An Open Response To: “Stop Begging for 100 Followers.”
Shocker: Money isn’t always the primary motivator.
A few weeks ago, while perusing the ‘Medium Streets’ on my hunt for exciting content from impressive new writers, I stumbled upon an article published on New Writers Welcome by author yousefnami entitled “Stop begging for 100 followers”. Certainly a catchy title and notably worth a read since I’m also a newbie on the quest for the coveted 100 follower milestone.
I’ll admit: the concept of ‘begging’ had never entered my mind.
I had already full-on-embraced the follow-for-follow growth model and was eager to see the writers take on this trending Medium topic.
The author makes several points in analyzing the 100 follower saga; however, many are misleading.
For example, the author counts being “driven by making money” and “greed” as primary motivators for newbies seeking to hustle up 100 followers this way. The author even suggests that writers will “dilute the quality” of content to fit in.
Those points alone are certainly worth discussing.
The author fails to acknowledge the real impact that (suddenly) having 100 followers can have on a new writer. The following are three examples illustrating how the writer overlooked these very essential points.
“A for-profit model will always lead to your content being subpar or plagiarism.”
While I understand the writer’s point, genuine writers will never compromise quality and integrity for profit. In a sense, it is sacrilegious to do so.
Of course, you’ll always have mediocre folks who want to scheme their way up the ladder in the short term, but that isn’t the case with most active writers on Medium.
Being a Medium newbie is similar to being the new kid at school — the objective is to socialize with everyone before you find your actual niche crew.
It’s best to cast a wide net to begin laying the foundation of your virtual real estate on this platform.
“If you kill that creativity by letting money drive your writing, then you will never become a successful blogger.”
Gaining 100 followers the “quick way” opens up a new world and allows new eyes to see your content — and allows you to see new content as well. It’s like social media for writers.
Money never entered the equation when I decided to become a writer on Medium. I was completely unaware they paid content creators. I was simply looking for an outlet to publish and showcase my creative work while engaging in an active community of fellow writers.
I wanted to learn and draw inspiration from them.
I don’t know a dedicated writer who has the energy to knowingly create passé content, given the nature of needing to stand out in a sea of talented writers.
“Because your audience comprises many different kinds of people, you’ll be writing to please the masses and not to produce value.”
Reaching someone is always better than reaching no one
As someone completely new to the Medium universe, I sat and wondered while looking at my one lone follower (hey mom!) how I could increase my interaction and page traffic if no one knows who I am.
Most of us don’t know many other writers in our “regular” life, so to find a group of like-minded wordsmiths is a considerable advantage aside from any potential money earned.
When you’re new to a large platform like Medium and AI algorithms run the show, it can be a bit intimidating.
The follow-for-follow growth model motivates you if you know that someone may see your hard work. Yes, it’s purely psychological, but it’s indeed an effective motivator.
Competent writers will not water down their content to appease unknown tastes. Perhaps everyone won’t feel your message, but someone, maybe even a few people (or all 100!) will, and we should use this as a hopeful springboard to grow our community.
Over time, the algorithm will undoubtedly help lead you to your niche.
While it may lead to the proverbial ‘road to nowhere’, there’s certainly no harm in trying to get your work noticed by any means necessary.
The last thing I wanted to do was post something that only my mom saw.
The Cream Always Rises to the Top
Regardless of how you choose to hustle up followers, it’s helpful to remember that content is still king.
Writers with compelling, thought-provoking content will capture an audience’s attention and will flourish.
The symbiotic nature of the Medium community will surely lead to each of us finding “our people,” a personal crew of online writer friends who are there for each post, cheering on the sidelines with claps and leaving thoughtful comments.
There’s no harm in casting a wide net, reaching out in multiple directions in hopes of building lasting connections in a globally connected community.
Let’s flourish TOGETHER
I’d be remiss to end this article without lending my support to anyone who, like me, is new to the platform and is seeking to grow their network by any means necessary. I love discovering new writers that way.
Anyone who leaves a comment noting their writing style/niche will be getting a very enthusiastic “follow” from me. I encourage others to throw caution to the wind and get on the best way they can.
What a great way to enter the New Year with a new purpose, fresh new content, and a new life path rooted in your new “following” on Medium!
