At Medium, we believe that high-quality content deserves to be rewarded. That’s why we’ve developed a metered paywall system that ensures our writers are compensated for their hard work. But how does this system work, exactly?
When you visit Medium as a non-paying member, you may encounter our metered paywall. This means that you can read a limited number of stories for free each month before being prompted to become a member. As a member, you’ll have unlimited access to all of our content, and you’ll be supporting the writers who produce it. But how do we determine which stories are eligible to earn money?
Understanding Medium
Medium is an online publishing platform where writers can share their stories with readers all over the world. It is a platform that allows writers to reach a large audience and build a following. At the same time, readers can discover new content and engage with writers they like.
One of the key features of Medium is its metered paywall. This is a system that allows readers to access a limited number of articles for free each month. Once they reach their limit, they are prompted to become a Medium member to continue reading.
As writers, we can choose to publish our stories behind the paywall or make them available for free. If we choose to publish behind the paywall, we can earn money based on the engagement our stories receive.
To make our stories eligible for the paywall, we need to make sure we check the “Meter your story” checkbox when publishing. We can also check the paywall status of our stories by looking for the star icon at the top of the page.
Overall, Medium’s metered paywall is a way for writers to earn money while providing readers with high-quality content. It’s a win-win situation that benefits both writers and readers.
Concept of Metered Paywall
Definition
At Medium, we believe in providing high-quality content to our readers. However, we also understand that not everyone is willing to pay for a subscription to access our content. This is where our metered paywall comes in.
A metered paywall is a system that allows non-paying members to access a limited number of articles per month before they are prompted to subscribe. In other words, we give our readers a taste of what we have to offer, but if they want more, they need to pay for it.
Function
Our metered paywall functions by tracking the number of articles a reader has accessed in a given month. Once they have reached their limit, they are prompted to subscribe to continue reading. This system allows us to provide a fair balance between free access and paid subscriptions.
We believe that our metered paywall benefits both our readers and our writers. It allows readers to get a sense of the quality of our content before committing to a subscription, and it allows our writers to get paid for their work while still reaching a wide audience.
In summary, our metered paywall is a key part of our system for providing high-quality content to our readers while also ensuring that our writers are compensated for their work.
How Medium’s Metered Paywall Works
User Experience
At Medium, we believe in providing high-quality content to our readers. We also believe in compensating our writers for their hard work. That’s why we have a metered paywall that allows readers to access a limited number of articles for free each month.
When you visit Medium as a non-paying member, you can read up to three stories per month for free. After that, you will see a message asking you to become a member to continue reading. As a paying member, you will have unlimited access to all of our stories.
We also have a “friend link” feature that allows paying members to share their stories with non-paying members. This means that if you receive a friend link from a paying member, you can read their story for free even if you’ve already hit your monthly limit.
Content Access
Our metered paywall only applies to certain types of content. We don’t want to restrict access to everything, so we’ve chosen to limit access to our premium content. This includes stories that are behind the paywall, as well as audio versions of our stories.
However, there are some types of content that are always free to access. This includes our publications, which are curated collections of stories on specific topics. We also have a selection of free stories that are available to everyone.
Overall, our metered paywall is designed to strike a balance between providing high-quality content to our readers and compensating our writers for their work. We believe that this system benefits everyone involved and allows us to continue producing great content for years to come.
Benefits of Medium’s Metered Paywall
At Medium, we believe in creating a sustainable platform for high-quality content. Our metered paywall is a key part of this system, providing benefits for both readers and writers.
For Readers
Our metered paywall allows readers to consume a limited number of articles for free each month before they are prompted to become a member. This means that readers can still access a variety of content without having to pay for a subscription. Additionally, our paywall helps to ensure that the content on our platform is of high quality, as writers are incentivized to produce engaging and informative pieces in order to attract readers.
For Writers
Our metered paywall benefits writers in a number of ways. First and foremost, it provides a source of revenue for their work. When readers become members, they gain access to exclusive content and are able to support the writers they enjoy reading. Additionally, our paywall helps to ensure that writers are compensated fairly for their work, as they are paid based on the engagement their content receives.
In summary, Medium’s metered paywall provides benefits for both readers and writers. It allows readers to access a variety of content for free while still ensuring that the content on our platform is of high quality. For writers, our paywall provides a source of revenue and helps to ensure that they are compensated fairly for their work.
Comparison with Other Paywalls
When it comes to paywalls, there are a variety of models that publications can choose from. Some of the most common paywall models include hard paywalls, dynamic paywalls, freemium models, and metered paywalls.
Hard paywalls are the most restrictive and require users to pay for access to any content on the site. This model can be effective for publications with a loyal following, but it can also limit the reach of the publication and turn away potential readers.
Dynamic paywalls are personalized and use data to determine which users should be shown the paywall and when. This model can be effective for publications that have a lot of data on their users, but it can also be complex to set up and maintain.
Freemium models offer some content for free and require payment for access to premium content. This model can be effective for publications that have a mix of content types, but it can also be difficult to determine which content should be free and which should be behind the paywall.
Metered paywalls, like the one used by Medium, offer users a certain number of free articles before requiring payment for continued access. This model can be effective for publications that want to balance the need for revenue with the desire to reach a wider audience. It also allows readers to sample the content before making a commitment to pay for access.
Overall, each paywall model has its own advantages and disadvantages, and publications should carefully consider their goals and audience when choosing a paywall strategy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Medium’s metered paywall is a unique system that allows readers to access a limited number of articles for free before requiring a subscription. This system is designed to encourage readers to become paying members while still allowing non-members to read a certain amount of content for free.
By implementing a metered paywall, Medium is able to provide high-quality content without relying solely on advertising revenue. This allows us to focus on creating content that is valuable to our readers, rather than content that is designed solely to generate clicks and ad impressions.
Overall, we believe that Medium’s metered paywall is a fair and effective way to provide high-quality content to our readers while still allowing us to generate revenue. We are committed to continuing to improve this system to ensure that it remains a valuable tool for both our readers and our content creators.