Is Medium Still Worth Your Time?

A Financial Breakdown

So, you’ve been slaving away at your keyboard, pouring out your soul, wit, and wisdom, only to find that the Medium gods have tossed you mere pennies for your literary pearls. Lately, I got more questions than answers, and I’m sure many of you writers are in the same boat.

Everything is different since the frauds have been swarming the platform, messing with our earnings. Medium has become a jungle ever since, and it definitely ain’t all fun and games. Because I bet you’re tired of serving up Michelin-star content only to get paid in Monopoly money, aren’t you?

At least, I am. Therefore, I decided to put together this ‘guide’. Let’s call it the insider’s roadmap to navigating the labyrinth of Medium’s engagement metrics, Boost guidelines, and how to finally make some damn bucks off your prose.

Before we get into it, if you weren’t yet aware or if you’re not a writer on this platform — Medium and we, the creators, were suffering from ‘fraudulent activity’.

The Email We Got from Medium Writer Support

Medium Partner Program participants,

We recently discovered organized fraudulent activity impacting payments for some Partner Program writers, and want to inform you about it and let you know what we are doing to protect authors from being affected.

You may have seen a decrease in earnings starting around September 25th through the first few days of October. During this time, we discovered significant fraudulent activity from a small number of accounts targeting our program to specifically divert funds. Our team has suspended these users.

To be clear: This was fraudulent activity at scale, specifically prohibited on our platform. Medium’s rules disallow systematized bulk engagement for the purpose of generating revenue, as well as registering accounts, posting content, or interacting with users or content automatically, systematically, or programmatically.

We will be re-calculating and applying earning adjustments to all writers that were affected by the activity of the fraudulent accounts. If your account was impacted, you will see a credit on your October earnings report by the end of this month.

Our writers are the backbone of this platform, and protecting Partner Program writer earnings from fraud is our top priority.

Best,

Medium Team

In the last week of September, we started earning pennies instead of ‘the real bucks’. And while I must say that after Medium’s ‘fix’ the earnings improved again, it’s still a damn little.

So I started asking myself “Do I actually know how to make money on Medium?”

I’m tired of guessing, so let’s dive in on how to actually make money on Medium.

The Myth of Engagement

You know how people say, “It’s the thought that counts?” Well, on Medium, it ain’t the claps, comments, or shares that count — at least not when it comes to cash money. Forget your emojis and your little applause buttons; they won’t pay for your next avocado toast.

This stuff gets confusing, sorta like trying to understand why cats hate water or why reality TV still exists. Medium’s payment system is a web of obscure algorithms that make crypto look like child’s play. If you’ve been hoarding engagement metrics like they’re Bitcoin in 2017, I’ve got news for you: you’re doing it wrong.

Don’t take my word for it. Let’s listen to Robin Wilding 💎 who’s gone deep into the trenches of Medium’s battle for bucks. Her piece, “Medium Doesn’t Actually Pay for Engagement?”, tells us we’ve been making mountains out of molehills. Seriously, you’d think engagement was the Fountain of Youth the way we obsess over it. Nope, it’s more like that puddle you accidentally step in when you’re already having a crappy day.

See, Robin thought a boosted post with high engagement would make her richer than a tech bro at a Bitcoin conference. Reality check: it didn’t. She ran the numbers and concluded:

“I don’t see an appreciable difference in earnings based on engagement.”

So, put down the confetti and the celebratory GIFs, they’re not fattening up your paycheck.

Medium is fixated on one thing: how long people’s eyeballs are stuck on your words. The algorithm gods at Medium say earnings are calculated based on “Member reading time,” not how many digital high-fives you’re collecting.

For the love of sanity, stop thinking a flood of claps is gonna make it rain dollar bills. It’s good to feel appreciated, supported, or recognized by lots of claps, but know that the amount of claps has nothing to do with earning on Medium.

The reality is, that we — the writers — gotta stop hunting for engagement like it’s the last piece of toilet paper during a pandemic. Focus on writing stuff so magnetic, people can’t look away. That’s how you play the game to win.

And if you still don’t get it, give Medium’s earnings guide a skim. It’s not the most riveting stuff, but hey, sometimes you gotta take your medicine.

Understanding Medium’s Three-Headed Monster: The Distribution Categories

Picture Medium’s distribution system as a mythical three-headed beast, like a Cerberus of content, each head having its own way of messing with your writing dreams or making them come true.

We’ve got “Boosted,” the alpha dog; “General,” the middle child that everyone kinda forgets; and “Network Only,” the scrappy underdog that no one invited to the party but showed up anyway.

