If I Started From Scratch On Medium in 2024, Here’s What I’d Do

A step-by-step process to crush your writing goals.

Writing on Medium has changed my life beyond my expectations. It’s one of the best places for writers to start making content in 2024, especially if you like writing long-form content.

You don’t need to spend money, have a huge following, or restrict yourself to a particular niche to get started on Medium. All it takes is consistent and strategic writing efforts to grow as a writer.

Here are some interesting facts about Medium that make it the best platform to start your writing journey :

• You get an already existing audience (1,000,000+ subscribers and 100 million active readers) to engage with your content.
• Medium’s high domain authority increases your article’s chances of ranking higher on Google. Compared to starting a blog where you need to take care of SEO and marketing, this is a piece of cake.
• The Medium Partner Program allows you to get paid for writing about anything you want.

The July 2023 changes in the Medium Partner Program are making it even better for writers to make more money and present their voices.

• The launch of the “boost stories” feature allows your articles to reach a larger audience and make more money
• Medium Partner Program is expanding to more countries
• The new incentive model rewards originality and the reader’s engagement with the story over templatized or AI-generated content.

If you’re a writer with strong opinions, engaging stories, and unique ideas, this is the best time to get started on Medium.

Still, many writers find it challenging to develop a content strategy for Medium as they’re confused about what to share.

I’ve been writing on the platform since 2020, and have amassed 180k+ followers. If I were to start writing on Medium from scratch in 2024, here’s the exact strategy I’d have followed.

Step 0: Lay down the foundation by hitting the ‘Publish’ button

Before anything else, I’d focus on building a presence on Medium by publishing 5 articles in the niches closest to my heart.

Currently, I’m not in the mood for writing heavy research-backed articles, so I’d stick to life experiences. I’d write about my reading and writing journey, or maybe the adventures I have in my quest for fitness.

This way I’m not limiting myself to a very specific topic or pressurizing myself to write something that will take a lot of time.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Pick 5 topics you’re passionate about that reflect your personality
• Brainstorm simple ideas around these topics and publish articles on them using your personal stories
• For example- if you love reading, write about– “Best Books I Read in 2023” or “How to Develop a Reading Routine in Your Busy Life”.

Step 1: Leverage the existing audience and reputed publications

You won’t have a large audience at first, so publishing a story directly on your profile will reach a limited number of people.

Pitching your stories to a publication is a smarter choice if you want to reach more people.

When they publish your article, its reach expands depending on how big a following the publication has.

Many beginner writers make the mistake of publishing their stories on their profile, and it hampers their growth on the platform.

To save you from this, I’ve made a detailed video on how to select the right publication for your story covering:

• How to find relevant publications for your topic
• How to become a contributing writer following their guidelines
• How to pitch your article to them.

Watch it here for more information — 

Step 2: Refine my voice by niching down further

After publishing 20 or so articles, I’d go to my stats and have a look at how my stories are performing.

I’d see what’s common among the top 5 stories: is it the topic, the target audience, or the writing style?

Whatever factor is working in my favor, I’d double down on it.

With the help of my stats, I can understand how my audience is reacting to my content and which stories are getting the highest engagement.

Niching down further on your topics and writing style will help you build a strong reader base.

• List down the topics that received maximum claps, comments, or highlights
• Track what type of stories bring in more readers– personal essays, how-to guides, or listicles
• Repurpose the topics or formats that are working best for you.

Step 3: Reverse engineer what’s already working like a pro

Medium is not just a great place for writers, it’s a paradise for readers as well. The $5 monthly membership lets you read unlimited stories across the platform.

Leverage this affordable membership to read as many articles as possible.

I’d scour through the homepages of popular publications and see what’s common in the top stories. Then, I’d reverse engineer that to fit my niche, and apply the takeaways to my articles.

This step will help you polish your skills and increase your chances of becoming one of the top Medium writers.

Step 4: Make consistency your secret weapon

While the new Medium Partner Program changes incentivize quality over quantity, I believe every article you publish is like a lottery ticket. The more tickets you buy, the better your chances are of winning the game.

At the start, I’d focus on quantity. I’d aim to publish at least 10–12 high-quality articles each month and see where this journey takes me.

The key is to remain consistent and meet your publishing goals without chasing perfection. The more you write, the better your chances are to improve your skills.

Step 5: Engage to enhance your visibility

Medium isn’t a social media platform per se, but the new Partner Program changes incentivize comments, claps, and highlights.

To make my profile more visible among the readers, I’d comment and interact with high-performing stories on the platform.

Remember to add valuable and insightful comments instead of simply writing, “Great article” or “Thanks for sharing”.

This social aspect will help you go the extra mile in getting new eyeballs to your work on Medium.

If I were to start from scratch on Medium in 2024, here’s what I’d do: Final words

You can write about any topic under the sun and build your portfolio with reputed publications on Medium.

The new regulations of the Medium Partner Program are the cherry on top that allows you to make money from your content. Many writers want to start writing here but find it hard to start or get results.

Having grown my Medium profile to 180K followers in the past 4 years, here’s exactly what I’d do if starting from scratch:

1. Pick 5 topics and start publishing content to establish my presence
2. Pitch to publications relevant to my topics for better content reach
3. Niche down based on my audiences’ preference
4. Read top creators’ articles to understand what already works
5. Engage mindfully with other writers to increase my visibility and build connections.

Try implementing these tried-and-tested strategies to start writing on Medium to establish a winning writing career online.

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If you’re serious about writing on Medium and want to make good money from it, then Project Medium is for you.