You Can Earn Income from Your Content on Quora with the Same or Less Effort You Invest in Medium.

I introduce and explain the key points of another content monetization and marketing platform, a global sensation that can grow your audience and support your Substack initiatives.

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I offer this leadership for freelance writers to my Substack subscribers and a free version of it for non-members of Medium so that all writers benefit from this opportunity to reach a broad audience and build their mailing list rapidly.

Photo by Karolina Kaboompics from Pexels

In 2020, I devised a specific content strategy that worked well until 2022. In 2023, I had to adapt my approach. It succeeded briefly until Medium abruptly changed its strategy without informing established writers like me. This unexpected shift forced me to seek alternative avenues, leading to another strategic adjustment in May 2024, which I publicly shared.

Why My Wise Mentors Advised Me 80% Substack, 15% NewsBreak, 5% Medium for My Writing Effort
I explain the insights and strategies behind my new content marketing approach based on data-driven observations and…medium.com

With over four decades in the industry, I wasn’t surprised by these changes. However, the lack of transparency deeply disappointed me, as it misled many freelance writers who solely earn a living from content development and caused unnecessary stress and despair. I firmly believe that there is always a silver lining in every cloud.

To address this, I took a volunteer leadership role to guide them, demonstrating that there is still hope. Writers don’t have to abandon Medium as some have; instead, they can find new ways to survive and thrive in this challenging economic climate. This is my way of giving back to the writing community in my retirement years.

I wrote this post because, recently, I wrote an article about introducing a new content-writing platform, which shocked many writers. Sure, it did not get many views on Medium for obvious reasons, but it reached thousands of freelance writers on Substack.

The title of the story Why I Upgraded to X Premium as a Writer, Curator, and Strategist: A Content Strategist’s Perspective on Elon Musk’s Twitter Transformation and explaining the opportunity for writers to broad audience.

Those writers who read this story asked me whether there are other platforms where they can monetize their content and reach a broad audience. My answer was a definite yes.

Some writers I spoke to were shocked to learn about these opportunities. For example, a writer with a Quora account for 10 years, who answered hundreds of questions, had made no income and didn’t know monetization was possible.

Another writer, who has been on Quora for eight years and has written over 1,000 stories on Medium, only earns around $30 a month.

Another accomplished writer, with more followers than I have on Medium and earning about $400 a month, had never heard about Quora’s monetization options and thought it was a small Q&A site.

These writers underestimated Quora, thinking it was smaller than Medium. But when I told them Quora has 300 million monthly active users — at least 100 times larger than Medium — they were astonished. So, I decided to write this story to provide valuable insights.

I don’t blame these writers because, until 2019, I also thought Quora was a small platform focused solely on questions and answers. However, one of my mentors, who earned over a million dollars as an early adapter on Quora in 2020, educated and inspired me to join Quora and create my own spaces. It was not open to the public by then.

I immediately took action and created Quora spaces in 2020, inviting writers to my spaces as a giveback activity. But I didn’t monetize my personal content until 2023. I primarily focused on community activities, like creating multiple spaces to help Medium writers amplify their stories.

Several writers joined as contributors and moderators. Some stories went viral on the ILLUMINATION-Curated Quora space, but unfortunately, those views brought no income as Medium doesn’t pay for external views. Sadly, like many writers, I neglected Quora by spending 95% of my writing time on Medium, which now brings less value than before.

Interestingly, as soon as I monetized my answers and private spaces on Quora after gaining around 500 subscribers, they started generating additional income. Therefore, I can confidently say that Quora pays just like Medium or NewsBreak once the amount exceeds $10 via Stripe.

Over the past 12 months, I have had no payment issues with Quora, which is why I write this story with confidence. I only share experiences that I have personally had to ensure I don’t mislead my readers.

However, I don’t just use Quora to monetize my content.

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My Quora Growth Strategy in 2024

As part of my growth strategy, I monetize only 10% of my selected content while offering 90% for free to reach a larger audience and make a meaningful impact on their lives.

