Boosting Your Publications Followers
How do you do it?
Many writers are tempted to start their own publications on Medium. I would be a hypocrite if I told you not to, but from my experience, I can tell you they are not easy to build. It takes a lot of work and promoting.
In February 2022, I wrote, "Should I start my own publication.” It gives the reader my experience of the pros and cons as I saw them then, and I agree with the article today.
Having been very successful with “New Writers Welcome”, which is now just under 20,000 followers and finding it more difficult with “What is love to you?” which has just under 1,200 followers, I can talk from experience running both of these publications.
New Writers Welcome
I found a gap in the market with New Writers Welcome. I was in the right place at the right time. If I am being honest, it was more luck than anything else. I started to write about what I wanted the publication to be about and started with “New Writers Welcome”, I hit a roadblock and then went to the next page.
When I reached the end of the application, I hit “submit”, and my publication was formed…..it took the name “New Writers Welcome” from the about me page, so the publication name was formed.
I thank my lucky stars for the roadblock, which I now know is called “writer’s block” I was fortunate because many new writers on Medium started to gravitate toward my publication, and the snowball started to roll.
What is love to you?
I targeted this publication and wanted it to replace “P.S. I love you” Who was I kidding? I struggled from day one, maybe because of the name, maybe because of other bigger publications, but it will grow and be successful, just at a slower rate.
In truth, growing a publication is trial and error and will be different for everyone, but I still wanted to share my thoughts with you today. I know many publication owners are trying to increase their following and for a good reason. Some of these smaller publications are thriving communities and deserve more exposure.
My Tips
Consistently publish high-quality content and do not accept substandard articles. This is the most important factor in attracting and retaining followers. Your content should be well-written, informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience.
Promote your publication on social media or through promotions. Use social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to promote your publication and its content. Running competitions or writing prompts can build a community around your publication.
Engage with other Medium publications and writers. Engage with other publications and writers by commenting on their posts, clapping for their articles, and sharing their work. This will help you build relationships with other Medium users and gain exposure to their followers.
Utilize Medium's built-in features. Take advantage of Medium's built-in features, such as tags and newsletters, to help your content reach a wider audience. Use relevant tags to make it easier for people to find your articles, and create a newsletter to share your latest posts with your followers.
Collaborate with other writers and publications. Collaborating with other writers and publications can greatly expand your reach and gain new followers. Consider writing guest posts for other publications or inviting other writers to contribute to your publication.
Conclusion
Whilst this list is not exhausted, I hope it gives you some good ideas and a mainframe to work from. Are you a publication owner that would like to collaborate with me? Please either email me or leave a comment, and I will return to you on it.
I have a query about 'New Writers Welcome' Ralph. Are you still accepting only unpublished content?
I am asking because Medium doesn't pay me through the Partner Program, so I write one article in about 3 days. I am in a hurry to publish & waiting for approval from the publication would mean another day gone by without publishing.