Note: This article was originally published on MEDIUM .
Medium, once a beacon of artistic freedom, became a platform that intended to foster creators through the sale of good-quality inputs to readers around the world. Nevertheless, in recent years, more and more creators have been complaining that they are earning less, that the procedures of the platform are not transparent, and that they are ostracized. Without any improvement, Medium is unsolvable to the problem. Therefore, the platform is in between.
1. The Overreliance on the Subscription Model
Medium’s Partner Program links the writer’s income directly to reader engagement through paying subscribers. Although the idea of compensating creators with the members’ time spent on reading seems just and fair, still it has inevitable drawbacks. It depends too heavily on continued growth of the subscription base, which is not observed as a rule. Also, the payment scheme tends to put one group of writers in a privileged position by paying them huge amounts received from the overwhelming part of subscribers and leaving a small portion of that amount to others.
Such obstacles as the single income split comprising advertising and/or tiered membership having low popularity, on the other hand, hinder creators from making money continuously. Moreover, the platform only using one method of monetization further rubs salt in the wound.
2. Misaligned Content Priorities
Medium’s algorithms are the main ones that prefer pieces of content, or, in other words, articles that draw the attention of a wide audience, which, more often than not, results in the drying up of niches or an avalanche of in-depth pieces. Scribes, who are outdoing listicles or top topic developers with their well-considered, evidence-based articles, often do not stand out at the expense of other content on the site. This endowing of popular content deprives the creators of the fairness and seriousness, which introduces a sterilizing monotony to the reading experience.
The division of the publisher’s time equitably between all user sectors and the provision of high-quality services over quantity is the only way to avoid the company unintentionally sifting out the creators focusing on originality and thoroughness of their pieces. The platform should be set up to be able to have specific requests or the personalized robot systems, like in the case of Amazon, that in recent days recompensate by giving home-web content the growth they crave.
3. Insufficient Writer Support
The all-time complaint for the writers is the lack of communication and transparency from the management side of Medium. That the implementation of policies, an update of the algorithm, and the setting of the payment are very technical matters that are very involved, oftentimes being handed off to the public with minimal to no explanation, thus their creators are, thus their creators are frustrated. Now, let’s just remember, they are to be blamed for the sluggishness of the earnings”, as almost in no means at all are they to be pointed out over the cause that lies behind their poor efforts to make money.
In order to harness customer faithfulness, Medium has to construct regular paths where writers can leave their feedback and data visualization that removes the cloud of uncertainty and confusion over the earnings process.
4. Reader Fatigue and Platform Saturation
As the Medium library keeps enlarging, the problem of reader fatigue arises with the avalanche of the content. This oversaturation can result in the individual authors becoming less visible, especially in the case of new ones or those who do not have a huge following. Plus, the exclusivity of the subscriber-only content reduces the potential audience, which could be one of the reasons for the casual readers not engaging with the platform.
Hybrid models that combine free and premium content can be a solution for Medium to get more attention and keep a larger audience. What is more, it may bring about fair opportunities for writers to present their work properly.
5. Competitive Pressure
The creator economy is very dynamic now, and platforms like Substack, Patreon, and Ko-fi are giving the writer more freedom to set their working conditions and take the profit. One of the main platforms through which writers can get paid on Medium, writer subscriptions, which are direct and integrated advertising, are still wanting for a long period of time, so the platform can’t keep up with the competition while the rest do these now.
The reluctance of the platform to change alongside its opponents is one of the biggest problems; many writers are leaving for new platforms. The platform will be losing its writers, its most valuable asset, unless it starts innovating.
Steps Medium Should Take
If Medium wants to be in the good books with all the authors again, it has to bring about changes that will be significant:
Expand Monetization Options:
Release functions such as ad revenue sharing, tipping systems, and customizable subscription tiers to bring about writers’ empowerment.
Increase Algorithm Transparency:
Explain how the content is filtered, rated, and possibly which kinds are profitable to ensure that quality writing is rewarded.
Improve Audience Engagement Tools:
Provide writers with the most advanced analytics, mailing list integrations, and community-building resources.
Long-term sustainability:
It should be a central target. Look at different sources of revenue rather than just counting on subscribers for the operation of the platform.
Properly build an equitable environment:
Encourage the production of the content from all corners of the earth by awards or any other mechanism, as well as the fostering of originality.
Conclusion
Because of the company’s inability to solve its financial problems, they are seeing poor results. This is due to the fact that they resorted to traditional methods and lacked the ability to change. Still, there is hope for the platform, but the speed at which it can incorporate much-needed changes will determine its fate. Different platforms should be explored by writers to realize multiple income streams and get big companies not to hamper their creativity as well as devalue them.
Definitely consider whether the steps Medium takes will finally accept their challenge, and the community will obtain the platforms they actually deserve. Thus, it’s uncertain whether Medium makes that move.
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