A Month on Medium: What I Learned So Far
After publishing 30 posts in 30 days and getting my first 200 followers, I took a week off from Medium and reflected upon my journey so far.
The thing is, I struggle to focus on one passion project and it’s taking a toll on my motivation to work on any of them. I once launched a short-lived podcast on self-growth, redid my blog site thrice on different platforms (Squarespace, Notion via Super.so, Bluehost) before making Medium its home, and transferred my newsletter from Tiny Letter to Mailchimp to Substack to Sendfox and now to MailerLite (work in progress).
Honestly, I need to take my advice and pace myself.
Which is why I decided to try Basecamp’s 6-week cycles where I will focus on one key project at a time. My first cycle would be the revamp of my newsletter’s content outline, design, landing pages, and community engagement tactics. (You can subscribe here if you want to witness it unfold!)
And while doing so, I thought of keeping my momentum on Medium going, too.
Although I still am not qualified to join the Medium Partner Program (I’m from the Philippines), my current stats are decent, I’ve already connected with awesome readers and writers who leave thoughtful comments on my posts (Shoutout to Sorina Raluca Băbău, Yana Bostongirl, Ankit Karody, Gabe Hunt, Carey Arora, Mia Seleccion, Neera Handa Dr, Dave Neal, Deb Fiore, sylvia wilde, William Scott, Dominic C., BichoDoMato, to name a few), and I’ve been learning a lot in the process.
Here are the top 3 things I’ve learned after publishing 30 posts in 30 days on Medium.
1. Personal stories add flair and flavor
The great thing about the internet is anyone can publish content. The worst thing about it is, well, anyone can publish. There’s too much noise. Most pieces of advice sound the same and barely make a mark on us anymore.
But that shouldn’t stop us from sharing our ideas.
What we can do instead is to frame things using our unique perspective. It’s cliche, sue me. But it freaking works! Any generic advice would work wonders when topped off with a heartbreaking story, a humorous one, or a heart-warming anecdote.
Note: While stories work, don’t try to lie and make up one — most people can sniff the B.S. immediately!
2. Consider it an experiment
If a piece doesn’t get the attention you think it deserves, try again.
And again and again. Some of your posts will blow up, some will come and go without making a sound (those you can repurpose someday, don’t worry). Your favorite piece may prove to be a flop. But maybe your formatting just needs some tweaking. Or maybe you just posted it when no one in your target audience was online. Maybe it needs a new headline. Or a better cover image.
It’s unproductive to beat ourselves up. What we can do instead is treat writing like an experiment. We don’t mock and judge—we test variables instead. Until we find combinations that work and brings in the results we’re aiming for.
3. Care enough to connect with others
Although I’m guilty of riding the follow for follow train while trying to get my first 100 followers, I’ve been selective. I read bios and their works (when I had time) before following anyone back.
I think this is the reason why I gained more than a hundred followers quite quickly (to my surprise). Also, my comments on other people’s posts have led new followers on my page just as much as my content did (if not more).
My current stats:
Moving forward
To focus on launching Love Notes properly into the wild, I’ll stick to posting one atomic essay (or a blog post) on Medium every Monday. Instead of publishing how-to’s and quick tips, I’ll try to write more personal stories. Plus, I’ll allot 10 to 15 minutes a day reading other people’s work, leaving my two cents and appreciation, and connecting with writers I find interesting.
How has your journey on Medium been so far? What’s your posting cadence? And what has it taught you about content creation?
Would love to hear and learn from you so feel free to drop a comment! 👇🏼