avatarJulia Marsiglio

Summary

The article outlines seven reasons why Instagram poets should consider publishing on Medium, emphasizing the platform's focus on writing, monetization opportunities, lack of advertisements, editorial support, absence of space limits, content longevity, and search engine optimization benefits.

Abstract

The author, Julia Marsiglio, presents a compelling argument for Instagram poets to transition to publishing on Medium. Medium is praised as a dedicated writing platform that allows poets to focus on their craft without competing with visual content. Unlike Instagram, Medium offers a monetization model through the Medium Partner's Program, which compensates writers based on member engagement with their content. The platform is ad-free, providing a more conducive environment for poets to grow by reading and engaging with each other's work. Medium also provides opportunities for editing and feedback through draft links and publication submissions, which can lead to critical feedback and improvement. The absence of space constraints on Medium allows for the publication of longer poems, and the content published tends to have a longer shelf life compared to the fleeting nature of Instagram posts. Additionally, Medium's high domain authority ensures that poetry published on the platform ranks well in search engine results, potentially driving more traffic to the writers' work.

Opinions

  • Instagram's visual-centric nature and advertisements can overshadow text-based content like poetry.
  • Medium's monetization potential through the Med

7 Reasons Insta Poets Should Publish on Medium Instead

Yes, one of them is money

Image created on Canva by Julia Marsiglio

*edited August 12, 2021 to reflect changes in the Medium Partner’s Program

1. Medium is a dedicated writing platform

This means that you aren’t competing with image and video-based content. Photos and videos on Instagram catch the eye over text.

2. Monetization

You work hard on your craft. If you want to make money because of your hard work — the Medium Partner’s Program can help: it pays you when Medium members read your words. Earnings are variable, but if you work hard to develop your craft, network with other writers, submit consistently to publications and promote your work across social media, you earn some actual money, which is more than can be said for Instagram unless you have a product to promote and a large following. My earnings since starting on Medium:

Screenshot of author’s Medium earnings in USD by author

3. No advertisements

Instagram is full of advertisements, which seriously disrupts your feed and limits you from seeing the work of people you follow. Reading other poetry is an important contributor to growth as a poet. On Medium, there are no advertisements, and the homepage features a section titled Latest from Following that helps you easily keep up with work from authors you follow.

4. Editing, publication, and distribution

On Instagram, there are often no critical eyes on your work, and the primary feedback mechanism (the metrics) is unspecific. You don’t know if you got little likes because of the time of day you published or because your poem wasn’t up to the standards your followers expect. It's hard to look at your own work with a critical eye. On Medium, you can ask others to edit your work by sending them a draft link or submit it to one of many publications, where an editor will review your work and often provide critical feedback that can help you improve and grow. Some publications that accept poetry include: Found in my Journal, Poetry in Form, Scrittura, The Creative Cafe, Lit Up, and many more. On top of this Medium, unlike Instagram, has eyes on your work and may choose your writing for further distribution, where they show it to more users based on its merits.

5. No space limits

One of my biggest criticisms of Instagram as a poetry platform is that it isn’t ideal for poems longer than a dozen lines. I often feel that the space on the square limits the length of poems, which pushes me towards a particular style of poetry. If you are writing micro poems, it is a great platform, but it can get cramped for anything else. Medium allows for poems to be as short or as long as they need to be.

6. Longevity of work on the platform

This is big. Instafame is instantaneous. I’ve had a poem garner thousands of views on one day — never to be seen again by another person. Instagram churns through content quickly, so that your best work is soon lost. In contrast, Medium content sits around for a while and can even pick up speed again, earning you money and/or followers and appreciation unexpectedly down the line.

7. Search engine optimization

Medium has a high domain authority, so it appears high on any search engine query. This benefits you, directing traffic from web searches to your poetry. You can also add text to optimize search engine traffic further.

Subscribe to Medium*** today to get full access to every story by clicking the link below:

August 2021 update:

Medium recently made changes to its Medium Partner’s program. It now has a simple application process requiring publishing one story and having 100 followers before being accepted. Below is a snapshot of my follower growth statistics to help you gauge growth potential. I was able to gain over 100 followers my first month. Much of that was because I published in the About Me publication. I highly recommend new writers do this too because it helps build community.

Screenshot of author’s Medium statistics by author

***Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a commission at no cost to you.

Julia Marsiglio is a Canadian author who writes poetry, fiction, and non-fiction exploring topics such as trauma, grief, mental health, marginalization, and neurodivergence.

Poetry
Writing
Freelancing
Work
Instagram
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