Why Freelance Writers Should Be on Medium

medium for freelance writers

I don’t know if you’ve heard of Medium, but it is getting a lot of attention lately. Content marketers, especially, are taking advantage of Medium to achieve their goals.

What is Medium?

It is a platform where anyone can write and publish articles. More than merely publishing content, however, one can give and receive feedback on the fly. In that sense, Medium is a collaborative venue for writers.

Another unique thing about Medium is that the popularity of the writer does not count as much as his or her ideas and the quality of the content. If your topic is discussion worthy and written in a way that elicits discussion, then you are as likely to get attention as the big names in blogging.

Here is a good infographic that gives a quick overview of Medium.

medium for freelance writers

Source

While it focuses on content marketers and the benefits they can reap from Medium, there are points that freelance writers can capitalize on.

Medium for freelance writers

So why consider using the platform?

  1. Gain exposure. We’ve talked about writers needing a portfolio, and Medium can be part of that. It’s not your own blog, but your name is out there, and if your pieces are good, then you’ll have more people leaving comments and giving feedback. If this happens, your content can easily spread – as the infographic says – like wildfire.
  2. Make connections. As you get exposure and people discover (and like) your content, you have the chance to create connections. This is good not only because you may find potential clients, but connecting with like-minded people will stimulate creativity and inspire.
  3. Get links to your blog. People probably won’t admit it, but creating content on Medium is one way of getting backlinks legitimately. You can link to your online portfolio, your own website, or to a specific blog post you want to promote. As long as you do not use Medium for this sole purpose, and the content you publish is not fluff, linking back to your site is totally above board – at least in my opinion.

Back to you

Have you ever considered using Medium? After reading the above, would you consider using the platform?

For those of you who are already on Medium, what can you say about it? Do the points above make sense?

You might also want to read: 5 Online Portfolio Platforms for Freelance Writers

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6 responses
  1. Justin Beach Avatar

    I’m already on Huffington Post. If Medium doesn’t pay, then in what way is it an improvement over HuffPo?

    1. Noemi Tasarra-Twigg Avatar
      Noemi Tasarra-Twigg

      I don’t see Medium as a way of getting paid. If pay is the sole requirement, then Medium isn’t the right platform.

  2. Tom Head Avatar

    I love Medium’s interface, and I think it has a lot of potential, but this article promises a lot more than Medium can currently deliver for the vast majority of freelance writers. Writing long, detailed articles for “exposure” is something that should be done carefully and sparingly, with the understanding that it’s very much a gamble.

    1. Noemi Tasarra-Twigg Avatar
      Noemi Tasarra-Twigg

      I agree with you in that writing to get exposure requires planning and meticulous writing. After all, if you don’t publish content that other people on Medium will read, it’s pointless. That also means not churning out article after article just for the sake of doing so.

      1. Tom Head Avatar

        I think the question for me is: Why invest a lot of work into writing for Medium for exposure, when I could be putting the same work into writing for a client for both exposure and pay? (Or at least writing for my own WordPress or Blogger site, putting AdSense banners on the side, and harvesting the ad revenue myself instead of letting Medium take it?)

  3. Teri Avatar

    I’m very new to Medium. I’m giving it a try, but I can see where it might take a while to get an audience there. I do like the ease of writing and submitting on the site. It’s very user-friendly.

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