The Secret Platform That Grew His Email List to 20k in 6 Months (Ch 11. Build Your Audience)

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Unlocking Medium Success: Building an Audience and Monetizing Your Content

Grab a Copy of the Build Your Audience Book: https://platformgrowthbooks.com

In this episode of the Market Your Message Show, Jonathan Milligan dives into hidden opportunities within Medium.com, a platform for thinkers and storytellers. The discussion revolves around Benjamin Hardy’s journey from having no audience to gaining 20,000 subscribers in just six months. 

The episode outlines key strategies for thriving on Medium, including focusing on quality content, leveraging Medium’s unique ecosystem, and engaging with its community. Jonathan also provides valuable tips from his book, 'Your Message Matters,' on successfully building an audience and creating impactful content on Medium. 

Listeners are encouraged to follow along with the book, which is available for free as an audiobook.

00:00 From Obscurity to 20,000 Subscribers: Benjamin Hardy's Journey
00:28 Introduction to Medium: A Platform for Thinkers and Storytellers
01:27 The Medium Traffic Playbook: Chapter 11 Overview
01:35 Benjamin Hardy's Medium Success Story
03:02 Understanding Medium's Unique Audience
03:28 Avoiding Common Mistakes on Medium
05:45 Adopting the Thought Leader Mindset
06:41 Your Medium Success Roadmap
09:46 Today's Exercise: Analyzing Popular Medium Articles
11:37 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Episode Transcript

Speaker 23 (00:00):
He had no audience, no email list, and his wife was
the only one reading his blog.
But in just six months, BenjaminHardy went from digital
obscurity to 20,000 subscribers,and it wasn't through SEO social
media or paid ads, his secret.
medium.com.

(00:20):
A platform built for thinkers,storytellers, and people brave
enough to publish ideas thatmatter.
Hi, I am Jonathan Milligan,author of the book series, your
Message Matters, and also thehost of this podcast, the Market
Your Message Show.
Excited to get into todaybecause I think it's a hidden

(00:43):
opportunity.
You can go and publish articlesfor free.
Join medium.com and actually getpaid when people read your
articles.
And you can also build anaudience on a platform that's
already got lots of hungryreaders.
So we're gonna get into that.
But this comes from chapternumber 11 in my book, build Your

(01:05):
Audience, and if you'd like acopy of the book, you can go to
platform growth books.com.
You can also find the link.
In the show notes and you canfollow along as we go through
the entire book.
I'm making the audiobookavailable for free to our
listeners as a thank you forbeing a part of this podcast,
and we're gonna jump right intoit.

(01:27):
So let's jump into chapter 11,the Medium Traffic Playbook.

Speaker 22 (01:33):
Chapter 11, the Medium Traffic Playbook.
Benjamin Hardy started bloggingseriously in May, 2015.
His blog had no audience, justhis wife.
As discussed in the lastchapter, you can't just publish
your thoughts on a blog and gettraction.
To be successful with a blog,you must focus on SEO.
What Benjamin needed was aplatform designed for thought

(01:55):
leaders, so he startedpublishing on Medium.
In six months, he went from zeroto 20,000 subscribers.
How.
By using the platform's uniqueecosystem of curious minds, they
crave thought provoking content.
Medium is a platform wherecontent is king.
It's not about connections orexisting platforms.
High quality content rises tothe top.

(02:16):
Hardee's.
Articles on Medium Drew, massivetraffic.
One went viral, drawing 200,000clicks per day.
His subscriber count shot up.
He added a call to action to hispost inviting readers to
subscribe.
His followers grewexponentially.
Hardy's success wasn't justluck.
He experimented with his writingframing goals as Quest and
creating content that couldn'tbe ignored.

