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So… Two-thousand followers on Medium!
Sounds like a big deal, right?
Yeah! Only…It’s not!
But it’s definitely a milestone worth dissecting. So, here’s how I reached it and why, ultimately, it doesn’t matter much. If at all…
How I got them?
When I first started on Medium, I had no idea what I was doing. I wrote some pieces that barely got any traction.
Frustration? Oh, you bet.
Two ways that got me here:
The one everyone knows: Read. Read a lot daily.
Besides writing, I read and connected with others on the platform. Don’t just focus on writing — I’ll use the dirty word now, but here it is — “engage” with the community.
Search for readers: Check the comments on the stories you read. It’s a goldmine. Find like-minded people, respond and build relationships.
Search for other writers: Go to publications. Search for other writers who would resonate with your work. They’re more likely to be interested in what you have to say.
This isn’t just about dropping a random comment — make it meaningful. Add to the conversation. Share insights, add value, and genuinely connect.
Authenticity is your power! You can’t make it if you fake it.
That’s what helped me, but now that Medium changed everything, I feel like this doesn’t work anymore. At least not like few months ago.
2. The boring one Write. Write consistently. Write to go viral. That’s it. Sounds boring, right? But it’s the truth. You don’t really need to churn out content consistently. One viral story can do real magic. I had at least one every month. During that time, I saw my followers grow by 20+ a day! That’s the real driver!
Why I don’t care?
Followers ≠ Success
So, I hit 2,000 followers.
Cool, right?
But here’s where the story twists. Guess what? It didn’t lead to more reads, views, or earnings. Nope!
Followers don’t equal success on Medium.
Medium’s algorithm is a notorious beast. One day it loves you, the next it’s ghosting you. Your followers might not even see your new stories. It’s a roulette. One spin you’re hot, the next — ice-cold…
What you need to focus on instead?
If you want to build a real audience, you need their emails.
Every writer needs a newsletter!
Either collect emails on Medium or run your own newsletter.
Why?
Because platforms change, algorithms evolve, but an email list is yours. It’s a direct line to your readers without the interference of some middleman.
Plus, you have your insurance in case some platform decides your account is in violation and bans you. It happens all the time. Not only on Medium. Even if you’re perfectly fine.
Focus on what matters most!
So, reaching 2,000 followers felt good for a whole one minute.
But it was just a number. A vanity metric. Focus on the real deal instead:
1. Quality Content: Keep writing high-quality stories that resonate with your audience. Stay authentic and keep going.
2. Email List: Build your subscriber list. That’s your real asset! Create a freebie, use it as lead magnet and grow from your list.
Thanks for being with me
Yana
P.S. Don’t forget to redeem your subscriber benefits!
Yeah it’s weird how you get more and more
Followers but that never equates to more reads or $$. Very strange.