Summary

The article emphasizes that on Medium, a drop in views does not directly translate to a decrease in earnings, as views from comments do not contribute to revenue, and consistent publishing of paywalled content is more impactful on earnings.

Abstract

The author of the article discusses a common misconception among Medium writers: the belief that a decline in views equates to lower earnings. The author points out that while views might decrease during periods of inactivity, such as when the author is on holiday, this does not necessarily lead to a reduction in earnings. This is because comments, which are counted as 'stories' in Medium stats, do not generate income. The author shares personal experiences where earnings increased despite their absence, attributing this to the virality of certain paywalled stories. The article suggests that engagement on the platform has a weaker correlation with earnings than consistent publishing. It also advises writers not to overemphasize their Medium stats and to engage on the platform in ways that are enjoyable rather than obsessing over metrics.

Opinions

The author believes that the number of views on Medium is not a reliable indicator of earnings, as views can be inflated by non-earning activities like commenting.
It is opined that a temporary absence from the platform does not significantly impact earnings, as long as paywalled content continues to be published.
The author suggests that engagement, while important, has a law of diminishing returns and should not consume all of a writer's time.
There is a notion that comments can lead to extra views, but this engagement does not directly translate to higher earnings.
The author asserts that consistent publishing is directly related to earnings and is more important than constant engagement through comments.
The article implies that writers should not take their Medium stats too seriously and should focus on the quality of their content and the joy of engaging with the community.

Views Do Not Necessarily Equate To Earnings

A common misconception

It’s easy to get drawn into checking our stats regularly. Some people worry about their views plummeting if they stop engaging on Medium for a while, but actually, the views are not that important. Fewer views doesn’t necessarily equate to lower earnings.

When I go away for a few days and I’m not online, my views usually sink. This happens even though I’ve scheduled paywalled stories to publish every day in my absence.

So why are views down when I’m not here? Is it really because everyone’s reading reciprocally and boycotting me because I’m on holiday?

I don’t think so. Not for a few days absence. Longer periods may result in people forgetting I exist, of course!

In my opinion, views fall during periods of absence because comments are counted as ‘stories’ on Medium stats. When I don’t leave any comments for a few days, my views will be down because I’ve not published as many ‘stories’ (e.g. comments) as I usually do.

Comments don’t earn, so the downturn in views won’t necessarily be reflected in my earnings.

Yes, we all know that good engagement can drive extra views to our paywalled stories. So, there is a correlation, but it’s a relatively weak correlation.

More views don’t necessarily equate to more earnings. Engagement might just remind people that you’re still here and still publishing. And of course, it can be fun.

A viral story

When I went away for a week in August, a paywalled story went slightly viral, and my earnings went up, despite a lack of comments from yours truly who was sunning herself on the beach at the time.

This has happened twice now. It seems that my presence in the comments has relatively little impact on earnings, compared to consistent publishing, which obviously *is* directly related to earnings.

So don’t take your Medium stats too seriously. You can only earn from comments if they’re so fantastic that people go and check out your paywalled stories.

If you comment on 100 stories a day, then take a break, of course your views will drop. But it won’t necessarily mean your earnings on paywalled stories drop, especially if you continue to publish daily. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. I suspect the difference is minimal.

Cause and effect

I’ve tried to analyse the relationship between views and earnings before. It’s notable that some people have much higher views than me in their monthly stats, but when you dig deeper, even though their stats looks good, they often don’t earn anymore than I do.

Views are skewed because people are reading all those comments.

It seems to me that there’s a law of diminishing returns on engagement. It’s a good idea to try and connect with lots of other writers and be a contributing part of the community, but there’s no need to spend all day being reciprocal unless you want to. Because how many of us have that much time!?

Engagement is what makes Medium so unique and addictive. I love it, but we all have other demands. Use your time in ways you enjoy, and chill about those stats.

Now you can argue with me in the comments. 😆