Guessing algorithms is a fools errand I'm afraid. I had done it for years with Google and SEO.

On Medium, I had an old story go viral in September.

It was actually only the 3rd story I had ever published on the platform and it was a dud when I first published it. I had written it off and then in September it took off.

It took off coincidentally, at the time when I decided to get super engaging on the platform.

But in all honesty, although engagement is great and if I don't have anything I want to publish, I'll go all in on engaging.

However, I don't think it had much to do with the article going viral.

Other than that, peaks and valley's but I do believe over time if you publish regularly and engage a lot and meaningfully, it does make a difference over time....

That and going over the data that Medium provides for your articles as well as others that seem to be doing well in the platform.

Dissecting it, then writing on topics that seem to hit it.

Not only on my own but, looking at others and if I have a similar experience or my own angle, I'll write about that...

Medium is great, and I'm hoping to use it along with my own website's and a couple of social media platforms in building my own ecosystem. Haven't drunk the "Substack Kool-aid" yet though....

Sorry for the ramble and going off on the tangent.

Hope you find it useful))

Thanks for sharing Susan!

P. S. Just an afterthought, but Medium really needs to force these "grandfathered" non-paying members to actually start paying. I was shocked when I found out that it seems most members are actually "non-paying" WTF!

It's ironic that they have a "FOM" program while at the same time the majority of their members are non-paying!

I mean, what purpose do non-paying members serve paying members by feeding off from the trough?

I have yet to see any content from any creator here that deserves to be earning without paying into the system that's feeding them, have you?