_{Edited from Accenture}

The first thing people ask when they join the website is "How will I earn?". Most people's reason for joining Steemit are the Rewards. Well, that's the tag line.

_Steemit.com

There are 2 things that you need in order to flourish in this platform: Quality Content & Engagement.

Between those two, I think that Engagement is the most important. Why? Let's look at it this way:

If you post quality content and you don't engage at all in the community then there's a big chance no one will pay attention to your posts yet, because you do not have a 'solid organic following'. What is that? Those are your Steemit supporters and friends. They're your readers and your commenters. A big follower count is not necessary for this one, cause even a fewer number of people following you attentively will give you more rewards than a thousand who don't even open your post.

If you engage in the community but don't have blog posts it's still possible to earn, even earn big. Take note though that you also have to provide 'quality engagement'. Simply saying 'hi' or 'good job' on someone's post doesn't cut it all the time. You have to engage honestly and provide your view on the matter or type your heart out. If you like a post, don't just tell them you like it, make your words let them feel that you really like it.

Engagement isn't about commenting only, and is not at all about earning.

Engagement is a normal thing you do on other social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. There's nothing else to do there, really. Post something and reply to every comment you get. Comment a lot on your friend's posts and photos. Like their posts is also considered as engagement, especially when you use the reactions feature.

Is it true that engagement is the key to success?

Yes and No. Yes, it is part of it, one of the main factor. No, it depends on how you engage, who you engage, and why you engage.

Have you ever seen posts that makes your browser lag behind because of too much engagement? I have. A good example is @surpassinggoogle's posts. There are times that when I open one of those, it doesn't even load. Either it's a limitation of the website or of my device. Anyways, that's more engagement than any forum I know. He's doing a good job at it. His followers are also doing a good job on their engaging habits.

_Imgur

Gauge, Engage, Enrage!

Gauge - Start looking for a post and weigh if it's worth engaging.
Engage - Make a meaningful comment.
Enrage - Don't stop replying even if the other one decides to.

I think this will be a good practice. Initiate the conversation. Pick it up if it falls. Revive it if needed. Other than an upvote, these commenters that you have are also waiting for your reply to their comment. Even a simple 'Good job' deserves a 'Thank you!'.

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Maraming Salamat!

Thank you so much!