I Earned 200X More on Medium Than on YouTube

6 MONTHS ON MEDIUM vs 13 MONTHS ON YOUTUBE

I learned the hard way and how you can avoid it too.

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

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It’s easier to make money on Medium than YouTube — Here’s why.

I have been on YouTube for the last 13 years, making videos.

Starting with pure entertainment and travel videos and moving to serious gadget reviews.

Just imagine that 13 years ago, making YouTube videos was more challenging than using smartphones today.

Editing is becoming so simple and easy to include any special effects.

Producing videos has changed, and the competition to get eyeballs is becoming more challenging.

Just take a look at some of the videos (the old ones) which was created more than ten years ago:

1 — First video, “How to reduce PDF file size using Mac OS Preview,” 13 years ago.

How to reduce PDF file size using Mac OS Preview

2 — First appeared on TV when iPad was introduced “Segmen Gizmo TV9 — iPad

Segmen Gizmo TV9 — iPad

3 — Then, I started to create travel videos — “A Walk from from Dubai Creek to Riviera Hotel — (with Fireworks Song)

A Walk from from Dubai Creek to Riviera Hotel — (with Fireworks Song)

4 — I also love to review the unboxing of items I purchased, such as “Review — Portable Muzetto from Waterfield Designs (for iPad and iPad Mini)

Review — Portable Muzetto from Waterfield Designs (for iPad and iPad Mini)

5 — Later, I started to use some editing techniques and introduced a new segment on gadget review such as “[How-To] — To Improve YouTube Quality Using Sony Wireless Bluetooth Microphone ECM-AW3

[How-To] — To Improve YouTube Quality Using Sony Wireless Bluetooth Microphone ECM-AW3

6 — Lately, I began to get more comfortable recording myself talking in front of a camera, such as giving some tips “Tip Startup #9 — Rahsia Mendapat Tontonan Video Yang Tinggi di Facebook

Tip Startup #9 — Rahsia Mendapat Tontonan Video Yang Tinggi di Facebook

I have created over 292 YouTube videos but only got a measly 583 subscribers.

My Gadget Channel

However, to monetize my YouTube channel, I have to comply with YouTube’s policy: “Users must have watched your content for at least 4,000 hours over the past 12 months. You need at least 1,000 subscribers,” which is impossible to achieve.

Overall — I earned zero cents from YouTube (for the last 13 years!)

Compared to Medium, when I joined the Medium Partner Program and started to write stories seriously, I saw a big difference in the earnings.

6 months earnings stats (Author)

That’s a total of $202.42! 200 times more than YouTube!


Here’s what I learned when trying to earn money from Social Media.

1—Monetizing on YouTube is not easy. It takes a lot of effort and consistency.
2—Enjoy the moment! Don’t get frustrated if your YouTube channel doesn’t gain much traction. Just capture the moments of your life or share your stories.
3—Focus on your strengths and find the right platform. The Medium platform is suitable for writers who are good at writing.
4—Pivot if you can’t gain the proper traction. Don’t wait too long to see your efforts go down the drain. Please find a new platform when one doesn’t favor you.


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You can also follow my Medium Publications:

I have also published several eBooks, such as:

My Path to Monetization on Medium

Breaking Through the Noise: How I Carved My Niche in the Content Chaos

Every Like, Comment, and Share: The Story of My Digital Pursuit

Try everything on Social Media. Photo from Unsplash.

Everyone seems to be chasing the elusive dream of turning their online presence into gold.

That’s been me for the longest time, hopping from one social media platform to another, pouring my heart and soul into content creation, only to watch the numbers crawl.

Here’s my tale of digital hustle, occasional despair, and a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel.

Start with YouTube

It all began with YouTube, the holy grail of video content.

I thought, “Hey, I have ideas, I can be engaging, let’s give this a shot.

So, I dived headfirst into the world of video making, learning the ropes of editing, scripting, and whatnot.

I imagined myself as the next big thing, with viewers hanging onto my every word, my every video.

Reality hit hard.

Despite the hours, days, and weeks I invested, my videos languished in obscurity.

The views were meager, the subscriber count dismal. Monetizing?

Ha, that was a distant dream.

YouTube, it seemed, was not my golden ticket.

Pivot to Instagram, Facebook and X

Undeterred, I pivoted to Instagram, Facebook, and the mysterious ‘X’. “Different platforms, different strategies,” I told myself.

I crafted posts, curated images, and waited for the magic to happen.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

My content was, apparently, a drop in the vast ocean of digital noise. I wasn’t influencing, engaging, or monetizing anything.

How about TikTok?

Then came TikTok, my unexpected beacon of light.

Finally, my follower count ticked up, and my videos gained traction.

But here’s the kicker — I had no clue how to convert that attention into cash.

Selling products on TikTok Live? Not my cup of tea.

I was content with the likes and shares, but they didn’t pay the bills.

Trying out Pinterest

Pinterest was next on my list. “Visual appeal,” they said. “It’s all the rage.

So, I pinned. I pinned photos, videos, infographics — you name it. The result?

A resounding meh. My pins floated aimlessly in the vast sea of better, brighter content.

Merchandise here I come!

Redbubble offered a glimmer of hope. “Turn your creativity into merchandise!” they proclaimed.

So, I did. I designed, uploaded, and… waited.

A sale here, a sale there, but nothing to write home about.

My earnings were laughable, barely enough to buy a cup of coffee.

Time for Affiliate Marketing!

Amazon affiliate marketing was another venture that promised much but delivered little.

I linked, I promoted, I anticipated.

Alas, the commissions were as elusive as ever. My dreams of passive income remained just that — dreams.

Then, almost as a last resort, I stumbled upon Medium.

A platform for writers, they said. “Share your stories, your insights, your voice.

So, with a cautious optimism, I began to write.

And what do you know?

People read. They clapped. They commented.

My articles, my thoughts, laid bare for the world to see, and they resonated.

Medium became my haven, my niche.

I discovered I could earn, albeit modestly, from my writing.

Each article contributed a few cents, sometimes dollars, to my account.

It wasn’t a fortune, but it was something tangible, a validation of my efforts.

Buoyed by this newfound success, I ventured further.

I promoted my eBooks on Medium, connecting with an audience keen on my content, my style.

Gumroad became my ally, a platform where my digital books found readers and, yes, buyers.

Reflecting on this journey, I’ve learned that the digital world is fickle, unpredictable.

Success on social media is a blend of talent, timing, and sheer luck.

For years, I chased the dream across various platforms, only to find my footing in a space that valued substance over style, quality over quantity.

Now, as I pen my thoughts on Medium, earn enough to indulge in a coffee, or cover my commute toll, I realize that success isn’t just about the numbers or the dollars.

It’s about finding your voice, your audience, and, importantly, your satisfaction in the content you create.

So, to all the digital wanderers out there, my advice?

Keep exploring, keep creating.

Your Medium might just be around the corner, waiting for you to make your mark.

And who knows?

That mark might just turn into your morning coffee, one word at a time.