Part 1 of 5: Intro and Familiarizing Yourself with Medium
Exclusive crash course for early Medium success.
Hello! Welcome to the five-part series and a full-blown introduction to the Medium platform. In this crash course, we will look at various parts of the Medium equation. Then, we will figure out how you can jump-start your success on the platform.
Overview:
** You’ll find every part to this crash course linked at the end of this lesson. **
- Part 1 (You are here): Intro & Familiarizing Yourself with the Platform
- Part 2: Creating a Writing Schedule
- Part 3: Publications
- Part 4: Building your Medium Clan
- Part 5: Promoting Yourself & the Secret to Real Monetization
Who am I?
My name is Adam. I’ve been writing on Medium since the end of 2020. I know — not that long, right? But that’s exactly why I’m the right person to be leading this crash course.
The last thing you need is a writer with 40,000 followers telling you how they got started on Medium six years ago. To put it bluntly, the platform has changed. Anything special they did to kickstart their Medium success is out-of-date information.
The truth of the matter is, it’s a lot harder to grow on Medium now than when they started. I’m not going to feed you bullsh*t. Medium isn’t gravy. It’s not a piece of cake. Money won’t flood your pockets after a few articles.
That doesn’t happen.
Anyone who shares that kind of success is full of horse sh*t. (There’s a lot of sh*t talking, maybe I’ll cool down a bit.)
In my first 30 days, I (like many others) only made a few bucks. As a matter of fact, that’s what a majority of people earn their first month. That’s what 95% of people on Medium still earn. It takes determination to claw your way to the $100/month milestone.
But, let me tell you, if you can reach it, the sky is the limit thereafter.
What is Medium?
I like to call Medium a platform of writers, for writers. Why? Because 80% of paid Medium members are also active writers. So, it’s mostly writers interacting with other writers. Which is great!
Nobody will appreciate your words more than other writers. That’s just a fact.
That’s why I’ve had some of the most genuine interactions with other users. More than I have on any other platform to-date. It has been a breath of fresh air.
I’ve been able to make real connections with writers from around the world all because of Medium.
It treats you well if you treat it well.
If you’re going to survive on Medium, you have to honor that. Appreciate that. Medium is like no other social media platform.
There’s no B.S.
You can’t game the system.
Don’t believe me? Check out what Medium says (straight from their website):
What We’re Looking For: Quality
Medium values quality content — fresh ideas, unique perspectives, varied voices, smart thinking — and we believe readers do too. Here are the elements our editorial teams consider in evaluating story quality:
- Does the story meet a high editorial standard? – Is it well-written, easy to follow, free of errors, appropriately sourced, narratively strong, and compelling?
- Does it add value for the reader? – Does it share new insights or perspectives? Offer an original take on a familiar issue? Does it stir emotions and/or thinking? Provide meaningful advice? Enrich a reader’s understanding of the topic? Does it feel like time well spent?
- Is it written for the reader? – Is the story written with the reader in mind? Does the story make a connection with the reader or to a larger issue?
- Is it complete? – Is it a finished, polished piece of work? Considered? Concise? Will a reader walk away satisfied?
- Is it rigorous? – Are claims supported? Sources cited alongside stated facts? Does the story hold up to scrutiny?
- Is it honest? – Is the story written in good faith? Is it truthful?
- Does it offer a good reading experience? – Is it properly formatted for the web/mobile? Does it have a clear and relevant headline that lets the reader know what the story is about? An easily readable story body —paragraphs/spacing/styling/section breaks/quotes?
- Is it free of typos and errors?
- Is the imagery appropriate? Is the imagery relevant and appropriate to the story?
All the secrets are at your fingertips
The curators for Medium tell you exactly what they look for. They’re transparent about what they stand for and outline the steps for writing success.
Medium gives you plenty of information like this about their platform. Study it! Religiously. Before you write a single word, study the platform for at least a few days.
You’ll learn a ton. Most importantly, you’ll understand that Medium is all about writing. That’s all there is to it. They want to see quality content spread across their platform. If you can help them achieve that, the platform will treat you handsomely.
It’s not about how many followers you have. Or the number of claps you can get (claps are like ‘Likes’ on other platforms). In the end, it won’t be the nitty-gritty details of how you use Medium but what you can bring to the table.
That’s why Medium is so special. That’s why anyone can succeed.
It’s important to note that the algorithm is always changing. Medium is constantly undergoing major platform moves. But the quality of your content will always play the biggest factor.
I appreciate Medium for that and you should too.
Now, if you’re keen to work your ass off, I can show you how to put yourself in a position to succeed. It’s not going to be a cakewalk. It wasn’t for me, at least. It was a grind and still is in a lot of ways.
Hopefully, from my mistakes, you will be able to skip a few steps and have a smooth take-off.
In our next lesson, we will review the best content schedule for Medium success. So you know how much you need to write to win. Read the next lesson in the “Read More” section below. See ya!
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Read More:
- Part 2: Creating a Writing Schedule
- Part 3: Publications
- Part 4: Building your Medium Clan
- Part 5: Promoting Yourself & the Secret to Real Monetization
Thank you for your honest and insightful approach! This is just part 1 but I think it is good info! Leads people to realistic expectations. I love the tip of researching the platform for at least a few days. It seems obvious but I kind of skipped that. I started too fast…even my curated stories are not getting that many views. I am trying to slow down and get to quality over content. I look forward to hearing more from your perspective!
Thank you, Kara! I am by no means successful on Medium yet. But, beyond all other pursuits I’ve been on, I believe I’m heading in the right direction with Medium and have the right knowledge from my research to succeed. I appreciate your kind words and your attention to my advice. If you’d like to connect on LinkedIn, I’d love to! https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcheshier/