5 Lessons on the Path to 100 Followers
Not a member? Read the story here.
I finally did it! I reached 100 followers on March 13.
I’m grateful to everyone who has and is following along as I journey on Medium. I’ve got to give a special shout out to a couple people though.
- Janis Gross for being so supportive of everyone who writes for Wake.Write.Win.
- Domino Cat for always highlighting and interacting with my stories. You don’t always comment but I appreciate the claps and highlights on almost all of my stories.
- Dan K. for engaging on so many of my articles and tons of others. Your comments are always appreciated by more than just myself, I’m sure.
Lessons Along the Path
I could have gotten here much sooner, but I just don’t have the time to commit as much as I’d like. All of these lessons are things I don’t do as much as I should…
Consistency
Being consistent on Medium goes a very long way. Once you get into the swing of things, your audience starts to expect stories at specific times. A consistent schedule helps keep them engaged by providing content on an expected timeline. What’s important, though, is that whatever you do, it works for you. Just make sure its kept up.
(I’m fairly inconsistent. Life happens. Oh well…)
Write Daily
Writing daily keeps your name and your stories constantly in view. It also reinforces a consistency that your followers will come to expect.
(I sometimes have 1–3 days in between posts, depending on how busy I am outside of Medium. Oops…)
Interact Often
Engaging with others is the best thing you can do on this site. Not only does it keep your name out there so people can find their way to your stories easily, it shows that you care about other stories and not just your own.
Don’t just clap and run, though. Leave comments and highlight interesting points in people’s articles! Don’t go overboard though; it can lead to being identified as a bot which can then lead to a suspension.
( I try to engage with a minimum of three stories per day, even if I’m not publishing any stories that day.)
Use Publications
When I first started, I thought publications would only take established writers. That’s not the case.
Many publications accept new writers! They’re a fantastic way for writers to get their stories and their names out there.
(I definitely do this now.)
Find Who you Are
Find your voice. Your writing and your stories are unique to you.
Find your niche and stick to it. Your audience expects certain content from you. When they don’t get what’s expected, they leave.
(I tend to write about three things. However, I haven’t really stuck to a specific niche. I usually just write what comes to mind. Oh well…)
Appreciate the support. I really do.
Cheers🥂