(02:39):
He focused on quantity andquality using listicles research
and powerful quotes.
He knew that great content onMedium could lead to more
significant opportunities.
Business Insider, HuffingtonPost and the Observer
republished his work.
This strategy built his audienceand credibility.
This chapter will show you howto replicate Hardy's success on

(03:01):
medium.
Medium is about sharing newideas, trends, and insights.
Unlike a traditional blog,relying on SEO Medium already
has an audience craving thoughtleadership.
You'll learn how to use Mediumto build an audience and an
email list and even earn moneyjust like Hardy did.
Ready to turn your ideas into athriving audience.

(03:24):
Let's dive in and unlock thesecrets of Medium success.
The Medium Mistake.
You've just joined Medium andare excited to share your
expertise.
You wanna make your mark so youapproach it like your WordPress
blog.
You turn out SEO optimizedarticles that answer the most
common questions in your field.
But as you hit publish, you'remet with silence.

(03:46):
No views, no claps, no comments.
What gives.
The hard truth is that mediumisn't your average blog
platform.
Treating it as such is asurefire way to fade into
obscurity.
Most newcomers fall into atraditional trap making several
critical mistakes.
They copy paste their existingblog content expecting instant

(04:06):
success.
Some obsess over SEO.
They stuff their articles withkeywords.
They forget there's a human onthe other side of the screen,
perhaps.
Worst of all, many ignoremedium's.
Unique audience.
They write what they want, notwhat medium readers crave.
These approaches flop becausethey misunderstand medium secret

(04:26):
sauce.
Its audience.
Medium readers aren't yourtypical Google searchers.
They're curious explorers,hungry for fresh perspectives,
cutting edge ideas, and personalinsights.
They wanna read about yourexperiments, failures and
breakthroughs.
SEO driven content feels stalehere.
It doesn't spark conversationsor inspire shares.

(04:49):
The lifeblood of medium successmediums, algorithms favor
engaging, thought provokingcontent.
Dry keyword stuffed articlessink faster than a stone in a
pond.
To win on medium, you need tothink like a thought leader, be
a trend spotter, sharingemerging ideas in your field
before they hit the mainstream.

(05:10):
Experiment publicly.
Documenting your journey withhonesty and vulnerability.
Engage rather than lecture,starting conversations, asking
questions, and inviting debateon medium quality reign, supreme
craft each sentence carefullyinfusing your unique voice and
experiences into every piece.
Medium readers crave substance,not fluff.

(05:33):
Give them media ideas to chewon, and they will return for
seconds, thirds, and more.
Embrace medium's, uniqueecosystem.
It can turn you from astruggling newbie into a
respected expert, the thoughtleader approach.
To truly thrive on medium, youneed to adopt the mindset of a
thought leader.
This means being more than asource of information.
You must be a beacon of newideas and perspectives in your

(05:55):
field.
Start by honing your ability tospot emerging trends before they
hit the mainstream.
Share these insights with yourreaders, giving them a sneak
peek into the future of yourindustry.
Don't be afraid to experimentpublicly.
Medium readers love to followalong on a journey of discovery.
Document your trials, yourfailures, and your
breakthroughs.

(06:15):
Being vulnerable and open willendear you to your audience.
It will make your content morerelatable and engaging.
Remember, engagement is key onmedium.
Instead of lecturing yourreaders strive to start
conversations, ask thoughtprovoking questions, and invite
debate.
Your goal should be to create acommunity around your ideas, not

(06:36):
just a passive readership.
Quality should be at theforefront of everything you
write.
Your medium success roadmap.
Think of medium as YouTube forwriters, successful vloggers,
build loyal audiences withengaging videos.
You'll attract followers withcaptivating articles.
Medium isn't just anotherblogging platform.

(06:56):
It's a vibrant ideasmarketplace.
Readers seek fresh perspectivesthere.
Approach it with this uniqueecosystem in mind, and you'll be
miles ahead of the competition.
Step one, craft content thatcaptivates as a medium
superstar.
Benjamin Hardy often says,content really is king on

(07:16):
medium.
This rings truer than ever.
The most successful writers onthe platform don't simply rehash
common knowledge.
Instead, they share new ideas,document bold experiments, and
spot trends before they hit themainstream.
Your goal should be to createcompelling content, so readers
can't help but click that followbutton.
Step two, ride the publicationWave.

