How to Make Money Writing on Medium.com (Complete Guide)

Hudson Rennie

11 Jul 202408:05

Summary

TLDRThis video offers insights on monetizing writing through Medium, suggesting strategies for both new and experienced writers. It advises on posting frequency, with options for quality or quantity, and highlights the most lucrative topics like health, wealth, and productivity. The video also explores how to leverage Medium as part of a larger business model, including using it to drive traffic to other revenue streams like newsletters, digital products, and affiliate marketing. It emphasizes the importance of starting an email list and diversifying income beyond the Medium Partner Program.

Takeaways

📈 To maximize earnings on Medium, focus on writing either high-quality, longer articles less frequently or shorter articles more often.
🔍 Successful Medium writers often target topics like productivity and 'how to make money as a writer' due to their appeal to the platform's user base.
📊 The average Medium reader is between 24 to 35 years old, from the US, interested in programming, software, and technology, which influences the type of content that performs well.
💡 Posting frequency should be at least once per week, adjusting based on personal capacity and preferred content strategy.
💼 Medium's partner program has a ceiling; to earn substantial income, use it as part of a broader online business strategy.
💡 Expand your Medium earnings by leveraging multiple income streams such as paid newsletters, digital products, or online courses.
🔗 Including a link to a newsletter or other digital products in your posts can help drive sales and supplement your Medium income.
🌐 For those not eligible for the Medium partner program, using affiliate marketing through reviews or walkthroughs can be a profitable strategy.
💌 Building an email list is crucial for writers, and it should be started as soon as possible, or at least once you reach 1,000 followers on Medium.
📚 To get started or improve on Medium, consider joining writer communities and utilizing resources like playlists and courses designed for Medium success.

Q & A

What is the recommended posting frequency for new Medium writers?
-For new Medium writers, it's recommended to post one to three times, depending on how much time you have and which strategy you prefer: focusing on quality over quantity or quantity over quality.
How does the Medium Partner Program work in terms of earning money?
-The Medium Partner Program allows writers to earn money based on the read time of their stories. Longer read times can result in higher earnings, but the program has a ceiling for substantial income.
What are the key points successful writers focus on when writing for Medium?
-Successful writers on Medium often focus on a few key points and keep their read time low to post more often, increasing the chances of their stories going viral.
What is the average age and interest of Medium readers according to the script?
-The average Medium reader is between 24 to 35 years old from the US, interested in programming, software, and technology.
Which topics are suggested to be most profitable on Medium?
-The most profitable topics on Medium include productivity, how to make money as a writer, health, wealth, love, and gossip, as these topics appeal to a broad audience.
Why is submitting to Publications on Medium advised for writers?
-Submitting to Publications on Medium is advised because it can expand a writer's reach, especially when they are first starting out, and can be extremely helpful for gaining more views on stories.
What are three strategies mentioned in the script to earn substantial income on Medium?
-Three strategies mentioned are: 1) Leveraging the Medium Partner Program to earn over $1,000 per month, 2) Creating a community around a publication to supplement earnings, and 3) Using affiliate marketing to earn commissions from reviews or walkthroughs.
How can writers who are ineligible for the Medium Partner Program still earn money on the platform?
-Writers who are ineligible for the Medium Partner Program can use affiliate marketing to earn money. They can write reviews or walkthroughs and earn via affiliate commissions, even with a free Medium account.
What is the significance of starting an email list according to the script?
-Starting an email list is considered foundational for turning Medium into a full-time business. It's advised that every writer should start building an email list outside of Medium as soon as possible.
What is the role of the Medium Boost Nominator Program in earning money?
-The Medium Boost Nominator Program allows publication owners to receive a flat monthly rate by nominating posts to get boosted, which can help supplement earnings and create a community around a publication.
How can writers maximize their earnings on any topic on Medium?
-Writers can maximize their earnings on any topic by creating a community around it, leveraging multiple income streams such as paid newsletters, digital products, or online courses, and using Medium as a stepping stone toward an online business.

Outlines

00:00

📝 How to Make Money Writing on Medium

The speaker introduces Medium as a promising platform for writers to make money. While it may seem simple, there are many aspects to consider for success. The video aims to explore strategies for using Medium effectively, including how often to post, which topics to write about, and how to earn up to $1,000 even if you're not part of the Medium Partner Program. The speaker shares their experience since 2019 and the research they've done to uncover key methods that successful Medium writers use to earn thousands of dollars per month.

05:01

💡 Posting Strategies: Quality vs. Quantity

This section explains how often you should post on Medium. The speaker suggests writing 1-2 stories per week, focusing on long, high-quality pieces. However, other successful writers opt for a higher quantity of shorter articles to increase the chances of going viral. Both strategies have pros and cons: quality-focused stories generate more read time, leading to higher earnings, while a quantity approach provides more opportunities for success. The choice depends on time, preferences, and the type of content you produce.

📊 Understanding Medium's Audience and Profitable Topics

Medium’s audience profile is key to success. Most readers are aged 24-35, from the U.S., and interested in tech and programming. However, topics like health, wealth, love, and gossip appeal to wider audiences. The speaker emphasizes that many paying Medium members are writers themselves, making topics on productivity and writing success highly profitable. Submitting articles to publications is highly recommended for expanding reach, especially for new writers.

