You might be doing it wrong.

Already, I can hear you saying 'We have enough of these posts, we don't need more...'
I constantly get these questions on Discord so I have some points to make, and I feel like making them.
So, here I am.

These are some fun thoughts about improving the general quality of the network overall. Many of them are re-hashed from common topics, but I still feel they bear repeating.

Reasons your post failed to gain any traction or earn rewards:

You mistakenly believed your follower count actually represented a 'following'.

You incorrectly used the wrong tags or weak ones, when more relevant and viewed ones were available.

You failed to find a niche to consistently post in, so that people knew where to find you.

You aimed too high with your expectations of what a post should make.

You mistakenly believed your content was something that was actually good or value-added.

So, here is what you should do:

1 - Go find a community and make friends. They will be the start of your following.
2 - Look through the tags and find the places where you might be able to post that are going to be noticed. (Consider this post.)
3 - Realize your style and what niche you want to fill in the network and focus on that. Also, set yourself a schedule for posting.
4 - Understand that you won't be making rewards in any real quantity until you have mastered Steps 1, 2, and 3.
5 - Look at ways to improve your content, formatting, writing skills, and understanding of your audience.

which should all lead to...

6 - Profit? (More likely just enjoyment with a touch of bonus income.)

Bonus tips for when you are trying to be social and make a start on your following:

Asking for an upvote for any reason is the equivalent of asking for money on the street while sitting in front of an employment agency. You should just turn around, commit to using the tools right in front of you, and get more reward for your effort.
There are lots of different types of people out there. Learn how you interact with each type and find common ground. I have gained more value from this entire SteemIt thing in meeting people than I ever will from the reward-pool.

Also, a side note about followers/following:

I regularly remove people from my follows because their content is going downhill over time, and no longer adding value in my already crowded feed.

and so I tell myself:

I don't want to be that person in the feeds of those who follow me.

What other points would you make? Did I miss anything?

Thanks.

Proud member and supporter of the minnow support project - brought to you by @aggroed, @ausbitbank, @teamsteem, and @canadian-coconut

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