Last Week I Made $1,500 Worth of Cryptocurrency Blogging on Steemit...

How did this happen?

Before I answer that question, I want to make an important point: Steemit isn't just about the money. For more on that, see this post from 10 months ago: The Currency of Steemit Isn't Steem Power, STEEM, or SBD. I still feel the same way today. Earning crypto through blogging is just the hook. Ideally, it adds just a little bit extra to your existing intrinsic motivations to consistently write worthwhile content.

To answer the "How did you do that?" question, I'm going to attempt to cover all the aspects (as I perceive them) of how I got here.

I enjoy engaging conversations online more than watching TV. That gives me a lot of time for building relationships and engaging in comments. This has helped me build a following of over 1,300 users and explains why I've posted over 5,200 times (that includes comments).
I work for myself from home. I make my own hours. This gives me flexibility to stay engaged in dialogue when I feel like it. I recognize most people don't have this luxury. With no commute, I have more time to read posts, write comments, and work on my own posts.
My first blog post on my blogger account was on November 3rd, 2004. That means I've been blogging for almost 13 years! That's a really long time. I'd say for more than a decade of that time, not many people paid much attention to what I wrote. It takes time to learn a skill and blogging is a skill, like anything else.
I write what I'm passionate about, things I would share with a friend if we were to get together for a meal. It just so happens that I'm currently excited about things like cryptocurrency (since the beginning of 2013), voluntaryism/anarchy, philosophy, and more. Many of these topics are popular here and receive votes from early adopters who often have the most influence. As a programmer, things which interest me often interest other programmers and many of the early adopters are technical people.
I know how to write HTML and Markdown to format my posts as I want them. I've also learned how to use the styles specific to steemit like pull-right and pull-left. I now how to format and resize images as needed with tools like https://pixlr.com/editor/ and how to find free-to-use images on sites like https://pixabay.com/.
I post because I enjoy it, and I think that comes through in my writing. Creative activities are hindered by external motivations but do well with intrinsic motivations. I'm not just here for the rewards and continued posting even when there was very little in the rewards pool. I've also tested myself on this numerous times.
I don't get discouraged. I understand the problem with expectations and how Steemit is currently a lottery, not a rational, even, or fair distribution system. This will change a bit in the next hardfork as they change the rewards curve to be more linear. Part of not getting discouraged is not letting downvotes/flags bother you too much. What you see on a post before it pays out is just a potential payout, still open for change as people vote up or down. Many of my posts look great right up until before they payout, at which point berniesanders and the accounts he controls flags them. He's called me a pretentious douchebag and disagrees with the rewards I get so he flags most of them at the last moment which is currently part of a 12-hour lockout period before payouts where downvotes count but upvotes do not (meaning if another whale disagrees with him and wishes to counter-act his downvote with an upvote, they can't). I was curious, so I took a screenshot recently and compared it to after the downvotes. On four flagged posts, the total rewards went down over $500 (from around $800 to $300, down over 250%). For most people, that would be really discouraging. I choose to stay encouraged. From the comments on this post, my followers don't seem to think I'm taking too much of the rewards pool, so I'm not too concerned with one person's perspective.
I regularly link to my existing content, both on social media like Facebook and Twitter, but also in my comments and posts on Steemit. I think I have a pretty good handle on what makes for a good reputation around here, and I do my best not to spam other people's walls with my comments or beg for votes, resteems, or followers. If I have a post I think will add value to someone else's discussion, I'll build an un-obtrusive link in HTML to link out to my post, but only if it adds value. If people are thanking me for linking to my content, I know I'm doing it the right way. It not only adds value to that discussion but can lead to new followers who get to read more of my content in order to decide if I'm worth following.
I understand, without followers, few will see my posts. Sometimes I see people on Steemit posting away and confused as to why no one is responding to or voting up their content. On any social media site, you have to build a following or you'll be posting to no one. Building a following involves patience, time, consistency, great content, and lots of meaningful comments and engagement with others. I've been doing this on Facebook and Twitter for quite some time already, so it's not a new skill for me. For some, this is a new skill and they should not expect the same results as those who have spent hours and hours, year after year involved in the process.
It's $1,500 in value because, at the time I did the calculation, SBD were almost at $2 each and STEEM was above $1. When SBD were a $1 and STEEM was around $0.15, this would be less exciting. For me, though, I'm not as interested in earning USD value today as I am in earning cryptocurrency which I believe will have much more purchasing power in the future.
I like to figure things out. I'm willing to take risks, fail, and try again. I'm not usually asking other people for help on things I can figure out on my own because I know there's great value in the researching process. I know it takes time and effort to really understand something. If someone just hands me the answer, I will not have learned via the process of finding that answer myself.
I've invested real money into this platform to increase my Steem Power. This means my votes matter, and I have influence on this platform. I get to adjust the conversation flow by voting up comments I like which gets peoples' attention and can lead to new readers.
I've been lucky (take that, 13!). I know I've been added to some bots which vote up my content without reading it. I've tested this myself to see how many votes are automated. Some take issue with bot votes, but I also see the value of supporting authors who consistently bring valuable content to the platform. I'm thankful some agree with me and support me. Yes, it's possible they are only supporting me for curation rewards. Maybe that's their reward for having high Steem Power.

Whew! I think that about covers it. This certainly isn't "free money" because I've been posting and commenting, on average, around 15 times every single day for about 11 months. Some might call that work.

I hope this post was helpful to those who are wanting to get more involved in Steemit.

Do you have anything to add which has helped you be successful here?

Posts Referenced:

Luke Stokes is a father, husband, business owner, programmer, voluntaryist, and blockchain enthusiast. He wants to help create a world we all want to live in.

Last Week I Made $1,500 Worth of Cryptocurrency Blogging on Steemit. Here's How.