How to Increase Your Earnings on Vocal Media and Other Platforms

Do you check your Vocal Media earnings all the time? Are you constantly racking your brains about how to boost your earnings on the platform? I get it. The truth is, if you focus on money and nothing else, you’ll be very disappointed.

Here’s what I recommend:

✅ Focus on value

I know, that dreaded word again. Value.

Don’t get it twisted, you don’t always have to teach people something to add value. What do I mean by this?

You don’t have to focus on “How to articles” to gain traction and attract readers, although this does help, there are several ways to add value.

Here are some examples:

Entertain

Life is tough, and content that entertains is really powerful. Therefore, if you can add some humor to your articles to entertain and make people laugh, you’re doing God’s work. Seriously, we all need some laughter in our lives. So don’t hesitate to inject some funny anecdotes into your articles here and there.

Inspire

I love to read inspirational stories about triumph over adversity, or challenge pieces where writers or bloggers challenge themselves to earn a certain amount of money, or write a specific amount of articles in a specified time. For example, I’m doing a 100 article challenge in 30 days, and it’s been tough, but judging by the comments on the piece, people are inspired by my challenge.

One simple, but effective way to add some inspiration into your articles is to take a famous inspirational quote and create a whole piece around that quote.

Encourage critical thinking

Create some content that encourages critical thinking, here are some title examples:

Don't Just Believe It: Examining the Evidence for [Controversial Claim]. (Stresses the importance of evidence-based reasoning)

The Illusion of Choice: Are We Truly in Control of Our Decisions About [Consumer Product/Social Trend]? (Questions autonomy and influence)

Why "Common Sense" Isn't Always Correct: Rethinking [Everyday Belief]. (Challenges reliance on unexamined assumptions)

The Price of Certainty: Why Embracing Nuance is Crucial in Understanding [Complex Topic]. (Highlights the dangers of oversimplification)

These are some examples of titles that will get your audience thinking. The goal for these articles is to encourage engagement. The more engagement, the better.

Don’t Ignore Comments

Always respond to comments and engage with your audience. This is a mistake that many top writers make; they ignore comments because they “don’t have time” to respond. This is the worst thing you could do as a creator; it’s vital that you take the time to engage and connect with your audience. Yes, you’ll make more money over time by doing this, but you’ll also build a loyal community, foster meaningful conversations, and gain invaluable insights that can further shape your work and deepen your connection with the people who appreciate it.

Don’t Ignore SEO

Don’t ignore Search Engine Optimization if you want to make more money on Vocal or any other platform. It sounds complicated, but you don’t have to be an SEO expert to reap the rewards; even understanding a few basic principles can significantly increase the visibility of your articles, driving more organic traffic to your work and ultimately boosting your earnings potential.

Keyword Research is Key: Before you even start writing, think about what terms people might search for to find your article. Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner or even just the platform's search bar to get ideas. Incorporate these relevant keywords naturally within your title, headings, subheadings, and throughout your article. For example, if you're writing about your favorite hiking spots in Dubai, you might include keywords like "best hikes Dubai," "hiking trails UAE," or "adventure in Dubai mountains."

Compelling Titles and Meta Descriptions: Your title is the first thing people see in search results. Make it engaging and include your primary keyword. Many platforms, including Vocal, allow you to set a meta description (the short snippet of text under the title in search results). This should further entice readers to click by summarizing the article's value proposition. Think of it as a mini-advertisement for your content.

Optimize Your Introduction: Search engines often place more weight on the first paragraph or two of your article. Make sure to naturally weave in your main keywords early on to signal to search engines what your content is about. Don't stuff keywords, though; focus on clear and engaging writing.

Internal and External Linking: Link to your other relevant articles on the platform (internal linking) to keep readers engaged and signal topical authority to search engines. If you're referencing external sources, link to high-quality, authoritative websites (external linking). This can enhance the credibility of your content.

Optimize Images: When you upload images, make sure to give them descriptive file names (e.g., "dubai-mountain-hiking-trail.jpg" instead of "IMG001.jpg"). Also, utilize the "alt text" field to describe the image using relevant keywords. This helps search engines understand the visual content.

Promote Your Content: While not directly SEO on the platform itself, sharing your Vocal articles on other social media platforms and websites can increase their visibility and potentially lead to more backlinks, which can indirectly improve their search ranking.

Analyze and Adapt: Pay attention to your Vocal statistics. See which articles are performing well and try to understand why. Look at your traffic sources. This data can help you refine your content strategy and SEO efforts over time.

Write from the soul

I love evergreen, helpful content; however, I also like to write from the soul. So, I mix it up by posting some evergreen content and some passion-fueled and creative pieces. Sometimes, I write about my life experiences and what I’m going through at the time. Relatable, vulnerable content helps connect with readers on a deeper level and allows for a more authentic expression of myself.

Challenge yourself

Right now, I’m doing a 100-article challenge on Vocal; my goal is to complete 100 articles in 30 days. It’s day 20 as I write this, and this is article 29. I’m behind on the challenge; however, I’m determined to achieve my goal. I’m doing this challenge to pull myself out of a creative rut; however, I also want to inspire people to challenge themselves beyond their comfort zones and discover the incredible potential they possess when they push their boundaries.

In conclusion, while the desire to boost earnings on platforms like Vocal Media is understandable, a singular focus on monetary gain can lead to disappointment.

The more effective approach lies in prioritizing value creation through entertaining, inspiring, and thought-provoking content. Furthermore, actively engaging with the audience through comments and optimizing content for search engines are crucial steps in building a loyal readership and increasing visibility.

Ultimately, a balanced strategy that combines helpful, evergreen content with authentic, soul-driven pieces, alongside consistent self-challenge, fosters a deeper connection with readers and paves a more sustainable path towards growth and potential earnings.