avatarBin Jiang

Summary

The article discusses the significance of read length on Medium as a critical factor in the platform's business model, algorithmic content distribution, and author earnings.

Abstract

The article delves into the pivotal role of read length on Medium, emphasizing that understanding the optimal reading time is akin to striking gold. It explains that read length is intricately tied to user habits and influences both content creation and platform algorithms. The algorithm matches readers with content that aligns with their reading habits, and read length is a key determinant of earnings for writers, with a 30-second read being the threshold for a read to count. The piece suggests that while Medium does not disclose the exact impact of read length on earnings, it is evident that longer reads correlate with higher earnings and that engagement metrics are crucial for content visibility and monetization.

Opinions

  • The author implies that attention has replaced money as the most valuable commodity on social platforms, with read length being a proxy for capturing user attention.
  • The article posits that the algorithm's reliance on read time is a significant yet undisclosed factor in how content is distributed and monetized on Medium.
  • There is a belief that the read length affects the visibility and success of an article, as well as the writer's earnings, more than the content's topic or quality.
  • The author suggests that Medium intentionally obscures the relationship between read length and earnings to prevent writers from gaming the system or focusing too narrowly on read time metrics.
  • The article hints at a possible update in August 2023, where Medium may have adjusted how read time impacts earnings, but the specifics remain undisclosed.
  • It is conveyed that read time is a dynamic metric that the algorithm continually analyzes for optimal article placement and earnings calculation.

The REAL Reason This Metric is Not Shared With Us

The Medium business model relies on it

If you figure out the best-read length that can cover the reader’s eyes, then you’re in gold land.

Image By Asiama Junior From Pexels

Why is read length not a secret but hidden from us

First, we have to know that attention is everything on any social platform.

From cash is king, now attention replaced it.

If I told you the algorithm = the read time, would that blow your mind, or do you think I’m out of mine?

Let me example

Let’s set the context as if what I said was true.

Then we go and define what does read time or length means to every part of Medium.

Read time is your habits

  1. Read time, is what we choose to read but we have little control over yet there’s a pattern.
  2. Read time, dictates us when writing, do you often check your length or how many minutes does it require to read? (there is also a pattern there)
  3. With both patterns, Medium then puts it in their filter of many other metrics.

Use of read time and the algorithm

The placement magic happens while the algorithm tries to match your read length’s write, what is being shown to you as a suggested read

Now the most interesting part is read time in relation to earnings.

I’m sure we have all earnings with less than $0.10 and some higher than $0.20, but common ones are within a certain range.

Sometimes, I think the topics might matter but it turns out it was read time that is making all decisions.

Read length affects your writing

Read over 30 seconds counts as a read and no other information was given after the August 2023 update, which none will look at again.

What we heard was earnings will no longer be based solely on read time.

But rather an engagement with read time, but the second part was never re-mention as medium does not want the reader to be just passive.

And also do not want you to focus on or know how to calculate the earnings. Which makes us want to know even more about how to find out what makes our earnings move in such a wide range.

Just take your 2-minute post and compare it with your 4-minute post, you’ll see a lot of hints that read time is the main factor based on post-performance with similar reads and the number of people clapping on a post.

Earnings is moved more so by the read time and traffic placement is more so by engagement. (both exist just that medium not going to tell us how it was measured in terms of earnings)

Read time also attracts the same reader base and interacting has it’s correlation to it. (the read length is a moving target, that is why the algorithm is constantly tracking it and analysis it for article placement and earning record keeping)

Don’t forget read time is a form of engagement.

How has read time or length affected you as a reader and writing as a writer?

Thanks for Reading

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