What Every Medium Writer Must Know: Key Takeaways from My Earnings Data
Dec 2023 vs Jan 2024
As a Medium Partner, tracking my monthly earnings provides valuable insights into what content resonates most with readers.
Comparing statistics from Dec 2023 ($27.23) to Jan 2024 ($8.26) reveals some interesting lessons on maximizing income.
Top Performing Content Differs Month to Month
In Dec 2023, my highest-earning article was
which brought in $19.57.
However, this relatively niche topic did not continue to engage readers as well into Jan.
Instead, my top earner for Jan was
— a lifestyle experiment post that earned $1.50.
This shows how audience interests can shift over time. What is viral one month may not sustain momentum the next.
Remaining aware of trending topics and timing content around them may capture more reads during a specific period.
Evergreen Subjects Can Consistently Perform
While viral content comes and goes, I’ve found evergreen themes consistently attract views over time.
For example, posts like
and
kept generating income month-to-month.
Relationships and health are universal topics people search for regardless of the time period.
Focusing my efforts on creating evergreen content around these themes can provide steady earnings.
Variety is Key for Widening Appeal
Analyzing my top posts indicates a diverse mix of content types performs best. For instance, Jan featured lifestyle experiments, relationship advice, tech reviews, and more.
This variety helped appeal to readers with different interests.
Being aware of Medium’s broad audience is key. For example, an article on applying mindfulness may resonate with the personal growth crowd.
Meanwhile, a tech gadget review attracts the geekier readers.
Having a portfolio with lifestyle stories, how-to articles, listicles and more can widen the overall reach and readers.
Compelling Headlines Make Content Clickable
When comparing my top earning posts, compelling headlines seem to play a role in their success. For instance, “Why Medium’s Holding Out on Indian Writers” piqued reader curiosity from the get-go.
Similarly, “I Quit Social Media for 30 Days: Here’s What Happened” teased an experiment many could relate to.
Headlines that create an intriguing scenario, touch upon relatable issues, or promise valuable takeaways give readers a reason to click and read more.
Spending time crafting clickbait-y yet honest headlines could help content gain traction.
Pay Attention to Trends and Timing
While evergreen content has longevity, it’s also important to stay aware of trends and publish timely posts.
For example, around the new year many readers search for topics like goal setting, reflections on the previous year, and self-improvement.
Similarly, tying content to seasonal topics or current events can boost relevance.
Simple efforts like incorporating key dates and context can make content more timely and engaging.
Analyze Metrics to Optimize Efforts
Taking time each month to study earnings reports provides valuable data to inform content efforts.
Metrics like top-earning posts, views, and reader demographics paint a picture of what resonates most.
I can then optimize my approach — tailoring headlines for clarity, developing topics aligned to reader interests, publishing a balanced mix of evergreen and trending content.
Analyzing what works and what doesn’t is key for continually improving income and engagement.
Key Takeaways
Comparing monthly data provides crucial insights into optimizing content and earnings on Medium. By tracking audience trends, timing posts accordingly, leveraging evergreen topics, crafting clickbait-y headlines, and studying metrics, I can curate content strategically to maximize reach and engagement month after month.
Medium analytics tools make it easy to identify what content topics, styles and headlines drive the most impact. As I continue partnering with Medium through 2024 and beyond, these lessons will be invaluable for sustaining a thriving publication and loyal readership.
