Make Money Every Day With This Simple Medium-Substack Ecosystem

It’s the perfect system for every online writer.

Created with Midjourney.

➡️ If you’re still not sure if solopreneurship’s the right path for you, take my free email course and find out.

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I had to ask myself this question recently: have I been thinking about Substack and Medium in the wrong way?

Up until now, I’ve thought of them (my two favourite long-form writing platforms) as separate entities.

Obviously, they aren’t officially connected in any way.

I write on Medium. I write on Substack. I write on social media (less often than I used to). All separate channels. Individual income stream sources.

But maybe I’ve gotten that backwards.

Maybe Medium, Substack and, to some extent, my presence on social media aren’t disconnected at all.

Maybe they’re actually part of one joined-up, symbiotic ecosystem.

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An ecosystem any writer can replicate

Here’s a simple work flow involving all three:

1. Identify interesting topics on social media. Comment on them if necessary (and only if I have something to contribute).

2. Write an engaging article on Medium with an eye-catching headline. Draw in readers. Provide value.

3. Encourage readers to check out my Substack publications (ie. my mailing lists) through a simple call-to-action.

4. Grow my subscriber list on Substack. Send them even more value. Offer my paying subscribers extra perks and content.

5. Use additional income generated from my writing ecosystem to carve out more time in my weekly schedule. Make the most of that time by creating amazing digital products to further serve my audience and establish another income stream.

Medium is the jewel, Substack is the crown

The best thing about this work flow is Medium.

In this system, every Medium article I write essentially acts as an entry point for email subscribers. But unlike traditional lead magnets, Medium articles generate income of their own accord.

So I don’t have to wait until the final stage of my writing ecosystem to make money. I can make it at multiple points along the way (Medium Partner Programme, paying Substack subscribers, digital products).

Sounds pretty good, right?

What does your writing ecosystem look like?

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An additional thought: The Fastest Route to Failure

I was once knocked out playing hockey.

CLUNK. Rock-hard ball to the skull.

It happened in High School, and it pretty much cemented my aversion to team sports.

(I was only playing that day because Dad still held out hope I’d follow in his footsteps)

There wasn’t a drop of team spirit in me as a kid.

I had no brothers or sisters. I was out for myself. If I couldn’t play by my own rules, I didn’t care if we won or lost.

Getting knocked out on the field didn’t help much with any of that.

Things are different now, though.

I love team sports. I don’t have much interest in watching (or playing) anything else.

And as I’ve gotten older (and wiser, maybe?), I’ve come to realise that teamwork does make the dream work.

If you’re in it for just yourself, you won’t get very far.

That goes for most areas of life.

And that’s what makes social media so special.

Yes, it can occasionally descend into hellish, teeth-gnashing chaos, but generally, there’s no better place to be if you want to learn and grow.

Social media = free education.

And, bonus: you can’t get knocked out by a hockey ball over the internet… I think.

If you want to get the most out of the interwebs, it’s a good idea to seek out team opportunities:

• X/Twitter Spaces

• Facebook groups

• LinkedIn collaborative articles

Don’t try to go it alone, because you probably won’t get very far. It’s the fastest route to failure.

Journey along with others. Learn from their trials and tribulations.

Engage, comment, like, follow, speak up.

We’re all working towards similar goals, so we may as well do it together.

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Read this next:

A Simple 5-Step System to Stop Stressing Out as a Solopreneur

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