Summary

A writer on Medium increased their monthly earnings from $30 to over$ 240 within three months by focusing on writing stories that included specific dollar values and addressed common problems, leading to a breakout success with one story earning nearly $100 in a single month.

Abstract

The author of the content began their journey on Medium in December 2021, initially earning a modest $30.94. Through consistent writing and strategic content creation, they saw a significant increase in their earnings, reaching$ 168.18 in January and $240.10 in February. The turning point came in March when two of their stories, "Making$ 7,000/month is easier than you think" and "4 After-Work Side Hustles That Can Make You An Extra $3,000 Per Month," performed exceptionally well, earning them$ 93.95 and $68.33 respectively. The author attributes this success to crafting titles with specific dollar values and addressing problems that resonate with readers, such as financial struggles. They emphasize the importance of solving problems for the audience and suggest that a compelling title can significantly impact an article's performance.

Opinions

The author believes that specificity in titles, particularly including a dollar value, can attract more readers and increase engagement.
They suggest that addressing a common problem in articles can lead to higher readership and earnings, as it provides immediate value to the reader.
The author's experience indicates that consistent writing and learning from past performance can lead to improved results over time.
They imply that Medium's platform can be lucrative for writers who understand and apply effective content strategies.
The author encourages other writers to reflect on their content and title choices to ensure they are compelling enough to capture a reader's attention.

I Made $30 a Month Three Months Ago — Now I Make That With One Story

How I made $30 from a single story

There are a lot of individuals on Medium who struggle to make more than a few dollars per month. I totally get it. I was there just a few months ago.

The good news is that the majority of writers on Medium are in the same boat. According to Medium, 90% of all writers will struggle to make more than $100 per month.

At the time, I was one of the 90%.

I didn’t start writing consistently until December of 2021. I remember it like it was yesterday — I was on PTO, bored out of my mind, and I wanted to make more money to help cover the cost of Christmas gifts. So, I began writing like a crazy man.

I think I wrote close to 20 articles in the span of two weeks. I had a goal of writing at least one article a day, and there were several days when I would write two, or even three.

But the money didn’t come right away. In fact, I only made $30.94 in the month of December. Little did I know that I was just laying the foundation for what was to come.

In January, I continued to write pretty consistently. As the month progressed, I noticed that my earnings were increasing drastically. I was going from $1 days to $5 days. There were even a few days when I was making $10 from my stories.

In January, I made a grand total of $168.18 on Medium. I was so surprised that I have made over $100, but just like the month before, this was nothing compared to what was to come.

Okay, I’m going to save you a lot of boring statistics, but in February, my earnings jumped to $240.10 for the month. But in March, that’s when a few of my stories really took off.

I wrote Making $7,000/month is easier than you think on February 15th. In March alone, this article made me $93.95. This ONE story made me three times the amount I had made in the entire month just a few months prior.

Making $7,000/month is easier than you think

Here's how I’m doing it.

medium.com

I had another story do exceptionally well. I wrote 4 After-Work Side Hustles That Can Make You An Extra $3,000 Per Month on March 7th. It wasn’t even published for the entire month and it still made me a total of $68.33 during the month of March.

4 After-Work Side Hustles That Can Make You An Extra $3,000 Per Month

No joke… I’ve done them all and they work!

medium.com

So what did I learn from these two stories? To be honest, they weren’t special by any means, so how did they outperform all of the other stories that I had published?

I can’t say for certain why they were more popular, but here are a few of my guesses.

1) They included a dollar value

Okay, put yourself in your reader's shoes and imagine you were to come across two articles:

How to Make $4,000 Per Month
How to Make Extra Money

Which one of these two titles would you be more likely to click on?

Personally, I would click on the first one. The second one is far too vague in my opinion. The first title provides a specific value (the reader will have an easier time connecting to a specific value), and it gives the reader a timeframe (how soon they can make an extra $4,000).

Overall, the more specific you are with your title, the more your reader will be able to bond and connect to your article.

2) They solve a problem

Money is a HUGE problem for so many individuals out there. Let’s be real with ourselves, we are in uncertain times — who wouldn’t want to make some more money?!?!

Now, I’m not saying you have to write about money, but always try to solve a problem for your readers, whether that’s a problem they might face personally, financially, spiritually, emotionally, or anything for that matter.

For example, take the title 5 Easy Exercises That Can Help You Find Happiness and Joy In Your Day. This is going to stand out to someone who is down or needs a boost of happiness. It solves a problem, and by including the word “easy,” it shows they don’t have to do anything life-altering to become happier.

Another example: How I Went From Failing Classes To A 4.0 GPA. This one is for the education people out there, but again, it solves a problem. It is relatable as we have all struggled with school at one point or another and it provides insight as to how we can course-correct.

Before you publish an article, as yourself something: if you were a reader, would you click on your own article? If not, change the title to one that’s going to grab the reader's attention.

Honestly, implementing these two tips has done wonders for me. My stories are performing so much better, and I honestly believe a lot of it is due to what I am including in my titles.

If you enjoyed or found this helpful, let me know down below. I’d love to hear your feedback and how this might help you throughout your journey on Medium.