Each time I post on Quora, the system automatically asks me and gives two options, as shown below. I always use adaptive paywalling to gain more subscribers from my free content.

I use the following four methods for monetization, which is optimal for me.

Earning from answering questions

The following screenshot shows that my short answers to some questions in my expertise areas earn some income. They take me only a minute to answer. They are equivalent to leaving comments on Medium articles. I leave over 100 comments on Medium daily, which brings no income.

These figures might seem trivial to some writers, but it’s disheartening: a recent story I poured three hours of expertise into earned a mere 77 cents. This, despite my substantial following of over 100K and publication on a platform boasting 85K followers. I wrote a story about it.

A Story I Invested 3 Hours on a Topic Reflecting My 25 Years of Scientific Research Earned 77 Cents
Can you be a 6-figure income earner on Medium if you are a researcher and write on niche topics? Let’s dive into my…medium.com

This 10% income from monetized content on Quora covers my writing costs, and the satisfaction from the 90% free content enriches my life in my older years. I explained the importance and value of giving free content in the attached post.

Part I: Building a Foundation Using the Power of the First Tier [Free] in Our Community on Substack
How will the ILLUMINATION Network continue to support free subscriptions, which currently consist of 70% of the…medium.com

I also use Quora to grow the new community I’m building on Substack. Once our transition is complete and fully established, we plan to hire full-time marketers to promote freelancers’ content.

In a recent story, I briefly introduced the structure of my philanthropic organization.

How I Architected a Charity Organization & Why I Will Run It Like a Business

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Quora Spaces Are Secret Weapon for Expanding Reach & Impact

Beyond its Q&A roots, Quora hosts thriving communities called Spaces — think niche forums where experts and enthusiasts connect. Quora Spaces are a powerful tool for amplifying your reach, building your credibility, and engaging with a wider audience.

For freelance writers, these Spaces are goldmines. Here’s why in summary:

Massive Audience: Quora’s vast and diverse user base exposes your work to readers who might never stumble upon your Medium stories, as happened to me and many other writers I know in Quora.

Cross-Promotion Power: Linking your articles to relevant discussions drives traffic and boosts your stories’ or publication’s readership.

Direct Feedback Loop: Engaging with Quora readers provides invaluable insights for refining your content strategy and staying relevant.

Networking Haven: Connect with fellow enthusiasts, experts, and potential collaborators to expand your professional network.

Enhanced Credibility: Consistently sharing valuable insights positions you as a thought leader, attracting followers to your Medium, NewsBreak, or Substack content. If you want to grow your mailing lists, this credibility is essential.

Diversified Portfolio: Showcasing your work across multiple platforms demonstrates your versatility and strengthens your overall presence.

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Join My Quora community for free to make a difference

Here are the links to Quora spaces that my volunteer editors and I support.

ILLUMINATION-Curated on Medium

ILLUMINATION on Medium

Technology Hits on Medium

Vocal Stories — For Vocal Media Writers

Share News Break Stories — For News Break Writers

Technology Hits TSEE Club — Medium and other platforms

Technology and Design — Generic — all platforms, including blogs

Biohacking & Health Tips — Generic — all platforms, including blogs

Fiction Club ILLUMINATION on Medium

Poetry Club ILLUMINATION on Medium

Health & Wellness by Dr Mehmet Yildiz

Illumination Gaming by Aiden (Owner of Illumination Gaming)

Health & Science By Dr Broadly [New]

I am thrilled that dedicated volunteers like Mike Broadly, DHSc, and Scarlet Ibis James 🦩 are not only donating their valuable time but also financially supporting these community platforms, amplifying the voices of those who are often silenced on other platforms. You can read their inspiring stories.

Invitation to My Quora Space for Health and Science Writers to Build Your Audience for Substack
Gain new opportunities, such as more views and new readers, by joining our Quora Spaces as a contributor and/or…medium.com

Scarlet put immense effort into the fiction club, recognizing that fiction stories often don’t fare well on Medium. Unfortunately, she didn’t receive the necessary support to continue. Dr. Broadly stepped in and convinced her to stay by sponsoring the activities financially. I am deeply grateful for his generosity. We will soon hire a marketing professional to do the promotion for our Quora spaces.

