Don’t Call It a Comeback! I Didn’t Publish on Medium for 30+ Days and Here’s What Happened…
Wow! What happened to ya girl’s stats?
Many of you whom I call Fam, know I’m publishing a website and blog. Things are looking great. I’m learning new things each day. Nonetheless, publishing a new website took a lot of time from publishing on Medium.
Yes, I could have vacillated between the two, but I took this time to experiment. And you all know I love experimenting.
What Was My Writing and Publishing Experiment about?
First, let me preface, I had slowed down significantly on Medium back in October 2022. My usual “almost” daily publishing (publishing about 5 times a week and engaging with 20 to 30 stories a day) had become about 3 times a week. And yes, it did affect earnings.
But I have plans on Medium and beyond Medium so it had to be done.
With this writing and publishing experiment, I wanted to know what would happen if I didn’t publish any new content for 30 days. And boy did I find out.
Without publishing for 30 days
Medium’s algorithm loves fresh content. You’ve got to serve it up if you want to stay in the feeds. Moreover, engagement is critical on this platform.
- my views plummeted by 70%
- I only gained 4 subs which I usually gain about 15 to 20 per month
- I gain 85% fewer followers only 40 followers gained the whole month when I usually gain about 8 to 12 followers daily.
- My VRR on published stories dropped to 33% when usually it's 60 -63% overall (except for July 2022 when it was at 42%)
But here’s what I noticed…
I noticed a few oddities that perhaps I can explain with a little more research:
- On days I would read, highlight, clap, and comment I would get a little spike in views even when I hadn’t published anything.
- If I shared an old post on Twitter, I would also see a spike even if no one read the post I shared on Twitter.
- On the days that I would only read and do nothing else (no clapping, highlighting, or commenting — it was just to test things) I’d see a tiny spike.
Want to Earn More Long-Term? Then Publish More
Still, nothing was the same as publishing. And to be honest, I’ve discovered that there is nothing better — no tricks, no hack — nothing can beat publishing regularly 3 to 5 times a week, daily, and sometimes twice a day.
And Yet, What Stories Are The Best?
Think, sharable!
Huh?
With all things online — memes, short videos, a deep dive podcast, a trending topic — sharable content is valuable content and valuable content wins, even on Medium.
Yes, I know we only earn money from “Members’ Read Time” and “Referred Membership,” but how do you think you get those referred memberships?
So the best stories are 4+ minute stories with:
- a catchy title,
- an attention-grabbing first 100 words,
- interesting, valuable content throughout
- and a call to action or a “prompt” to engage at the end
On the other hand, don’t dismiss a good mid-form or short-form piece that’s entertaining or informative.
You can have tens of thousands of followers, and read and engage with other folks' content all day long, but if your story doesn't grab your readers’ attention and hold their interest, then you won’t see growth in views or earnings.
And yes, you can write brilliantly but if it’s not interesting, well…
Publishing More Often Opens Opportunities for Virality
Yep, it’s a numbers game. What more can be said? You have a better chance of “going viral” if you write and publish more.
I know some people don’t care. But it can be the tipping point for your business or career as a writer. Don’t dismiss virality as a popularity contest.
Virality is like having a hit song. Will you become a one-hit wonder or a platinum recording artist with a long illustrious career?
Regular publishing is traveling the road to long-term success.
Make Your Writing Practice A Writing Habit
Additionally, learning to write a complete work daily is a great way to build your skills as a professional writer, and it also prepares you for consistently writing online.
A writer who has developed the habit of writing a complete work daily or at least three times a week (even if it is 100 words) will have a better chance of becoming a successful author, blogger, indie publishing author, or digital content creator.
I think Medium is a great place to create that habit.
Fam, yes, I’m still curious. Have you ever taken a long break from something? How did you get back in the game?
Share your thoughts in the comments.