I Created A Graph to Uncover a 4-Step Strategy for Medium
Let’s discuss publications, trends and all your burning questions.
Because I am crazy and have nothing better to do, I created a bar graph to tally the results of my articles.
The time did not go to waste. Let’s use the data to answer your burning questions about Medium!
I wrote 52 articles from Dec 3, 2021, to Feb 10, 2022.
Is it better to publish with a publication or self-publish?
In the two odd months of writing on Medium, I self-published a total of 14 articles, resulting in close to 200 views and 69 reads.
I also published 14 articles in the travel publication, Globetrotters. These posts brought me just under 600 views and 234 reads.
As a newbie, I assumed I wouldn’t have many reads.
Interestingly enough, my self-published articles gained more views than I thought I would.
My verdict would still be to publish more articles with publications (small or large) and not self-publishing.
Unless you have a large following, it’s not easy to increase exposure without publications.
Does publishing more articles in a publication mean more views and reads?
In theory, publishing more articles provides better exposure for you. And more exposure means more potential views and reads.
I published the highest number of articles with Globetrotters. They also received the most views and reads.
So, post away like a maniac. The more you post, the better!
Does the size of the publication matter?
The size of the publication didn’t matter. At least not to me.
Globetrotters has 204 followers. Some other publications that I write for have thousands of followers.
But my posts in Globetrotters are performing the best.
The largest publication that I belong to is Writer’s Blokke. The articles that I posted there didn’t perform the best.
Of course, we also have to take into consideration the topics. Maybe most followers in Writer’s Blokke weren’t interested in my articles.
Does it matter what day of the week to publish?
While I tried to figure out the best days to post, many articles recommended posting from Monday to Wednesday.
Fridays and the weekend were a no-go since readership is supposedly low.
In mid-January, I started posting every single day. Based on what I had read, I expected low views from Friday to Sunday. Surprisingly, this was not true.
Here is what I observed.
- My highest views and reads were on Wednesdays and Sundays
- I posted the most articles on Mondays, but the number of views and reads were not the highest
- Tuesdays and Saturdays had the lowest number of reads and views
Which publication gave the most views?
I posted my top 3 performing articles in the following publications.
- Globetrotters
- New Writers’ Welcome
- Writer’s Blokke
I write about self-improvement, travel and mental health.
For writers who write on similar topics, try writing for the above publications for more exposure.
4 important takeaways
- Avoid self-publishing.
- Publish as much as possible. Posting 1–2 articles per day is a good start.
- Post in any publication you can join.
- If you need a break day, make it Saturday.
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Sources
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels Photo by Bich Tran from Pexels