Let’s break ’em down and see which head bites the hardest when it comes to your earnings.

Boosted: The Golden Boy

Boosted is the Kim Kardashian of Medium distribution. When you get a boosted post, it’s like Medium’s handing you a megaphone and saying, “Speak, and the world shall listen!” This bad boy will get blasted to Medium’s horde of email subscribers.

Boosted distribution amplifies your content, but it’s not a guarantee you’ll be swimming in Scrooge McDuck’s vault. However, you’ll be closer to it than you were yesterday.

General: The Middle-of-the-Road Experience

Let’s talk about “General,” the equivalent of a radio hit that’s not quite a chart-topper. Your post gets featured around Medium, maybe in some tags, perhaps on some topic pages. It’s not a free ticket to the VIP section, but it’s not bad either. The catch? You’ve got to actually write something that Medium deems worth sharing. If you pull that off, you’ll get more visibility, and theoretically, more eyeball time, which is Medium’s version of handing you a twenty.

Network Only: The Backyard BBQ

And then we have “Network Only,” the distribution that’s like yelling your ideas into a void and hoping your mom hears you. This is where your article will only be seen by your followers or people you basically have to text the link to. It’s the digital equivalent of a garage band — cool, but not exactly lucrative.

So unless your followers list looks like the who’s who of Medium, expect this category to be as financially rewarding as looking for loose change in your sofa.

So each head of this Medium Cerberus comes with its own flavor of opportunity and heartache. Choose your battles, sharpen your swords, and write like you’ve got something to say. Ultimately, no matter which distribution monster you’re facing, it’s your words that’ll slay the dragon — or get you burned. We will get back to this in a bit.

How to Get Boosted: The Non-BS Guide

So, you’ve decided you’re ready to tango with the golden boy of Medium, the elusive “Boosted” distribution. You want that limelight, the glam, the Medium equivalent of a red carpet rollout for your digital ink. But how the hell do you get there? Well, pull up a chair, and let’s strip the mystique off this unicorn.

The ‘Official’ Boost Guidelines

Now, Medium has this whole list of do’s and don'ts about getting boosted. They’re like the bouncer at the VIP club, checking to make sure you’re dressed well enough to be let inside. But let’s cut through the corporate yada-yada:

High-Quality Content: Write something that doesn’t suck. Seriously. The content should be well-organized, make sense, and not be a grammatical horror show. Value to Readers: Your article should be useful or insightful. If your content is the digital equivalent of watching paint dry, no boost for you.

Doesn’t Violate Guidelines: No hate speech, no fake news, no trash talking just for the sake of it. Medium isn’t a dumpster, so don’t bring your garbage.

Medium Format: Use the damn headers, make your article scannable, and for God’s sake, break up those paragraphs, nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Actionable Tips for Boost-Worthy Content

Nail the Headline: Think of your headline as the bling that catches the eye. Make it snappy, make it intriguing, but above all, make it clickable.

First Impressions Count: Your introduction should hit readers like a shot of espresso. Wake ’em up, make ’em curious, and promise them something they won’t regret sticking around for.

Relevant Imagery: Use images that add to the story, not distract from it. And don’t steal ’em; make sure they’re free to use or you have the rights. Nobody likes a thief.

Proper Structure: Sub headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs are your friends. They make your article easy on the eyes and scannable for the casual swiper-and-skipper.

Edit, Edit, Edit: Once you’ve written that masterpiece, go back and hack it to pieces. Tighten up language, cut the fluff, and make every sentence count.

Engage, But Don’t Beg: A few well-placed questions or thought-provoking statements can engage your readers. But don’t go begging for claps or comments; it looks desperate.

Timing: Publishing at the right time can give your article a boost — pun intended. Aim for when your target audience is most active. For most topics, that’s weekdays during business hours, when people are procrastinating at work by reading Medium articles.

Now, will following these tips guarantee a boost? Hell no. But they’ll give you a fighting chance to be seen by the Medium gods and maybe, just maybe, get a taste of that “Boosted” good life.

How To Dodge The “Network Only” Gutter

This is like the Bermuda Triangle of Medium — a place where your content goes to vanish into obscurity. Ending up there is like hosting a party and only having your weird neighbor show up — the one who collects rare stamps and has an unhealthy obsession with garden gnomes.

First, let’s dissect this monstrosity. Your story gets slapped with the “Network Only” tag when Medium thinks it’s not worthy of broader distribution. Essentially, it’ll only be seen by people who already follow you. That’s right, no new eyeballs, no new fans, just the same ol’ crowd.

