tang-vu/.agents/skills/post-medium

Medium Posting Skill

Platform Overview

Medium is a popular blogging platform with strong Google SEO (domain authority 96). Articles can reach millions through Medium's internal recommendation engine and external search traffic. 100M+ monthly readers. Great for thought leadership and reaching audiences beyond the developer community.

IMPORTANT: Vietnam Access Limitation

Medium is BLOCKED in Vietnam. The browser agent will NOT be able to access medium.com without a VPN.

Workarounds

1. VPN Required: User must enable VPN before the agent attempts to post
2. Pre-check: Before posting, navigate to https://medium.com and verify it loads
3. If blocked: Save the article content to posts/drafts/medium_post.md and instruct the user to:
   • Enable VPN
   • Open medium.com manually
   • Copy-paste the content
4. Alternative: The agent can retry after the user confirms VPN is active

Automation Flow with VPN

1. Ask user: "Medium is blocked in Vietnam. Is your VPN active?"
2. If yes: proceed with browser automation
3. If no: save draft and inform user to enable VPN first

Posting Method: MANUAL PASTE (Recommended)

Due to VPN requirement and potential bot detection, Medium uses Manual Paste mode. The agent generates content and saves it to posts/drafts/medium_post.md.

Platform Constraints

• Length: No character limit — 5-10 minute reads perform best (1,500-3,000 words)
• Format: Rich text editor, supports code blocks, images, embeds
• Tags: Up to 5 tags per story
• Paywall: Can publish behind Medium's paywall (Partner Program) for earnings
• Publications: Can submit to publications for 10x-100x wider reach
• Canonical URL: Set canonical URL when cross-posting from your blog

Content Format

# {Title -- compelling and keyword-rich}

{Subtitle / deck -- 1 sentence summary}

{Opening hook: personal story, surprising stat, or bold claim}

---

## {Section 1: Context/Problem}
{Content explaining the background}

## {Section 2: Solution/How-To}
{Main content with code blocks, images, examples}

## {Section 3: Results/Analysis}
{Data, outcomes, lessons}

## Conclusion
{Summary + what the reader should do next}

---

*If you found this useful, follow me for more articles on {topic}.*

Tag Strategy (Max 5 Tags)

| Topic Area | Recommended Tags | |-----------|-----------------| | AI/ML | Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AI, Technology, Programming | | Web Dev | JavaScript, Web Development, Programming, Software Development, React | | Startup | Startup, Entrepreneurship, Business, Technology, Product Management | | Career | Career Advice, Software Engineering, Technology, Self Improvement, Productivity | | Data | Data Science, Analytics, Python, Big Data, Statistics |

The first tag is the most important — it determines the primary distribution channel.

SEO Optimization

• Title: Include primary keyword (becomes the URL slug on Google)
• First 150 words: Critical for Google snippet — include main keyword
• Subheadings: Use H2 with keyword variations
• Alt text: Add to all images for accessibility and SEO
• Reading time: 5-10 minutes is the sweet spot (longer = more engagement signals)
• Medium's domain authority is 96 — articles rank exceptionally well on Google

Content Strategy

• Personal stories with lessons: Most shared content type on Medium
• Technical tutorials: Step-by-step guides with code examples
• Listicles with depth: "7 Things I Learned..." with real substance
• Data-driven analysis: Benchmarks, comparisons, original research
• Contrarian takes: Bold opinions backed by evidence
• Cross-post from your blog: Use canonical URL to avoid SEO penalties

Algorithm / Discovery Tips

• Claps: Medium shows articles to more people based on "claps" (0-50 per reader)
• Reading time: Articles people actually finish get boosted more
• Publications: Submitting to large publications gives 10x-100x reach
• Consistency: Weekly publishing builds follower momentum
• Early engagement: First 24 hours are critical for distribution
• Internal links: Link to your other Medium articles for reader retention
• Email distribution: Medium emails articles to followers

Top Medium Publications to Submit To

| Publication | Topic | Followers | |-------------|-------|-----------| | Towards Data Science | AI/ML/Data | 600K+ | | Better Programming | Software Dev | 200K+ | | The Startup | Startups | 700K+ | | UX Collective | Design/UX | 400K+ | | Level Up Coding | Programming | 100K+ | | JavaScript in Plain English | JS/Web | 150K+ | | Towards AI | AI/ML | 100K+ |

Best Practices

• Write a compelling subtitle (it appears in Google results as meta description)
• Use section images to break up long content
• Include code blocks with syntax highlighting
• End with a clear CTA (follow, clap, or link to your other work)
• Submit to a publication for maximum reach
• Respond to comments within 24 hours

What to Avoid

• Clickbait titles that don't deliver
• Articles under 800 words (rarely get distributed)
• Publishing without tags
• Ignoring the subtitle field (it's valuable SEO real estate)
• Only publishing behind the paywall (limits reach)

Related Skills

• content-writing — Article templates and SEO integration
• image-generation — Medium cover image specs (1400x788)