avatarRoz Warren, Writing Coach

Summary

Medium's "Panhandling Plug-in" for writers to convert readers into paying members has proven ineffective, as highlighted by the author's personal experience and feedback from other writers.

Abstract

The article discusses the recent implementation of Medium's "Profit-sharing Portal" or "Panhandling Plug-in," which is designed to incentivize writers to attract new Medium members by offering a percentage of the subscription fee. Despite adding the plug-in to 50 popular posts and aiming to increase monthly earnings by $100, the author's efforts yielded no new members and resulted in a loss of one existing member, reducing their earnings. A call for experiences from other Medium writers revealed that most did not bother with the plug-in, and those who did largely found it unsuccessful. The article concludes that time is better spent writing new content rather than incorporating the plug-in.

Opinions

  • The author's personal experience with the plug-in was negative, as it did not attract any new Medium members and resulted in a decrease in earnings.
  • Readers' comments and experiences from 41 other writers suggest that the plug-in is generally not worth the effort.
  • The consensus among those who tried the plug-in is that it does not generate significant income, with one writer managing to attract four new members while others attracted none.
  • The author does not fault Medium for attempting this approach but emphasizes that the strategy was ineffective for them and most other writers.
  • The article suggests that writers should focus on creating new content instead of relying on the plug-in to increase their earnings on Medium.

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Medium’s Panhandling Plug-in Doesn’t Pay

Thinking of shilling for Medium? Don’t waste your time

Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

Medium, in its ceaseless quest to make this platform turn a profit, recently instigated a little plug-in that a writer could drop into their posts to tempt non-Medium members to join the party.

If a Muggle joins Medium via your plug-in, you get a percentage of the take!

Last month, I decided to add this Widget to my stories. I’d been on Medium for almost three years and had written 630 posts. Was it worth the time and trouble to retro-fit my existing posts with a Profit-sharing Portal?

My goal was to increase my monthly Medium take by $100. Could I meet this goal?

I decided to begin by adding the Panhandling Plug-in to my 50 most popular Medium posts.

The result, a month later?

Cue drum roll and crash of cymbals…

I didn’t attract a single new Medium Member!

In fact, one of the two Medium Members I’d previously brought to the platform dropped out, bringing my Monthly Portal Take from $4 to $2.

So the answer, at least for me, is that installing the Panhandling Plug-in doesn’t pay.

This answer was borne out by reader comments about my original piece, in which I invited my fellow Medium writers to share their own experiences with the Panhandling Portal. Were they making enough money from it to make it worthwhile? The answer, according to the 41 fascinating, insightful and detailed responses I received, was a resounding NO.

Most writers had the good sense not to bother with the Plug-In. Of the ones who did? Although one writer actually managed to attract four people to the platform — most, like me, brought in bubkas.

I don’t blame Medium for trying this little gimmick. It could have worked. But it didn’t.

The Takeaway? (This is a Medium Post. There has to be a takeaway.)

Forget the Widget. Your time — and mine — is better spent writing new stories.

Writing Coach and editor-for-hire Roz Warren, who writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times, can help you improve and publish your work. Drop her a line at [email protected]. (That’s Ros with an “s,” not a “z.”)

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