Imagine being a rock star but only playing concerts in your mom’s basement. Yeah, that’s the “Network Only” life.

So how do you sidestep this pitfall? Here’s the life-saving advice you need:

• No typos allowed: Make sure it’s clean.
• Quit the clickbait: Medium detests clickbait like a vegan hates meat.
• Be original: Bring fresh insights, a unique perspective, or a new angle to old issues.
• Quality over quantity: Don’t stuff your article with fluff just to hit a word count.
• Mind your tags: Choose relevant ones.
• Format like you give a damn: No one wants to read an ugly article.

Look, the algorithm gods are fickle, but at least you can make a sacrificial offering that aligns with their whims.

The Not-So-Mysterious Mechanics of Medium’s Engagement Points

Alright, back to engagement. Let’s cut through the bureaucratic fog and break down how Medium’s Partner Program actually puts change in your piggy bank.

Understanding the “Engagement Points System”

Non-Member Window Shoppers: If someone’s not logged into Medium and they click your story, congrats — you get a stat bump, but no cash. Even if they hang around for over 30 seconds, you still get zero earnings. It’s like getting a high-five from a ghost; you feel it, but it doesn’t count.

Logged-In Window Shoppers: Same deal, but now they’re logged in. If they clap, highlight, or leave a comment, it shows up in your stats, but your wallet remains as empty as a politician’s promises.

The Skim-and-Scram Members: These folks log in, click your story, and bail before 30 seconds. Once again, no cha-ching for you. Think of it as the “swipe left” of Medium.

The Diligent Readers: Here’s where the cash register starts ringing. If a Medium member stays on your article for at least 30 seconds, you start earning. Consider this the baseline for making money.

The Engaged Affair: If a member claps, highlights, or responds after reading, your earnings get a boost. But here’s the kicker: it doesn’t matter if they clap 1 or 50 times; it’s a one-time bonus per engagement type. KAKA LAM 嘉嘉 @iamkakalamkk was right. :-)

The Follower Jackpot: If a member follows you within a few hours of reading, you get an additional earnings boost for that story. It’s like they’re not just flirting; they’re taking you out for dinner.

Adding Spice with Adjustments

• Follower Bonus: If you can turn a one-night stand into a relationship by getting them to follow you, your points for that day get a little somethin’-somethin’ added. Medium calls this the “Follower Bonus.”
• Boost Bonus: If your article is so damn good that it gets boosted, you’ll earn extra based on how many members engaged with it. This is Medium’s way of saying, “Hey, you’re awesome, have some extra bucks.”
• Read-Through-Rate Reality Check: After all’s said and done, Medium adjusts your earnings based on your read-through rate. If people are sticking around and reading (not just clicking), you get an earnings lift. But if you’re serving up clickbait trash, expect a demotion in your earnings.

In a nutshell

For maximum cash flow, you’ve got to write something worth not just clicking, but reading and engaging with, too. The magic recipe? A combo of read-time and different types of engagement, sprinkled with some new followers on top.

And remember, it’s not about tricking people into clicking; it’s about delivering on the promise of your content. That’s how you turn clicks into cash.

So, how do we do this?

• Nail the read-time by hooking ’em early.
• Encourage engagement by making points that resonate deeply, end with a question, or a controversial point.
• Harvest followers by crafting compelling content that does more than just tickle the eyeballs; it should stir the soul, challenge the mind, and invite meaningful engagement.

The world of Medium is a fickle beast, my friends. One day you’re the king of the hill; the next, you’re trawling the bargain bin wondering where it all went wrong. But let’s not end this on a downer. You’re still here, aren’t you? That means you’ve got the guts to keep going, to adapt, and to capitalize on Medium’s endless parade of curveballs. That’s worth something. Hell, that’s worth a lot.

So, “Is Medium Still Worth Your Time?” Well, if you’ve got the stomach for a high-stakes game of “guess what Medium wants this week,” then yes, absolutely. But don’t just tread water; be the freaking shark of this ocean. Let’s not just survive this terrain; let’s own it.

In this digital Wild West, we’ve got no roadmap, but damn it, we’ve got resilience. Keep your eyes peeled for algorithmic twitches and your fingers ready to pound out that next viral masterpiece. The game’s always changing, but so are you.

That’s it, folks. Lock and load, write like you’ve never written before, and may your Medium stats always be as satisfying as that first sip of morning coffee — unless you’re into decaf, in which case, may your stats be way more exhilarating.

Catch you on the flip side. 🤘