My Story Received 4.6K Views, 1.6K Reads and Made $1.16
Confusing stats need an explanation
Imagine my surprise to check on my Medium stats this week and see a huge spike and then find no impact on my income. My heart beat faster from excitement and within moments froze for a moment in time causing me to begin an investigation.
Normally, anywhere from 150 to 500 readers a day invest time in my stories. Once in a while, one will attract a following, but those earn money proportional to the number of reads. This phenomenon remains unexplainable. Below is the data acquired through my research of my stats page.
Upon noticing the spike, I strolled through the stories to determine which one had excess read. Newport Dunes RV Park Relaxation caught my attention. Though I would like to think all my articles provide a great read, it was difficult to believe this one was that good. It is a simple summary of our week long stay with details to inform RV travelers on the road. As one of several on the page, RVing in Retirement, a travel blog on Medium, except to a specific audience it is mundane.
Wow! 1.6K reads. That’s amazing! So, I continue to investigate. The majority of the reads were from external sources. That translates to an unpaying audience, something I can accept because as any writer know a following keeps us motivated. In case you are new to Medium, only reads from members add up to income through the Medium Partner Program.
Almost 5,000 views, this story reaped $1.16. I understand the payment schedule in my mind, but my heart told me there should be some reward for that many reads.
For the past three days, the reads on this story continue to climb. Why is it garnering so much attention? Where are the readers coming from? What is happening? How can I motivate readers to subscribe?
Like a lightning bolt of inspiration, I reread the original article, and noticed a call to action is missing. My pattern is to add a link to the Medium page if it is a personal blog or to invite subscribers. Nope. Nodda. Call to action missing. I remedied that with a quick edit and added a link to promote email subscriptions.
Will it make a difference? IDK. However, it is unwise to miss an opportunity.
- If you are unaware of how to add this promotional box, do this.
- Click on your picture icon on the top right side of your page.
- Click into settings.
- Scroll down to Audience development. Click on Manage email subscription promotions and reader replies.
- Under Via your subscribe page, should be your Medium email. Copy it and then paste this onto the story page.
Another option is to add an invitation to join Medium. If a reader joins in response to your invitation, your earn money every month. I
The process to add this is the same as above except under Audience development, click Promote Medium membership to let readers support your writing.
It is 9:00 in the morning, and this article has 200 more reads — adjust the title of this article in your mind, 4,800 views and made $1.16. What is happening?
