This Account Is Under Investigation OR Was Found In Violation Of the Medium Rules
Is Your Medium Account Safe?
Have you ever felt like you’re in a situation where you have been running on a hamster wheel, writing content on Medium, but you are not able to catch that audience growth?
This is what you do: you write and write, at the same time helping your talents mature and your voice be shaped, all the while knowing that the second you click the green “publish” button, your article gets released and you can’t control it anymore, it’s available in the vast unknown of the internet.
Here, the social media sites like Medium are the two-edged devices, where the sharp edge is the negative side and the blunt side is the positive side.
No, I’m not saying that I don’t really need them.
They are very helpful indeed.
They make us feel a part of a community of readers, help us raise awareness about our issues and empower us more than we ever could be.
However, it’s not only about the bright side of the story.
The Dark Side of Convenience: When the Content is Not In Line with the Policies
We get so caught up in the “audience-first” mentality, chasing followers and engagement, that we often overlook the dark side: the policies that regulate these platforms in constant change.
The Legal team of corporations is comprehensive and the task of updating these policies is always a puzzle for independent content creators.
Imagine this: After long hours of brainstorming, writing, and editing, you’ve created an amazing article.
It is like a hit song that is getting more popular and your follower count climbs and you are on a wave of success.
It could be that after you finish with your content creation, boom, the next thing you know is that your content has been restricted.
Why?
If you were not aware of the policy you have broken you might not even know what it is that you violated.
Human interaction is usually replaced by partially automation control which makes you unaware of the situation until you can appeal to the human agent.
I’m so disappointed and it’s so not a fair game.
You are the mastermind behind the content, but its success is reliant upon its adherence to the changing policies at all times.
The disappearance of your hard earned supporters and followers with a single click if the platform decides so is a horrible feeling.
Am I just being a too pessimistic?
Perhaps.
But here’s the reality: one of the challenges that Medium writers face is the fact that there is a silent, unseen danger that hovers around their articles.
“It’s like an atomic bomb”, you will have to deal with it, and if you do not, it will destroy all your efforts completely.
At that moment I was sure that I had to have a plan B, a backup plan to the situation that I was about to step into.
Diversifying Your Content Arsenal: Being Yourself, Not the One That Others Expect you to be.
The answer?
The switch was not a total rejection towards Medium.
It was really about developing a content universe where I wouldn’t be dependent on a particular platform.
Here’s what I did:
- Blog First, Promote Everywhere: I gave the blog that I had started a priority. Each of my writings is published on my blog first, creating a base that is distinctively me.
- The Power of the Opt-In: Instead of advertisement, my blog supports email subscriptions, which facilitate a direct communication with the audience that can’t be interrupted by any other platform. Listener that directly interacts with me are my most valuable assets.
- Social Synergy: By this time I move to social media channels to promote the post on my blog. These platforms become marketing channels, user traffic is redirected to my home base where subscription and membership are anticipated.
This is about the end of the road, not the beginning of a new path.
Let me be clear: I haven’t been banned from Medium, and this is not a tirade against the platform, it’s just a story I want to share.
It’s a revelation, a sudden awakening that it’s not only the surface but the depths of the water that hold the dangers.
As content makers, we need to know that this vulnerability is a reality and to take steps to reduce it.
My Friend lost her Medium profile just because she included some affiliates links related to crypto signals groups in her article.
Even though Medium allow affiliates links but TBH this platform is so dumb that they ban her account and the objection from Medium was that she has included affiliates links in her article.
Like seriously?
“Why you allow affiliates in TOS when you can’t bear them. Tony Stubblebine should look into this matter and especially his customer support team is very rude.” — my friend said it on call.
Call for a Sustainable Content Future
Through diversification of your content arena, it is not just that you are protecting yourself against the platform whims, you are also making sure that your voice and your audience are in the safe hands and that the future of both are sustainable.
Here are some additional thoughts and resources to consider:
- Invest in Your Own Domain: On the other hand, running your own website improves your creative power. You can create it from scratch to give it your brand and to customize the audience interaction in your way.
- Explore Other Platforms: Recognize the fact that there are other platforms out there than Medium. Besides this, one can use Substack, Patreon, and even self-hosted options that will probably be more efficient for the content and audience.
- Community Building: Pay a lot of attention to building a band of loyal followers. This is not just about the number of likes on social media but also much deeper than that. Construct an email list, perform webinars, or make content that only your loyal fans can access.
Final Words
The bottom line is this: your content is the medium through which you speak, the channel through which you express yourself, the message you want to leave behind.
Don’t let it become an app that can be switched off according to the moods of any platform.
Make a move, use various resources, and create a content empire that you are the master of.
By implementing the above guidelines, you will not only make your content more secure but also keep it steady and consistent which will help your voice to be heard for years to come.
