Where is everyone?? (Ten strategies to get more readers for your Medium posts)

Where are all the readers??

This is a question that all writers ask at one point or another. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been writing for years, it’s always important to find new readers and keep your audience engaged. Why? Because your writing is important, and it needs to be read.

As writers ourselves here at Medium, we know that getting more readers can seem like an insurmountable task. And when you’ve finally gotten people to leave their email addresses with the hopes of receiving future posts via email only for them to never click on your most recent one…it’s enough to make you want to give up.

Not to worry though — we’ve reviewed dozens of other posts and gathered some great advice to help you get more readers for your Medium posts.

So without further ado, here are our top tips:

Tip #1 — Write interesting headlines

Your headline is the first and most important thing that people see when they’re scrolling through their social media feeds or looking for something new to read on Medium. It’s your opportunity to capture their attention and make them want to learn more.

Some great tips for writing interesting headlines include:

- using numbers (e.g., “Five Tips For Writing Better Headlines”)

- using action verbs (e.g., “How To Write A Headline That Gets Results”)

- being provocative (e.g., “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next”)

- being specific (e.g., “How I Got Myself To Write Every Day”)

Tip #2 — Engage with your readers

Once you’ve got someone to read your post, it’s important to keep them engaged by responding to their comments. Not only does this show that you’re actively engaged with your audience, it also helps to foster a community around your writing.

If you don’t have time to respond to every comment (which we completely understand), try responding to at least one or two per post. And if someone has a question that you can’t answer, be sure to let them know when you’ll have the answer for them.

Tip #3 — Use relevant hashtags to increase your reach

Hashtags are a great way to increase visibility, especially if there’s already some momentum around something that you’ve written about. For example, if one of your posts is related to business or marketing, try searching for relevant hashtags like “marketing” or “#business”.

There are also some great third-party services that help writers find the best hashtags to use, such as Tagboard.

Tip #4 — Use images and videos when appropriate

Images can be incredibly useful for making your blog post stand out. A few important things to keep in mind:

- Make sure that the image you’re using is related to your post.

- Not every blog post needs an image — use them sparingly and only when it makes sense.

You can also make images more interesting by adding text on top of them (e.g., “The Rock” or “Skyscraper”). This is a great way to generate click-throughs and drive more traffic.

As for videos, we’ve found that they can be incredibly useful if you’re trying to explain something in detail or tell your story with fewer words (e.g., how-to posts). A few tips:

- Keep them short — people want information quickly, and they’re not always willing to watch a long video.

- Make sure that the videos you include are high quality — no one wants to watch a blurry, shaky video.

Tip #5 — Write guest posts for other writers

Guest posting can be a great way to get your work in front of new readers, as well as to get some good backlinks. When looking for guest post opportunities, try searching for blogs that are in a similar niche to your own or have a similar audience.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few places to find guest posting opportunities:

- Inbound.org

- Just Write For Fun

- Problogger

- The Write Life

Tip #6 — Leverage your social media following

If you’ve built up a decent-sized social media following, be sure to promote your new posts on Twitter, Facebook, and any other platforms that you’re active on. This is a great way to reach more people who may not have seen your work before.

You can also use social media to drive traffic back to your blog post by including a link in your profile or bio.

Tip #7 — Use paid promotion

Paid promotion can be a great way to reach more people quickly, especially if you’re looking to generate leads or sell a product or service. When using paid promotion, make sure that you’re targeting the right people and that your offer is compelling.

There are a number of different platforms that you can use for paid promotion, including:

- Facebook Ads

- Twitter Ads

- LinkedIn Ads

- Google AdWords

Tip #8 — Repurpose your content

If you’ve written a great post, don’t let it go to waste — repurpose it into a different format and share it on different channels. For example, you could turn your blog post into a video or podcast, or even turn it into a SlideShare presentation.

The key is to find the right format that will resonate with your audience and that they’ll be more likely to consume.

Tip #9 — Respond to feedback

Don’t have time to respond to every comment (which we completely understand)? Try responding to at least one or two per post. And if someone has a question that you can’t answer, be sure to let them know when you or someone else will be able to get back with them.

Tip #10 — Keep writing!

While this may seem obvious, writers need to keep in mind that when they stop publishing content, their traffic and engagement are bound to go down. Try your best not to take any breaks from blogging if you want to avoid the dreaded “writers’ block.”

If you’re struggling to stay on schedule and meet your writing frequency goals, a tool like Writemo.io can help. They also offer a free trial, so you can try it out right away.

FAQs:

What are some other ways I can get more readers?

You could try repurposing your content. Convert your blog post into a video or podcast, or turn it into a SlideShare presentation. You could also use paid promotion to generate interest in your work and get more eyes on it.

Where can writers find guest post opportunities?

You could try looking for blogs in a similar niche, with a similar audience to your own. Or you could use Inbound.org, Just Write For Fun, or Problogger to find writing gigs that align with your interests and experience level. You might also be interested in The Write Life — a website that curates writing opportunities for writers of all levels.

What are some tips for responding to feedback?

If you’re not able to respond to every comment, try responding to at least one or two posts. And if someone has a question that you can’t answer, let them know when an expert will be able to get back to them.

What are some other ways writers can generate readers?

You could try leveraging your social media following — this is a great way to reach more people who may not have seen your work before. You can also promote new posts on Twitter, Facebook, and any other platforms that you’re active on. Paid promotion can also be a great way to reach more people quickly, especially if you’re looking to generate leads or sell a product or service. Finally, keep writing! When writers stop publishing content, their traffic and engagement are bound to go down. So try your best not to take any breaks from blogging if you want to avoid the dreaded writers’ block.

The bottom line

If you want to get more readers for your Medium posts, you need to be creative and experiment with different tactics. Try a few of these tips and see which ones work best for you — the key is to keep trying new things and never give up.