Did you know that you can make money by writing on the popular blogging platform Medium? Medium has a partner program that pays you when people read your content. If you've been looking to make money from your writing, then this could be a good option.
Here is how to start making money on Medium:
Joining the Medium Partner Program
To make money on Medium you need to be a member of the partner program. Thankfully joining the program is super easy. Payments are made via Stripe, which is an international payment processor. Stripe payments will land directly in your bank account. If you already have a stripe account, then signing up is super fast, but you can also create an account while joining the program.
Once you've linked your account with Stripe, you'll be able to start earning money. You can select which articles you wish to be published as part of the program. This will hide them behind a paywall to non-paying members. But you can also get a special link for each article that will allow you to share it freely.
How are Medium Earnings Calculated?
The amount you earn is based on how many Medium members read your content. Members pay a monthly fee to get unlimited access to Medium. And this membership money is then distributed to writers who are part of the partner program. Its a lot like how Spotify distributes membership subscriptions to artists.
What type of content works best on Medium
The more time people spend reading your content, the more money you'll make on Medium. So writing engaging content is essential. You don't get paid for views. People actually need to read your content. The best way to see what works on Medium is to browse through the trending and popular content.
How much money do people make on Medium?
If you take a look at this survey done of users who made money on Medium, you can see that the earnings vary a lot. Some people are making <$25 a month and only around 10% of writers making more than $500. What I've found is that it doesn't really depend on the amount of content you create. Some writers are able to make $100+ from just one article. It really depends on whether or not your content goes viral.
Can you make a full-time income from Medium?
Probably not. With quite a bit of work, you'll be able to make around $100-$500 per month. Medium can make a great place to earn a side income, but you won't be able to quit your job. If you are looking to make a full-time income from writing, then I would recommend running your own blog. You'll still be able to write on Medium, but you'll make a lot more money from affiliate marketing, sponsored posts and advertising on your own blog.
How to promote your Medium Articles
Good articles on Medium will be promoted automatically. But here are some tips I have:
- Submit articles to Publications – some publications on Medium encourage you to submit your content. This is a great way to grow your account.
- Tweet your Articles – Tweet links to your articles on Twitter. This will encourage claps and follows. The more followers you have on Medium the more your articles will be read.
- Link to existing articles – Place links to your existing stories into your new posts. This will encourage readers to read more than one of your pieces.
Medium VS Blogging
Medium is great because it helps you build an audience (especially if you have an existing Twitter account as the two get linked). But it does have some downsides. Here are some of the reasons why I prefer running my own blog compared to writing on Medium:
- You can't use Affiliate Links on Medium – Partner articles on Medium can't contain adverts or affiliate links. So Medium is great if you don't want to bother with Affiliate Marketing. But if you do want to include some affiliate links, then hosting your own blog is the only option.
- You can sell your blog – When you own a blog you own an asset. In the future you can sell this asset. You can't sell your medium profile.
- Complete Control – With your own blog you can write whatever you want. You're also in charge of the design and SEO. While it takes more work to get setup, in the end its worth it.
- No risk of your platform disappearing – Medium could shut down at any moment. Remember Vine? Plenty of people were making money using Vine and then it just disappeared. When you own your own blog, you don't have to worry about it getting shut down.
That being said, I still have a medium account and I still write on it. It's a great way to repost content and expand your audience. But I wouldn't want to rely on it as my sole place to blog.
Looking for more ways to make money online? Check out my guide to Copy Trading.
