3 Secondary Ways to Get Your Content in Front of Medium Readers
If you really want to dig deep
Just last week, I published the post “The 4 Pillars Of Getting Content In Front Of Medium Readers” which covered these 4 main elements:
Followers
Publication followers
Subscribers
Curation
While these 4 ways are the primary ones to get new eyes onto your stories, there are a few secondary ways as well.
Let’s talk about these today.
#1 Tags
Originally, I was going to put tags on the first list in the previous article since they do play a significant role on Medium as a whole.
I didn’t because tags are complicated. Let’s have a closer look!
Tags are crucial for every writer. You have the option to select up to 5 tags for each of your stories within the Medium editor under the three-dots menu top right. And you should use all 5!
Pro-tip: Use top writer tags with low competition ratings if you want to get top writer badges. I have a handy list of all Medium top writer tags and their ratings here.Tags are vital for discovery on Medium. In recent history, Medium has revamped the tags pages (and retired topics in favor of tags). On those tag pages, you will find popular, trending, and recent stories for each tag. Your story might be among those results, hopefully near the top. That will drive some views your way. Hence, tags are important.
Tags can be followed by readers which means they act as a form of secondary distribution system. If you repeatedly read stories from the same topic, you will see tag-related stories on your feed.
As just said, tags help shape your recommendations. Even without following certain tags directly, the algorithm will show you relevant stories based on the tags of your recently read posts (among other factors, of course).
Key takeaway: Tags should be one of your focus areas. Use tags wisely, utilize the power of tags by choosing fitting and widely-used tags. Opt for top writer tags if you care about top writer status, and keep some SEO concepts in mind when picking tags. This brings us to number 2.
#2 SEO
On Medium, whether you want it or not, you’re a blogger. And like with the gazillion of blogs out there in the wilds of the internet, SEO is what drives traffic to your site… or not.
While SEO is less important on Medium than on traditional blogs (without a built-in audience, that is), SEO can still be a main factor for your view count.
Good SEO will drive more readers to your stories, mostly through search engines. What’s good SEO? That’s worth a series of posts, but here are some key factors:
Use ONE main keyword and optimize for this single keyword.
Use it in your headline
Use it throughout your text body in fitting places and in a natural manner, so no keyword dropping all over the place.
Use it as a Medium tag if it fits.
Choose long tail keywords over short ones.
Go for lower competition, although Medium’s high Domain Authority allows for more flexibility here.
Now, as you know, these views are external and therefore don’t count toward your Medium partner program earnings. That’s why they’re on this secondary list and not on the first one.
External views are still important. A few days ago, I wrote a post called “One Single Medium Story With 40 Million Views & 247K Claps” and if you haven’t read it, you really should. It showcases the amazing power of external views (and SEO) on Medium.
One Single Medium Story With 40 Million Views & 247K Claps
How much did it earn & will this ever happen again?medium.com
Key takeaway: You’re a writer. You want to be read. Good SEO will help you get in front of more readers.
#3 Lists
Medium introduced lists last year. And, oh boy, did I miss the opportunities and importance that came with this new feature back then. I know better now.
Lists are powerful.
I wrote a couple of posts only about the power of lists. If you want to dive deeper, start here:
5 Imaginative Ways to Utilize the Power of Medium Lists (And a Few Pitfalls)
How lists can help you get more viewsmedium.com
Lists can get you in front of new readers in a couple of ways:
Your stories could be added to a list of a fellow writer which then will get read by their followers.
By sharing and linking to lists instead of single posts, chances are higher that readers read more than one of your posts.
The obvious one: Every reader has a reading list on Medium. You want to be on that.
Key takeaway: Don’t make the mistake of dismissing lists as a negligible feature. Understand the power of lists and make use of them.
The bottom line
These are the 3 secondary ways to get your content in front of Medium readers. While arguably not as important as the primary 4, they will help you gain views and readers.
Let’s quickly recap:
Tags: Choose 5, pick a few top writer tags, use the same tags over and over again.
SEO: Adhere to popular SEO tactics to drive external traffic to your Medium posts. This won’t increase your earnings, but it will increase reads, grow your audience, get the algorithm going, and might lead to tremendous opportunities in the future.
Lists: Don’t underestimate the power of lists on Medium. They’re a promotional tool, an organizational tool, and a way to be discovered by new readers. Learn how to utilize this power.
What did I miss? Any other ways to get in front of new readers? Tell me!