21 Comments

Medium to me is coffee money and because I like it and the community of writers I write with. I'm part of a group that writes 100 word stories. The most I've ever made on one story is 7.50, but for a 100 word story that isn't bad. I've seen a clear drop in my income since I stopped being a friend of medium and I feel like that might not be a coincidence even if they say it doesn't matter. I get consistent reviews now more than I did before and have a steady readership and my earnings are literal pennies when I used to earn a few dollars per story.

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I think that's a great way to look at it. There are so many benefits to writing consistently other than money. And, hmmm, interesting. I just downgraded my FOM account as well. I wonder if I'll notice a difference. 🤔

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This is out of box approach. I was recently contacted with offer to write sponsored post on Medium, and didn't take this seriously. Might change opinion after your insightful article. Thanks

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Nice! 👏 Just make sure to vet the company you're working with. For every quality offer I receive, I wade through 10-20 spammy or suspicious ones. I also ask for 50% of the payment prior to posting.

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Thanks for sharing the details on how you did it! There are so many paths, and sometimes folks are so laser focused on one thing that when it falls apart, so does their business.

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Yes! Well said. Change is inevitable. So, adaptability is key.

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Thanks for the tips! To write sponsored posts, you need to have a pretty big following correct? Also, in terms of growing your following on Medium, you can always add a friend link at the top of your article, saying non-members can read here. That way your piece is still paywalled. Regarding, non boosted articles, the pay rate is less per read than boosted ones. Unfortunately, having a big following on Medium doesn't go a long way. The only way is to get the boost.

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Totally. The friend links are really helpful for getting the best of both worlds. And, for sponsored posts, yes and no. I wrote my first sponsored post with 1,500 followers. But, I didn't have brands begin reaching out to me consistently until I crossed 10K followers.

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Seriously?! I gotta read this one

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😃

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Thanks youve given me a couple new things to think about with medium. I used to make quite a bit of money there with the boost programme but it's just not been the same. I might have a think about some of your ideas!

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Awesome! 🙂🙌

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🔥 Solid strategy and advice Hudson! Thank-you!

Love reading stories of folks getting creative when changes occur on platforms - rather than whining and complaining. I'll often say "change is constant."

Somewhat linked - another way to share paywalled Medium stories is by using 'friend links' and posting these on social media, on one's website, here on Substack, etc. It doesn't increase MPP earnings but does increase reach (which is the main reason I write on Medium).

Doesn't necessarily assist SEO though.

This can also increase earnings if you have more than one account that is 'Friends of Medium.' Granted the FOM program comes at an annual increased cost.

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Thanks! I totally agree. Change is inevitable, especially online. I think more than anything, Medium is becoming an SEO platform. So, sharing friend links and catering your content to non-members is really smart. 💡👏

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Thank you so much for posting this helpful article! I’m still trying to figure out how to better monetize in this tough economy. Here is one of my more successful articles: https://medium.com/@SoulPenChronilces/biopolitics-the-invisible-forces-that-shape-our-world-and-how-theyre-transforming-right-before-0b134d1b3b06

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Learn Seo, remove paywall, create a small product and the sky’s the limit. Medium is still the best place to be, even if you make $0 directly from the platform. Hey, Hudson - I do have a great SEO course, let me know if you’d be interested in affiliate promotions.

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Well said. SEO is a valuable skill, especially as a writer. And, I'm definitely open to checking it out! Feel free to send me a DM. 🙂🙌

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You are right. I remove my posts from paywall if they contain sponsored links and those posts rank on first pages with just seo optimization.

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Oh glad to see you here,I've watched one of your YouTube videos when I was searching for writing platforms.It's my second day on substack, I'm pretty excited.

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Awesome! It's great to see you here. 🙂🙌

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Yeah I mean you are the only familiar one here,So it feels good

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