Medium First 100 Followers: A 30-Day Plan
The first 100 followers no longer unlock Medium Partner Program eligibility by themselves. The current requirements include a complete profile, at least six published stories, three months of activity, a bank account and tax residence in an eligible country, being at least 18, and accepting Medium's terms and AI content policy.
Followers still matter. They create early distribution, social proof, and feedback loops. The first 100 are also a useful forcing function: they force you to define a niche and publish repeatedly.
Why 100 Followers Matters
The follower count itself does not make an article eligible for Partner Program earnings. It signals that real readers want to hear from you again. More importantly, followers can become early readers, commenters, email subscribers, and repeat visitors when you publish.
Here is the truth: getting to 100 followers takes 2-4 weeks of daily effort. Not months. Not years. Two to four weeks of showing up every day.
The 30-Day Plan
Week 1: Set Up and Start Writing
Day 1: Optimize your profile. Your Medium profile is your landing page. Write a bio that tells readers what you write about and why they should follow you.
- Headline: Your niche + your angle (e.g., "Writing about personal finance for people who hate spreadsheets")
- Bio: 2-3 sentences explaining what you write and who it is for
- Profile photo: Clear, professional headshot (not a logo or cartoon)
- Add links to your Twitter, website, or newsletter
Days 2-7: Write and publish 3 articles. Pick topics you genuinely know about. Do not chase trends yet. Write 800-1,500 word articles with clear structure: hook, 3-5 main points, takeaway.
Publish one article every 2 days. This gives each article time to get initial distribution before the next one goes live.
Week 2: Engage Aggressively
This is where most people quit. Engagement is the engine that drives follower growth on Medium.
The 30-minute daily routine:
1. Read 5 articles in your niche (10 minutes) Find writers who cover similar topics. Read their latest articles completely.
2. Leave thoughtful responses (10 minutes) Not "great article!" Write 2-3 sentences of genuine response. Share a related experience. Ask a follow-up question. Authors notice thoughtful responses and often check out your profile.
3. Clap for articles you genuinely enjoyed (2 minutes) Medium recommends your articles to people who share reading habits with your existing audience. Clapping helps the algorithm understand what topics you care about.
4. Follow 5 new writers (3 minutes) Follow writers in your niche. Many will follow back (30-50% follow-back rate is typical).
5. Publish 1 new article (this week) Write 1-2 articles during week 2. Quality over quantity.
Why this works: Medium's algorithm tracks who interacts with whom. When you read, clap, and respond to other writers' articles, their readers see your name. Curious readers click your profile. If your articles are good, they follow you.
Week 3: Leverage Publications
Medium publications are curated collections of articles with built-in audiences. Getting published in one puts your work in front of thousands of readers instantly.
How to get into a publication:
- Find publications in your niche. Search Medium for topics you write about. Note which publications appear repeatedly.
- Read their submission guidelines. Every publication has rules about word count, tone, and topics.
- Pitch your best article. Send the editor a message with your article link and a brief note about why it fits their publication.
Publication sizes and submission rules change, so check each publication page before pitching. Look for three things: recent articles in your topic, clear submission guidelines, and evidence that editors actively curate the publication. A relevant mid-size publication is usually more useful than a broad publication that publishes hundreds of stories per day.
Also this week: Continue the daily engagement routine from Week 2. Publish 1-2 new articles.
Week 4: Double Down on What Works
By week 4, you should have data. Check your Stats page:
- Which articles got the most views?
- Which topics got the most claps?
- Which responses led to new followers?
Now write 2-3 more articles on the topics that performed best. If your article about personal finance got 50 views but your article about productivity got 200 views, write more about productivity.
The momentum effect: As your follower count grows past 50, growth accelerates. Medium's algorithm starts recommending your articles to more readers. Each new article reaches more people than the last.
Common Mistakes That Slow You Down
Mistake 1: Writing about too many topics. If you write about finance one day, travel the next, and programming the third, the algorithm does not know who to recommend you to. Pick 1-2 topics and stick with them for the first 100 followers.
Mistake 2: Publishing without engaging. Publishing is 30% of the work. Engaging with other writers is 70%. If you only publish and never read, clap, or respond, your articles will not get distributed.
Mistake 3: Generic responses. "Great article!" is invisible. A 3-sentence response that adds value makes the author notice you, check your profile, and often follow you.
Mistake 4: Giving up at 40-60 followers. The hardest part is going from 0 to 50. After 50, momentum takes over. Most writers who quit do so in the 40-60 range because progress feels slow. Push through.
What Happens After 100 Followers
After you hit 100 followers, use this checklist:
- Check the six-story requirement. Publish at least six public stories that meet Medium's content rules.
- Check your three-month activity requirement. New accounts should continue publishing and engaging while the account ages.
- Confirm country, payment, and tax eligibility. Partner Program enrollment requires a bank account and tax residence in an eligible country.
- Review Medium's AI policy. AI-generated writing cannot be paywalled as part of the Partner Program.
- Keep the routine. The habits that built your first 100 followers are the same ones that improve distribution after enrollment.
Timeline Expectations
| Milestone | Time Required | Typical Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| 0-25 followers | Week 1 | Write 3 articles, start engaging |
| 25-50 followers | Week 2 | Daily engagement, pitch publications |
| 50-75 followers | Week 3 | First publication acceptance, double down |
| 75-100 followers | Week 4 | Momentum kicks in, growth accelerates |
| Enrollment readiness | After requirements | Six stories, three months, payment, tax, and policy steps |
Some writers reach 100 followers in 2 weeks. Others take 6 weeks. The difference is usually niche clarity and participation, not talent.
Related Guides
- How to Earn Money on Medium Partner Program — Complete guide to Medium Partner Program earnings
- Medium Earnings Calculator — Model income with current program rules
- Medium Writing Strategy: How Top Earners Make $500+ — What makes some articles earn 10x more than others
- Medium vs Substack vs Your Own Blog — Which writing platform is right for you
Your first 100 followers are an audience-building milestone, not the enrollment gate. Treat them as proof that your niche and format are starting to work.