In the last several months I have had so many people contact me asking for advice on Steemit, both friends and strangers. Those who have followed us since the beginning (like @lensessions and many others) know that our hike to where we are on the Steemit mountain has been a long one to say the least. As I spent two days compiling my entire history of posts on Steemit, I was left with 34 pages and a dumbfounded feeling; I hadn’t realized I produced that much.
So I’ll admit I’ve been kind of cold to some on the topic of this stuff...partially just cause I’m getting a bit weary(and more than a bit awkward). As I become more well known I find it sincerely interesting how I respond to these sorts of requests. It’s almost always the way it’s worded that determines my reply, if there is one. I’ll admit I feel guilty for not being more forthcoming, but I’m often not sure how to respond to even the sincere requests for help with Steemit success.
But frankly most of these requests are not sincere, they are borderline spam at times. Upvote for upvote. Hey, please follow me I followed you. So many comments that have nothing to do with the post and other things of that nature.
But this isn’t to complain, my point is to give a general...crash course in the basic stuff you need to be basically a blogger of value in general but especially here on Steemit, where you have the potential to be paid for your content like I have for about a year now. This whole thing has been a learning experience for me on how to go about providing the most value for both me and others. I’ve got a bit of a list my 7 major tips for Steemit success and happiness.
- Do basic research into Steemit and the community as it stands today. By that I mean get an understanding of what it is and somewhat how it works so you know how best to interact with the growing ecosystem that is Steemit.com. You don’t have to read the whitepaper but understand that it’s a stake based system and what that means, among other basic concepts that will make your experience here a lot smoother.
2)Understand it’s not just about pumping out posts and promoting the shit out of them wherever you can. Consider what it is you’re trying to communicate to the world as that is the end result of this thing at the end of the day. I generally only share to related channels to make it so I have an easier time finding my audience. The magic in this place is that these posts are saved on the Steem blockchain. I’ve shared just about all the parts of my life for this past year and now I realize I have a blockchain verified account of not just my life, but all of our pursuits since getting here including my glassblowing career. Write about and share what you live, in one way or another, and you’ll have success here.
Upvote for upvote in any form is not an adequate means to get upvotes from the people that matter, that is, those who can make your dollar total creep up on your posts. I personally am disappointed every time people ask for upvotes or follows without some other sort of engagement than maybe a “i like this and followed you please follow and upvote me”. Now, I’ve had plenty of (clever) people comment and really engage me (even with a linkdrop, often relevant!) to the point where they received a follow and often continued support. I have NO issue with that. I don’t however like it when people I don’t know make comments irrelevant to the post to get attention. That’s not what we want here, I want to know what you actually think of the post, my photos or me in the comments!
Learn formatting. This is something I have struggled with. This is my Steemit demon to put it lightly. I am known for crappy formatting although no one has ever come out and said it directly. I have had people gently prod me though with it and I see their point. So to a Steemit newbie, try mastering good content as well as pretty format because it will make people want to stay on your post more. I have had whales comment on my posts telling me that they would upvote me with more weight if I formatted my posts better in the pasts. It’s a good idea: don’t put it off like I did.
Find your niche. What makes you unique? What do you like to do? The way to gain traction is to have something to offer that people don’t currently have. Or do it slightly differently. Just create and innovate and share it and there’ll probably be someone out there with interest, as I’ve found. I started with posting just our story, which was to say the least extremely tough and heavy although very entertaining. In an effort to lighten the mood we started sharing about our lives here in Mexico, gardening and food. Turns out you all like those things just as much, so I get to share everything! If you’re a Jill of all trades like me, start sharing!
Get involved in the most meaningful way possible. Upvote posts that you find most valuable, even limit the power of upvotes. How you vote determines what content is posted on this website. Everytime you upvote my cloud posts, you encourage us to take more of those photos. Everytime one of my recipes does well, I go all out for another post. This is how we encourage growth but we must be selective because your voting power is limited, especially as a new person. Also comments, especially the long ones where you share your experiences are what writers live for. I love hearing about 13 year old chickens and mom’s dosing their kids with kombucha. Comments from those interested in coming here are my favorite a lot of the time as they can be some of the most HEARTFELT responses I have received.
Be consistent. Consider that for me personally Steemit is and basically has been a full time job for a long time. Much of my day is consumed with taking photos (granted of my daily life, that I share here, which is pretty cool) and organizing and preparing them for posts to share with all of you. To do this correctly takes time and daily consistency. I notice drops in payouts after even one day of not posting, although not by much. Find out what people want from you and start providing it. I use it as motivation to keep up on my projects, as I know for a fact there are many real people following my story out there.
I’ve said before I both love and hate the responses I get online and that rings true, but it doesn’t have to be this way! I understand the desire for success and attention, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t doing all of this for attention. I will say that I don’t think the best route is begging for such attention, but I care enough to say something because I want you to experience success too! Chances are you’re already interesting enough, just engage people! Tell them your thoughts and experiences and you will have a lot of fun here.
I’d like to see a rise in valuable content from regular people living their lives and doing interesting stuff. I’d like to see more engaging comments that leave me excited, typing several paragraphs in response. I’ve gotten pretty excited when even minnows have posted posts in response to me or something I’ve posted, that’s the kind of linkdrop I like to see too! I will always respond to those that engage me, so do so if you want that follow or upvote!
To those who have been following me and engaging me already, THANK YOU. You’re the people that keep me posting. Keep it up!
Steem on!
Check out some of my other recent posts!
Adventures Around Acapulco: Beach in the Middle of the Bay 2
Adventures Around Acapulco: Beach in the Middle of the Bay 1
Lily's Kombucha Upgrades: Shelf and a few Giant Jars
