Think of it as YouTube for written stories and articles, maybe? Lots of freelance writers and storytellers here. I say YouTube more than Instagram because of the direct monetization. It’s possible (though very unlikely) for a popular writer to make a living on Medium.
But there’s also real community and friendship here. I’ve been writing on Medium for about 18 months, and while I do make some money, I’ve also made a lot of good friends.
Plus, as an advocate and activist, I find Medium a very useful 'home base.’ I can target issues and then promote a unified story on multiple social media platforms.
However you end up using it, welcome!