Earning on Medium Without Fees
Medium is a vibrant collection of writers, content creators, and thinkers who come to this online publishing platform to share their ideas. It covers many subjects, including self-help, politics, business, and creative writing. Its easy interface and active community are seen as a canny channel for many people to profit from their writing.
However, one misconception is that the only way to earn money on Medium is to start paying for a membership. But is this true? Is it possible to make money on Medium without a paid subscription, or is a paid subscription needed?
In this story, we will uncover the truth behind this query and, more importantly, share some actionable tips on how to make money on Medium without paying for a subscription.
Join the Medium Partner Program: Earn by Writing
In 2017, Medium launched its Partner Program, designed to reward writers with money based on how many readers engage with their work. Although the program is often associated with people signing up for paid subscriptions, you don’t have to be a paying member yourself to join or get in on the program.
Another natural way to make money is to set up a Medium account and begin publishing. As long as you attract readers, you’ll start to get paid.
The Medium Partner Program is designed to reward quality content, which allows the platform’s writers to share in the revenue generated through paid access to articles. You can earn more money the more people interact with your stories.
The payouts are determined by a combination of views, reading time, and engagement from Medium’s paying members. This encourages quality output over quantity.
A great Medium writer once said, “The best writing speaks for itself and doesn’t need a subscription fee to be perceived as such.” This also implies that writers who do well on the platform do not necessarily need to pay for a subscription.
They hire people who deliver engaging content that people want to read. Win or lose; your income generation capability is grounded in your interaction and ability to provide value, not your membership degree.
How do you make money on Medium without a paid subscription?
Now that we know the Partner Program provides income let’s discuss what you can do immediately to get paid without a paid membership.
Focus on High-Quality Content
This isn’t a subscription product; you can get cracking with your writing and earn money today without subscribing. Content is the key to quality over quantity.
If your article is informational enough to be valuable for readers, you will make good money. Write about the things you care about and offer genuine insight.
“In writing, content is king,” a phrase that applies to Medium. You are much more likely to get shares, reads, and recommendations, increasing your chances of making money if your posts are helpful, thought-provoking, or fresh.
Leverage Publications
Medium enables you to pitch your posts to well-known publications on their site. Prague finds that many of these publications have an inherent audience, so thousands can see your scholarship of readers without purchasing access. Some even pay based on earnings and engagement with contributors.
If you do it right, pitching your articles to publications like The Startup, Human Parts, or Better Humans can increase your exposure and revenue.
According to writer Adam K. Grant, who has made a successful income with multiple publications on Medium, networking and working with others in the Medium ecosystem can help expose your writing to a larger audience.
Utilize Your Network
Your network, whether on social media platforms or in your professional arena, can help you get traffic to your articles. You can also share your Medium posts with your social accounts, newsletters, and email lists.
So, I encourage you to drive traffic to your stories from the outside world and grow your reach. This will make getting paid much easier, even if you don’t have a paid Medium subscription.
“Building an audience outside of Medium will allow you to explore around income streams.” You directly increase your earnings by leveraging your existing audience and increasing reads and engagement. Your reach can be greatly amplified when your followers recommend your content on Medium.
Master SEO for Medium
Medium is one of the best platforms for organic search because it allows content to rank on search engines. Learning foundational SEO techniques, such as picking relevant keywords, writing strong titles, and optimizing your content for readability, helps you rank higher in search results.
This enables your content to be discovered by readers outside of Medium, increasing the chances of earning revenue using SEO best practices. Jillian M. Hart, an SEO expert who writes on Medium and has successfully used these tactics to grow her income, says, “The right keywords and a clear structure will improve your chances of being found on search engines.”
Create Evergreen Content
An effective method to make a steady income stream on Medium is to write evergreen articles that are relevant and applicable over time. These will continue to draw new readers long after they’ve been published. Consider creating guides, tutorials, or deep dives on popular topics that hold interest for the long haul.
As the writer Maria E. Johnson noted, evergreen content is “like an investment that pays dividends,” Johnson has made her passive income from evergreen posts on Medium. The articles can be potentially good earners for months and years after they take off.
Making Money Without Having a Medium Membership
Getting started with Medium’s Partner Program is an easy way to earn a few bucks, but it’s not the only option. Other writers use Medium to become known and promote their paid products, services, or courses.
That means that if you are selling something like a coaching business, an online course, or a book, you can use Medium to promote your ability to do that.
Thus, you can leverage Medium as part of your marketing funnel by strategically including links to your products or services in your posts so you can use it to build your brand and make money in other ways. “Having a voice on Medium can help build a stepping stone to even better things off the platform,” business strategy consultant Emily W. Larson tells me.
What a paid membership allows readers to do
And even though you don’t need a paid Medium subscription to earn money, Medium’s paid membership is intended to improve the reading experience.
Readers can pay for a subscription for a monthly fee and receive unlimited access to all platform content, such as articles that only members of the Partner Program have written.
This service requires a subscription, costs money, and helps writers make income, as it raises the status of their work. The more paying members that read your article, the more you earn.
Medium’s subscription model creates a win-win scenario: Writers earn money, and readers access premium content. But remember: This isn’t necessary to earn money as a writer.
Decide: You Can Earn Without a Subscription
You need a paid Medium subscription to make money. As mentioned, the Medium Partner Program lets writers earn money without paying for membership.
You make money by creating valuable content, leveraging publications, networking, mastering SEO, and writing evergreen articles. These tips will help you to win on Medium without a paid subscription.
As you begin your Medium path, remember, “Your success on Medium has less to do with how much you pay, but rather how much you give with your words.” So keep doing quality work, and let the algorithm reward you.
Is Medium safe for writers or not? Click for more read