07 · Metrics and stop rules¶
Template: templates/weekly-numbers.md. 10 minutes every Sunday.
What to track (and where)¶
| Metric | Where | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Views and reads per story | Medium story stats | Whether the title and first lines work (reads ÷ views) |
| Member reading time, earnings | Partner Program dashboard | Whether paying members read to the end |
| Followers gained | Medium audience stats | Whether readers want more from you |
| Accepted by a publication? Boosted? | Story page, publication emails | Whether editors rate the work |
Site visits utm_source=medium |
GA4 / Plausible, by utm_campaign=<article-slug> |
Which article sends people |
| Trials / installs / signups from Medium | Store or checkout, same UTM | Which article sends buyers |
| Google clicks to the Medium story | Medium stats (external referrers) | Whether it ranks |
UTM pattern: utm_source=medium&utm_medium=article|profile|newsletter&utm_campaign=<article-slug>.
Stop and fix rules¶
- Read ratio low (most viewers don't read): the title promises something the first lines don't deliver. Rewrite the first 3 lines.
- Reads but no site visits: the last paragraph doesn't give a reason to click. Link to a page that continues the article (a free template, the exact feature), not the home page.
- Visits but no trials: the landing page doesn't match the article. Send them to the matching feature page.
- A story isn't distributed beyond your network: check it against 08: too promotional, AI writing, or link-heavy.
- 8 articles, 0 publication acceptances: your pitches are product stories. Switch to types 1–3 in 05.
- 10 weeks, under ~20 site visits from Medium in total and no follower growth: Medium isn't where your buyers read. Keep importing your blog posts with canonical links (5 minutes each) and move the writing time to your main channel.