How to Get Your Stories Noticed on Medium

10 Days Challenge- Day 1, Post 2

Welcome to the 3 stories per day Challenge(for 10 days)…read this for 30 seconds to motivate me to write more & more.

Oh boy, attracting readers as a writer on Medium sure can be tricky!

I know it is….. This question also pitch me.

With so many talented writers out there, I find myself wondering, “How the heck am I gonna get people to notice little ol’ me?”

I mean, there are over 100 million* monthly readers on here — that’s a lot of eyeballs to compete for!

When I first started out, I’d just publish stuff all willy-nilly with no strategy whatsoever.

I’d be lucky if my mom even read my articles (love ya mom)!

But over time, through plenty of trial and error, I’ve picked up some useful tips that have definitely helped expand my audience.

Let me break down what’s worked for me:

Alright, first things first

— stick to topics people can relate to.

None of this overly nichey stuff.

In this case, I’m talking about deep, universal human feelings.

I try to stress the bigger picture even when I’m writing about something very detailed.

Like this piece I wrote about how great it was to start riding again after a rough patch in my life.

The main idea was to give beginners tips on riding road bikes, but it also talked about the freedom we feel when we do activities outside.

Really seemed to get along with people!

Oh! And it doesn’t hurt to tap into my local community too.

I also pay close attention to news stories that are going viral.

If I can ride the wave with a smart hot take or a new angle?

Boom! It’s easy to hold on to! Of course, I didn’t just repeat it;😂😂😂

I gave it my own twist.

You can also get people interested in writing about niche themes, don’t get me wrong.

Some pretty geeky things, like collecting old action toys from the 1980s (don’t judge me, He-Man is awesome!), have helped me build a loyal fan base. I go into more detail about things I know people are already planning.

At the end of the day, there’s no magic formula in this game. Ya just gotta put yourself out there relentlessly, try new things, and see what makes the audience tick.

I pay close attention to my data to inform what connections I should lean into more.