I Just Got Over 57,500 Views On My Medium Article. Here’s How:
Let’s dissect the little details in my first-ever viral Medium article.
Last week for the first time since I started writing on Medium, I had an article go viral.
This article got over 57,500 views and 20,000 reads and resulted in close to 500 new Medium followers.
Of course, like any other person would do, I immediately started analyzing my post to try and figure out what made this one different.
I’m going to break down the different pieces for you (and me) in the hope that writing a viral article becomes easier.
Let’s get to it!
The title was clickworthy
“10 Books That Made Me Happier and Smarter in 2023”
At the time of publishing this article, 2023 was ending and 2024 was starting.
So, I decided I should write a bunch of articles about the best and worst of 2023, and what to do to optimize your life for 2024.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure which would perform better, so I decided to do both. Plus, I enjoy writing about both anyway.
Judging by my results, it would appear people like looking back more than they like looking forward.
This title specifically got clicked on a lot because those who are reading on Medium are… readers. They read blog posts so they read books too.
On top of that, this article is also a ranked list. People love comparing their rankings to yours and looking for new suggestions.
Either they’re going to have fun seeing that others agree with them or they will be eager to tear into you. You will capture their attention regardless.
I also ensured the title included a feeling and an outcome.
These books made me happier. That means if they listen to my recommendations, they could also enjoy this same happiness.
Additionally, if they listen, they will also get a positive outcome - intelligence. They will become smarter too.
So, to quickly summarize the title analysis!
This title included:
Was a “ranked list” article
A best of 2023 (perfectly timed)
About reading books (people on Medium love reading)
Told the reader they will share in a positive outcome if they click
It’s a well-rounded article
The article targets those who read and have a desired outcome from their reading. Essentially, it targets people like myself.
That’s why when picking my top 10 books, I included a rounded selection.
I could have easily written about my top 10 self-help books, and I bet that would have worked pretty well too.
Or, I could have written about my top 10 spirituality books.
Instead, I chose to do my overall top 10 so that any reader could find a good book. On top of that, some who are looking to expand what they read about could also find something else they might like.
For example, someone who reads Ryan Holiday for self-help but never heard of Baba Ram Dass, could now add a book to their reading list that they wouldn’t have heard if my article was overly niche.
There was something for everyone and that’s why there were numerous different highlights, and clicks on my links as well.
It was a very easy read
One of the things I’ve been focusing on lately is making my articles as easy to read as possible.
I’ve been working on removing a lot of fluff from my articles.
I often include words like:
Actually
Literally
Obviously
The reason for that is because that’s how I talk, unfortunately (I’m working on it).
Quite often when I edit my articles, I remove 20 or more of these words. That helps the reader skim faster.
I also have been working on the formatting of my articles.
This one in particular, being a top 10 list, was spaced out and formatted in a way that made it easy for the reader to skim, find a book that interests them and move on.
I believe the easier an article is to read, the more likely you are to hold your reader's attention.
Conclusion
The truth is, I haven’t yet cracked the virality code. Since this article, I wrote several that haven’t performed the same.
But, the fact that this article went viral has helped me fine-tune how I write.
And, I now know which articles have the potential to perform well.
At the end of the day, if we want our articles to be read, this formula will only take us so far. We also need to be creative and informed enough to write about topics that interest others.
What recommendations do you have to help write viral Medium articles?
Thanks for reading