💼 Strategies to Earn More on Medium

While Medium's Partner Program has limitations, writers can still earn over $1,000 per month with smart strategies. The speaker shares examples like Eve Arnold, who leverages Medium traffic to sell courses, digital products, and other services. Writers can use Medium as a stepping stone to build a larger business by promoting their own products or services and not relying solely on earnings from the Partner Program. Diversifying income streams is key.

🏆 Community Building and Affiliate Marketing for More Revenue

Building a community around your writing can help maximize earnings. Medium's Boost Nominator Program allows publication owners to earn a flat monthly rate. Writers can create their own publications and use them to earn money through paid newsletters or events. Additionally, affiliate marketing is another great way to earn, especially for those who can't join the Medium Partner Program. Writers like Aru Jelly have successfully used Medium to drive organic search traffic and earn commissions from product reviews and guides.

📧 Building an Email List for Long-Term Success

The final strategy involves building an email list outside of Medium, which is essential for long-term success. An email list allows writers to engage with their audience directly and monetize their content through courses, products, or newsletters. The speaker advises starting as soon as possible or at least once you reach 1,000 followers on Medium. The video wraps up by summarizing key tips: post consistently, focus on profitable topics, submit to publications, and leverage multiple income streams. Medium should be viewed as a stepping stone towards building a full-fledged online business.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Medium Partner Program

The Medium Partner Program is a platform feature that allows writers to earn money based on the read time of their stories. It's central to the video's theme as it represents the primary method for monetization on Medium. The script mentions that while the program has a ceiling, it's still possible to earn a substantial income from it, suggesting strategies for maximizing earnings.

💡Read Time

Read Time refers to the amount of time a reader spends on a particular story on Medium. It is directly tied to the earnings of writers through the Medium Partner Program. The video emphasizes the importance of Read Time for monetization, with longer Read Times correlating to higher potential earnings, as illustrated by the speaker's preference for writing longer, information-dense articles.

💡Quality over Quantity

This concept refers to the strategy of focusing on producing fewer but higher-quality articles rather than many shorter ones. In the context of the video, it's one of the approaches successful Medium writers use. The speaker personally adopts this method, aiming to write longer stories that provide in-depth information, which aligns with the video's message about effective writing strategies on the platform.

💡Quantity over Quality

Conversely, 'Quantity over Quality' is another strategy where writers prioritize producing a higher number of articles over the depth of each piece. This approach is mentioned as a common practice among full-time writers who aim for more frequent posts to increase the chances of their stories going viral, despite potentially lower earnings per story due to shorter Read Times.

💡Publications

Publications on Medium are collections of stories curated around specific themes or topics. The video suggests submitting to Publications as a way to expand a writer's reach and potentially increase views. This strategy is part of the broader discussion on how to leverage Medium's features to maximize visibility and earnings.

💡Productivity

Productivity is a topic that the video identifies as particularly lucrative on Medium, likely due to its appeal to a broad audience. The speaker notes that many paying Medium members are writers themselves, making productivity and related topics like 'how to make money as a writer' popular and profitable areas to write about.

💡Email List

An email list is a collection of subscribers' email addresses used for direct communication. The video emphasizes the importance of building an email list as a foundational habit for writers, suggesting it as a key strategy for creating a sustainable online business beyond Medium. It's presented as a way to establish a direct connection with readers and promote other income streams.

💡Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing is a strategy where individuals earn commissions by promoting and selling other companies' products. The video discusses how one writer uses Medium as a platform to drive organic search traffic and earn via affiliate commissions, highlighting it as a viable income stream even for those not eligible for the Medium Partner Program.

💡Boost Nominator Program

The Boost Nominator Program allows publication owners on Medium to earn a flat monthly rate by nominating posts to be boosted. This program is mentioned as a way for writers to supplement their earnings and create a community around their publication, which can be monetized through various means such as paid newsletters or online events.

💡Newsletter

A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication that provides updates or insights on a particular topic. The video uses the example of a writer who includes a link to her newsletter at the bottom of her posts, indicating it as a way to sell courses, digital products, or community events. Newsletters are presented as a tool for writers to diversify their income beyond Medium's platform.

Highlights

Medium offers a streamlined path to making money as a writer, but it involves many moving parts.

The presenter has been writing on Medium since 2019 and shares insights from a break to build a Substack newsletter.

Three strategies used by successful Medium writers to earn thousands of dollars monthly are discussed.

Posting frequency on Medium is crucial; the presenter suggests one to two stories per week focusing on quality.

Successful full-time writers often post more frequently with a focus on quantity over quality.

The average Medium reader is 24 to 35 years old, from the US, interested in programming, software, and technology.

Topics that appeal to all humans, like health, wealth, love, and gossip, tend to get more views on Medium.

Productivity and how-to-make-money-as-a-writer topics perform well on Medium due to the demographic of paying members.

Submitting to Publications on Medium can help increase views, especially for new writers.

Medium's partner program has a ceiling; to earn substantial money, it should be part of a larger business strategy.

Eve Arnold exemplifies a writer using Medium to drive traffic to her newsletter, courses, and digital products.

Creating a community around a publication on Medium can supplement earnings through paid newsletters or online events.

Ouru Jelly uses Medium as a funnel for organic search traffic and earns via affiliate marketing, even without being in the partner program.

Building an email list is recommended for writers to start as soon as possible for a successful online business.

The video concludes with a reiteration of key points for making money on Medium, including posting strategies and leveraging multiple income streams.