My Final Chapter — I Resign From Moderation of the Fiction Club
This writer returns to writing, giving up this failed method of boosting other writers here on Medium.medium.com

ILLUMINATION-Curators also highlighted the importance of the fiction club as fiction does not do well on Medium.com.

Invitation to ILLUMINATION Fiction Club and Our Other Spaces on Quora

Share the links to your fiction or non-fiction stories on Medium, Substack, your blogs, or other platforms to reach a broad audience leveraging the power of Quora spaces.

We also invited Friends of Medium to share stories they read on our spaces. Some joined, but as this story did not reach a broad audience, the participation was very low. You can read the interview editors conducted with me last year when I was promoting Friends of Medium to our readers.

How Friends of Medium Can Amplify Important Stories Via Customized Social Media Sites
An interview with Dr Mehmet Yildiz introducing customized platforms to share valuable content via FoM links with a…medium.com

You can also share links to your stories in our free and moderated Slack workspace. I wrote a bulletin about it from my secondary account.

7000+ Writers Miss an Opportunity By Not Joining Our Slack Workspace

Out of 30000+ writers contributing to our publications, 23,100 of them use this free and moderated service joyfully and productively.

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Conclusion and Takeaways

Exploring platforms like Quora can significantly broaden your reach and increase your income from writing. Quora’s vast user base and monetization opportunities make it a worthwhile platform for any writer looking to diversify their content strategy.

Don’t limit yourself to one platform. Exploring new avenues like Quora, X and Subtack can open up new opportunities.

Use your wealth of knowledge and experience to create valuable content that can resonate with a broad audience.

Continuously educate yourself about new monetization options and platforms.

Building and engaging with communities can amplify your reach and impact.

Diversify your income streams: Using multiple platforms can provide financial stability and more significant opportunities.

By staying open to new platforms and leveraging your experience, you can continue making a meaningful impact while enjoying the benefits of diversified income streams.

My plan for my personal content is to hire an editor and distill my 2,500 stories, transferring them to Substack, Quora, and X, as they no longer find an audience on Medium. I will monetize 10% to cover the cost of the editor and give away 90% for millions of readers to benefit. I share this approach with you to provide an idea, but your circumstances might be different, so this is not professional advice.

My mentors advised me to redirect my six hours of publication activities to Substack, X Premium, and Quora to reach a broader audience. Medium’s reach is limited compared to these gigantic platforms and makes it impossible to exceed even 1% of the audience despite my active participation on the platform over the last five years.

Related to this point, here is my answer to a frequently asked question by freelance writers.

Should I Launch a Public Publication on Medium as a Freelance Writer?
As a seasoned content strategist and owner of multiple public publications on this platform, I answer this frequently…medium.com

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

You are welcome to join the ILLUMINATION Community on Medium and Substack.

I wrote numerous stories about writing and content strategy to guide new writers. You may find some relevant ones from the attached list. I will distill all these stories in my Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights soon.

Writing, Content Development & Marketing Strategy Guides
Edit descriptiondr-mehmet-yildiz.medium.com

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. Some of my topics include brain, mental health, cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, including 100+ Insightful Life Lessons from My Circles for the Last 50+ Years.

I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA and share distilled versions on SUBSTACK. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.

If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 30K writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories. Friend Links to My Sample Boosted Stories for Non-Members of Medium. This story was also shared on Substack.

Get an email whenever Dr Mehmet Yildiz publishes. He is a top writer and editor on Medium.
dr-mehmet-yildiz.medium.com

Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers

You are welcome to join the ILLUMINATION Community on Medium and Substack.

Thanks

Aiden MC

Thank you for helping me format this story for Substack. And thanks

Mike Broadly

for sponsoring Quora spaces for writers. I appreciate volunteer support of

Sylvain Zyssman

,

Lawson Wallace

and

Adam Tabriz, MD

going above and beyond supporting our 30K+ writers in multiple roles.