Summary

David McIlroy conducted a 10-day experiment on Medium, commenting on articles to test the impact on his reach and earnings, with a particular focus on a single day where he commented over 50 times.

Abstract

David McIlroy embarked on a 10-day commenting experiment on Medium, where he aimed to read and comment on 20 articles daily to gauge its effect on his Medium presence. He observed a significant increase in views and reads, and notably, his earnings in the latter part of February doubled those of the first 19 days. On the final day of his experiment, he intensified his efforts, commenting on over 50 articles. Contrary to his expectations, this did not lead to a proportional increase in earnings, which were substantially lower than the previous day. McIlroy concluded that while engagement is beneficial, it is not the primary driver of income on Medium. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of quality writing, including a compelling headline, feature image, article layout, and content, as the key to financial success on the platform.

Opinions

Engagement through comments can positively influence Medium metrics such as views and reads.
There is a correlation between the level of engagement and earnings, but it is not directly proportional.
Quality content is essential for generating income on Medium, overshadowing the impact of engagement alone.
A successful Medium strategy should combine quality writing with consistent engagement to compound income over time.
McIlroy suggests that the key factors for successful articles include an irresistible headline, eye-catching feature image, aesthetically-pleasing layout, and an intriguing topic with a clear message.
Despite the immediate results of the experiment, McIlroy remains positive about the value of engagement and plans to set new targets for the following month.

I Commented 50+ Times on Medium in 1 Day. Here’s What Happened.

Plus: The results of my 10-day commenting experiment.

On February 20, I wrote about how I planned to test my Medium reach for the rest of the month using comments.

My goal was to read and comment on 20 articles per day to see if my stats would tick upwards after a slow start to the month.

I stuck to the plan.

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What happened?

For the last 9 days, I took the time to read and comment on at least 20 articles I found interesting on Medium. I’ll do the same today to end my 10-day streak.

As expected, I saw a significant increase in views and reads in the last third of the month. I know those metrics will have been skewed by the comments themselves, but the effect was tangible enough.

Most importantly, my February earnings also increased — I made as much in the last 9 days as I made in the first 19.

Yesterday, I got a little excited and wondered what would happen if, instead of reading and commenting on 20 articles, I did the same for 50 instead?

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So I set aside two slots in the day and engaged with at least 25 articles per session. In the end, I think I read and commented on around 54 Medium stories.

I expected (or hoped) the increased interaction would result in an increase in the day’s earnings. My stats had certainly ticked up on the day before, so I thought those metrics might bleed through into earnings.

No such luck.

In fact, bizarrely, yesterday’s earnings (after 50+ comments) were only 1/8 of the day before, when I commented around 20 times in total.

Pretty lame, if you ask me.

What’s the takeaway here?

Does that mean engaging isn’t quite as important as we’re led to believe?

Well, it’s certainly not the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to generating income on Medium. You could clap, comment and follow people all day long (until Medium shadowbanned you, anyway) and potentially see no real increase in your earnings as a result.

The key to making money on Medium is, and always has been, writing quality content. That includes:

A scroll-stopping, irresistible headline
An eye-catching feature image
An aesthetically-pleasing article layout
An intriguing topic and clear messsage

You can engage all day on the platform, but if you don’t actually write meaningful content, you won’t make money.

What next?

I think this is the simplest formula for Medium success:

Quality writing + daily engagement = compounding income

I’ll finish my 10-day commenting experiment today. The results have been positive, and I’ll definitely set myself a new target for March.

What are your Medium goals for next month?

And what’s been your experience with engagement on the platform?

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