(07:39):
Imagine getting your article infront of 100,000 engaged readers
overnight.
That's the power of mediumpublications.
Hardy skyrocketed his visibilityby publishing in top outlets
like the mission.
He did this by crafting articlesthat matched each publication's
audience and guidelines.
Start small, then work your wayup to the heavy hitters.
Each published piece is astepping stone to a broader

(08:01):
audience.
Step three, Polish yourpresence.
Your medium profile is yourdigital storefront, so make it
shine.
Use attention grabbing headlinesand high quality images, and
format your articles for easyreading.
A polished professional looktells readers you're serious
about your craft.
Remember, a study from MIT foundthat articles with images get

(08:24):
94% more views than thosewithout.
Apply this logic to your entiremedium presence.
Step four, join theconversation.
Medium thrives on community.
Engage like the literary salonsof old Paris, where great minds
gathered to spark new ideas.
Leave thoughtful comments onarticles in your niche.

(08:44):
Follow writers who inspire youand respond to comments on your
own work.
Every interaction is a chance toexpand your network and attract
new readers.
Step five, consistency is key.
Quantity is the most likely pathto quality.
Hardy reminds us it's simplemath.
The more you write, the higheryour chances of creating a

(09:05):
breakout.
Hit, set a publishing scheduleand stick to it, whether once a
week or three times a month,your consistency will pay off in
engaged readers eagerly awaitingyour next piece.
Step six, grow beyond medium.
Medium is powerful, but don'tput all your eggs in one basket.
Use it as a launchpad for abroader online presence.

(09:27):
Hardy grew his email list to20,000 subscribers in just six
months using medium.
He achieved this by includingcompelling calls to action in
his articles, offering readerseven more value off platform.
Remember, your ultimate goal isto build lasting connections
with your audience wherever theyprefer to engage with you.
Today's exercise analyze popularmedium articles.

(09:51):
Step one, select three populararticles.
Begin by selecting three popularmedium articles in your niche.
Choose pieces that have garneredsignificant engagement through
collapse comments and shares.
These articles will serve asyour case studies.
Step two, identify key elements.
Examine each article's titleclosely.

(10:11):
Note how it captures attentionand entices readers to click.
Consider whether it poses aquestion, makes a bold
statement, or offers acompelling list.
Next, analyze the structure ofeach piece.
Observe how the author organizestheir thoughts and maintains a
coherent flow.
Watch their opening strategies.
Do they start with a personalanecdote, present research, or

(10:34):
dive straight into the mainpoints?
Evaluate the tone of eacharticle.
Determine if the writing styleis conversational,
authoritative, or perhaps infusewith humor.
Reflect on how this tonecontributes to reader
engagement.
Don't forget to assess the callto action at the end of each
article.
Note how the author encouragesinteraction.
They invite comments, requestshares, and promote

(10:56):
subscriptions.
Step three, outline your firstMedium article.
Now use these insights tooutline your own medium article
based on your observations,craft, and attention grabbing
title.
Write an engaging introductionthat hooks readers from the
start.
Organize your main points withclear headings and subheadings

(11:18):
conclude with a strong endingand a call to action that
fosters reader engagement.
This exercise will deepen yourunderstanding of effective
medium writing strategies.
By analyzing successfularticles, you'll find techniques
that resonate with theplatform's audience.
Then use those techniques inyour content.
Key takeaways.

(11:38):
Medium is a unique platform.
It requires a thought leadershipapproach, not traditional
blogging tactics to succeed onmedium share new ideas and
experiments.
They should resonate with itsreading focused audience.
Using medium's, ecosystem isvital to building a large
audience and email list.
This includes its publicationsand community engagement.

(12:00):
I.