In today’s social media landscape, where organic reach is dwindling or even non-existent, Medium stands out as a beacon of hope, particularly if you feel like your excellent content isn’t getting the attention it deserves.

One of the best things about Medium is its focus on the value of your ideas, rather than just being another platform where only the most prominent names and celebrities thrive. Even without a massive following or a niche audience, your Medium story has the potential to garner significant views and recommendations (represented by green hearts). It’s entirely achievable. I’ve previously explained why Medium publishing is a powerful tool for content marketers. This time, I’ll guide you on how to ensure your content on Medium achieves outstanding performance. Through my experiments with Medium, I believe I’ve discovered the secret sauce. Here are my top seven tips to optimize your Medium posts for maximum impact.

1. Start with a Striking Image

A captivating image placed right after your headline can significantly increase engagement. This ensures it shows up in mobile news feeds, enticing readers like this:

Visuals increase engagement This holds true whether you’re on Medium or any other platform. Without an image, your post preview will only display a few words, limiting clicks and readership. Always strive to incorporate a visually appealing and relevant image. The right visual can effectively communicate your article’s topic and encourage more people to click the “Read More” link.

2. Invest in Promotion

Promoting your Medium posts on platforms like Facebook and Twitter can boost their visibility (check out this post on content advertising for more insights). A small investment of even $50 can act as a catalyst, propelling your content to gain initial traction and reach 200 hearts within 24 hours. I’ve observed that crossing the 200-heart threshold within a day significantly increases the likelihood of your article start trending and being organically promoted by Medium’s recommendation algorithm. This can lead to a surge in pageviews.

When running ads, target individuals with Medium accounts, as targeting those outside the platform is ineffective if your primary goal is to gain hearts. Trending posts naturally attract more viewers, readers, and hearts. The key is to tap into this positive feedback loop on Medium and ride the wave of success.

3. Collaborate with Medium Publications

Instead of going solo, consider reaching out to Medium publication owners and propose your article for their publication. Having your work featured in a publication expands your reach beyond your immediate followers, tapping into the publication’s follower base. Being featured in a large publication can provide a substantial boost, as some Medium publications boast over 100,000 followers. My Medium publication, All Things Marketing & Entrepreneurship, is nearing 10,000 followers, making it the platform’s largest marketing publication. New Medium users with smaller followings can leverage this by having their posts featured in my channel, exposing their work to a larger audience. (Interested in contributing? Shoot me a note on Twitter.)

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Repost

Let’s face it, not every Medium article will be a hit. If you genuinely believe in your content’s potential but it hasn’t performed well, don’t hesitate to delete and republish it. Consider republishing if your content has garnered less than 1,000 views and 50 hearts. Think of it as giving your content a third chance (first being its original publication, second being its initial Medium post). Success on Medium can be influenced by timing and other factors. Sometimes it’s about publishing when your target audience is most active, creating a ripple effect of recommendations. Just because your content didn’t resonate the first two times doesn’t mean it won’t succeed. The third time might be the charm. If you attempt this more than three times, consider revising the title and image to avoid redundancy. Also, space out your attempts by a month or two to avoid overwhelming your followers.

5. Expand Your Reach on Other Platforms

Medium conveniently syncs your followers from Twitter and Facebook. Therefore, it’s crucial to actively grow your audience on these platforms. Your efforts to grow your Twitter will ultimately benefit you on Medium, and vice versa. Even if only a fraction of your followers on those platforms have Medium accounts, it still contributes to your overall reach.

6. Engage with Your Audience

This tip is incredibly simple yet effective. Always make an effort to follow back individuals who engage with your content, whether it’s through a recommendation or a comment. This sends them a notification, keeping you on their radar. Their engagement indicates an interest in your writing, so capitalize on that. Connect with them while your content is still fresh in their minds. There’s a high probability that those who engaged with your posts will reciprocate the follow. In my experience, roughly a quarter of the people I’ve followed after they interacted with my content have followed me back.

7. Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule

Don’t expect to gain any real traction on Medium by simply creating an account and posting sporadically. Consistency is key. This means regularly publishing engaging and valuable content.

I’ve been diligently publishing two or three articles every week for about six months and the results speak for themselves. My posts are now generating an impressive 250,000 to 500,000 views monthly, and I’m consistently gaining thousands of new followers each week, increasing the likelihood of future success. The most remarkable aspect is that none of this content is original. It was all previously published on other platforms. These views are entirely incremental, indicating that these readers wouldn’t have encountered my work otherwise.

Medium Optimization in a Nutshell

To summarize, here’s how to optimize your content for Medium:

• Captivate with a strong image.
• Invest in social media ads for an initial boost.
• Explore collaborations with Medium publications for wider exposure.
• Don’t be afraid to revise and repost underperforming articles.
• Actively grow your Twitter and Facebook following.
• Engage with your audience by following back those who show interest.
• Maintain a consistent posting schedule.

Now go forth and maximize the potential of your content. Conquer the Medium landscape! (and while you’re at it, follow me on Medium!)