I Gained 600 Followers In 10 Days: Here Are The 6 Things I Learned
I wish I had known this before
Writing on Medium is like an exciting roller-coaster!
One day you’re like a champion on a big mountain with lots of fans cheering you on. It feels amazing! But then…
There are days when it’s like you fell into a deep, dark hole, and no one seems to care. It’s super quiet, and it feels kind of sad because your last story only got seven lonely claps.
Being a writer is like a super exciting rollercoaster, with super happy and kinda sad times. I totally understand those feelings!”
Sounds relatable?
In the past 10 days, I’ve gained 600 new followers and received thousands of views and claps on my stories. However, this doesn’t happen all the time. But by following the steps that I’m about to share with you — can favor Medium’s algorithm on your side!
And this is exactly how I do it over and over again (Not the first time for me)
Here are those 6 things that I learned:
1. Volume Wins
Have you ever heard of the “Mere Exposure Effect?”
Let me explain what it is: When you see something more and more, you start to like or dislike it because you become familiar with it.
The best example of this is when you only buy products from brands you know, right? You buy from them because you’re familiar with the brand.
This principle applies to writing Medium stories as well.
The more you publish, the more people will see your work. And if more people see it, more people will like it (if the story is good). Of course, there will be some people who dislike it.
However, the like-dislike ratio usually leans heavily in favor of likes, say, 100 likes for every 3 dislikes.
Now, you might be thinking that publishing too many Medium stories can bore your readers. Well, my friend, you’re wrong.
If that were the case, you wouldn’t be reading this post because I’ve published 12 stories in the last 10 days. Didn’t they bore you?
You read these stories because you find them valuable.
If you’re publishing just once a week, you’re doing it all wrong. To maximize your exposure and impact, aim to publish at least once a day.
Some people will like your work, and some won’t. Who cares?
2. The Rule Of One
Writing for everyone means writing for no one
Have you ever wondered why headlines like “10 Books That’ll Change Your Life” don’t resonate with you? It’s because they lack specificity. These headlines fail to address the reader personally.
Here’s the thing:
The “Rule of One” means that you should write for one specific audience. And you do it by focusing on one and only one topic. Now, this might go against your current “Writing Rule.”
But trust me, if you do this — Will lead to better growth and success on Medium. Because Medium’s Algorithm favors you and pushes your story to more people.
I wouldn’t recommend writing about multiple topics on Medium unless you happen to be someone like Barack Obama.
If you write only in one niche — you’ll have so many “Unfair Advantages.”
And one of those advantages leads to the next point, so let’s go.
3. Build A Niche-following
Your job is to be known for the niche you own.
When you write about one topic, you build a tribe of people who are only interested in the subject you’re writing about. As a result, you tend to get more engagement on your content.
You build this niche following, which helps you outsmart the algorithm, showing your posts to more relevant people. Smart move to grow, right?
Ever wonder why some Medium accounts with 100k or 200k followers receive low engagement on their stories?
Audience differentiation.
They write about 10–12 different topics, which causes them to gain multiple types of followers who might not be interested in the 10 different subjects they’re writing about.
For instance, they followed the writer because they liked one of the stories he/she wrote about “Finance.” However, they don’t engage when the writer talks about cryptocurrency.
So the writer gets less engagement thus the Medium algorithm punishes.
There’s a whole psychology behind this. I can’t explain everything here.
I explain this concept in my Consulting (Glimpse):
4. Prove Your Competence
Show, don’t tell.
It’s easier to write “How to” stories. But it’s way harder to write “How I did” stories. But, if you can write “How I did” stories, you can achieve exponential success on Medium or in writing.
Because when you write “How I did” stories, they automatically become an inspiration for other people. Just like you’re reading this post because you want to gain 600 followers in 10 days, right?
Show them the skills you have. Write about the achievements, successes, or experiences you have.
If you’re a graphic designer, show how you mastered the craft. If you’re a video editor, demonstrate how you closed your first high-ticket client. If you’re a writer like me, share how you gained 600 followers in 10 days with your smart moves. Uff!
Do you see what I mean?
5. Build Trust With Your Readers
Trust is everything in audience building.
Here, I want to tell you something. Listen…
I’ll never mislead you. I’ll never tell you to do the thing I’m not doing. I’ll never force you to pay me money. I’ll never scam you. I’ll never be dishonest with you.
And as long as I’m writing…
I’ll be as authentic as possible. I’ll show my personality. I’ll provide you as much value as I can. I’ll try my best to solve all the problems you have around Medium and writing. I’ll give my 100% to make you worth following me.
These are my words. And I mean it and I stand by it.
Do you see? You need to do the same for your readers. Now it’s your turn!
6. You Can’t Please Everyone
There is the paradox of going viral.
If you go viral and gain a lot of exposure in the short term, it means that you get more people who like your work. But you also get so many people who hate, abuse, and insult you in the comment section.
But don’t worry, I’m going to give you a mantra that’ll help you tackle this problem.
So listen…
Accept that “You can’t please everyone.” And you shouldn’t too. Let them think what they’re thinking. Let them say what they’re saying. And let them believe what they believe.
The worst thing you can do online is…
Arguing with a stranger on the internet.
Life is too short to handle these types of people. If you think you know your stuff and you’re right — don’t listen to anyone.
The happiest people are the ones who don’t have an online presence.
I believe in it. Would you?
If you want to grow your Medium followers, check out his post:
