’t sit right with me? Having 47 followers and nothing for them to read. I mean, come on, that’s just not fair. So, I listened to my inner writer’s conscience, and I started typing away.
Fast forward to one rainy day in August 2023, when the wind was howling, and the sky was throwing a tantrum with thunderstorms on the horizon. It was also the golden hour when I hit the publish button on Medium. And what happened next, you ask? Well, brace yourself, because it was an overnight sensation – NOT!
I waited for hours, checking my article religiously, only to see a big, fat zero under the "views" section. What a buzzkill! But you know what they say, when life hands you zero views, it’s time to take matters into your own hands.
Here are the lessons I wish I had known before sending my amazing article out into the world — which eventually got buried in the sands of time. It’s still there though, you can check it out (self-promotion is the cheapest thing. NOT)
Lesson 1: Join publications – because views matter, right?
I bet we want views, what else are we hitting the publish buttons for? We could store those endless drafts in our account for as long as eternity and be satisfied. But Social approval is pre-wired into human nature and to us writers, our work being viewed or commented upon is an euphoria like no other.
So, if you’re after that sweet dose of validation, joining publications is the way to go. For beginners, I would include a few publications at the end of the article.
I won’t preach about sticking to a single niche (I’ll dive into that in a few minutes) but when you’re choosing a publication, make sure it ticks a few important boxes:
- It covers a range of topics. Why? Because diverse publications attract diverse audiences, and sooner or later, someone is bound to stumble upon your brilliant work.
- Opt for publications that cut you some slack. You’re just starting out and making mistakes would be second nature. So, if you find a publication that wants absolutely zero grammatical errors, maybe hold off on that one for now.
- Make sure the publication is ACTIVE and not DORMANT. Go to the publications page and check their last published article, don’t go around pitching/requesting publications whose last article was 2 years ago or even 6 months ago. Your article submission to such publications would never see the light of the day.
But who would do such stupidity? I did. Now laugh it off because the next point deserves your focus.
Lesson 2: Content may be king, but engagement is the queen
You know how in chess, the queen is the most powerful piece? Well, if social media were a chessboard, engagement would undoubtedly be the queen.
Do you want to feel validated, noticed, and appreciated? Life isn’t all about what YOU gain, It’s more about what YOU GIVE. So if you want to feel validated, make sure to make someone else feel that.
I won’t ask for more than 10 minutes a day, choose any random article of your choice and read it, and before switching off your phone, donate a few nice words to the author of that article.
Oh But hold on a minute?!? I chose the article of an author who has 5k followers, My comment will get lost in the sea of praises!?
Ah, but here’s the twist – that’s actually a good thing. Firstly, no author ignores comments on their work. Trust me, they appreciate each one.
Secondly, these popular authors have followers swarming to their articles like bees to honey. So, if you leave a thoughtful comment, guess what? Some of those bees might just buzz over to your page or even hit that "follow" button. Talk about a win-win situation!
But I’m not suggesting you only comment on established authors. Here’s why.
Lesson 3: Build your own audience – communities are the future
You don't just want followers; you want fans. Medium even has a nifty feature that tells you, "You have 10 fans on this article," or something like that. It's a count of people who've genuinely read your work. Why is this better than just counting claps, you ask? Well, 250 claps could mean four people clapping 50 times each or 250 individuals clapping once each. Confusing, right?
So, to build fans or even a community, start by supporting fellow newcomers. They know the struggle of finding readers, and when you support them, they'll appreciate you to the moon and back. And you know what? They might become loyal readers of your work.
Lesson 4: Keep your options open – don’t lock yourself into a niche
With this, I can hear your internal thoughts of unfollowing me right away. Because who would suggest this tip? But wait! Hear me out at least.
Unless you’re a certified expert in a particular field, sticking to one niche for months on end might not be the best strategy. You want to explore the vast universe of writing.
Have a broader mindset, choose around 3–5 topics you are interested in, and can confidently write at least 2 articles on. For instance, I chose Self-improvement, poetry, politics & personal experiences. Then, I scoured Medium for publications that covered these topics and started writing for them.
But here’s where it gets interesting. While searching for publications, I stumbled upon some that accepted articles about book reviews — a topic I adore but never considered writing about before. See how keeping my options open exposed me to new areas of interest?
Experience can be more valuable than excellence. The more common saying you’ve heard would be —“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
Lesson 5: Consis — bruh this again? yep, consistency!
“I was interested in everything and committed to nothing.”― Gregory David Roberts
If that quote speaks to you, I have news – Medium might not be your ideal playground. Seriously, though, expecting growth and progress without putting in the effort is like dreaming of winning a marathon while you’re still in bed. It just doesn’t work that way.
A cycle only moves forward if you keep pedaling it!
I recently came across this awesome tip by Growth Mindset, where they talk about the 3–3–1 rule. 3 days of writing, 3 days of engagement, and 1 day of ideas. This pretty much works for me. You could choose the days consecutively or alternatively. Or you can choose the number of days accordingly, 2 days of writing and 1 day of engagement is also fine, or you can choose any such plans that works for you as long as you stick to the plan and stay committed.
As promised, here are some free publications for you guys to check out. Check out the submission guidelines on their respective pages.
1) ILLUMINATION— is a unique and significant publication on Medium contributed by 23,000+ writers growing rapidly on Medium. We are delighted to add new writers, bringing different perspectives each day. Our editorial team embraces diversity, values our writers, and helps them find their writing voice in a collaborative platform.
You are welcome to join our diverse team engaging in a Slack workspace. This service is complementary and optional for our writers. It is also moderated for a pleasant experience for our members. We value diversity, freshness, originality, and authenticity from new voices. We strive to empower our writers and support our readers. We give voice to all ethical writers at any level (absolute beginners and the most accomplished ones). We create a collaborative atmosphere by cross-pollinating them with support.
2) @ThoughtThinkers — Thought Thinkers is a varied publication and there are few subjects that are off the table entirely. We don’t particularly care to read your erotica. Stories written by Chat bots, too, are frowned upon here. If your phrasing looks suspicious, I’ll likely run the piece through an AI detector. Beyond the erotic fiction and the robot-written drivel, though, the floor is yours!
Send us your weirdest stories and your least sensical poems. We want hilarious satire and depressing sob stories. We want to laugh and then cry afterward. Then we want to read some rollercoaster of a memoir about that time you and your Grandma went to Amsterdam. Did you and your Grandma do that? If so, we want to hear about it! We welcome poetry, prose, fiction, memoirs, essays, op-eds, and just about anything you can throw our way!
3) @fromthelibrary — From the Library celebrates books and writers. I publish articles and poems about writing, authors, books, and other literary topics. I am also inviting book reviews, reading lists, and literary analysis.
4) @practiceinpublic — At Practice in Public, our goal is simple — we want to create a space for writers to practice their craft in front of an audience.
If you want to become a better writer, you have to hit the publish button. Notes and drafts don’t count. Practice in public helps writers get off the sidelines and turn pro.
So, there you have it, my fellow writer and Medium enthusiast. Building an online presence takes time, effort, and a sprinkle of dedication. Stay committed, keep pedaling that cycle, and most importantly, enjoy every moment of your journey. After all, it’s not just about the destination; it’s about the stories you’ll write along the way.
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