> *Steemit seems like the wild west, no rules, no holds barred, anything goes. But nowhere is really that freestyle, think about it, even in the actual wildwest, the ecosystem had rules of its own. Mess with bears or rattlesnakes, you’re gonna have a bad time. Let your fire go out in winter, you’ll freeze your nuts off, that’s if you survive. Don’t plan ahead and you’ll run out of food, or water, or end up in Indian territory, or surrounded by wolves. Steemit’s a lot like that most days. *
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First off, the written rules, which there aren’t too many, are hard to find, and they’re constantly changing, for example, does anyone even realize the 4 post full reward limit was lifted? You can post as much as you want and get full rewards for every vote! When I first showed up, my posts, like most of yours, got no love a few cents here, a few cents there, but I could see that some guys were raking it in, doing content I figured I could compete with, so I knew there was a shot.
I’m kind of old to be hanging out here, to be honest, but it’s fun and I like to write what I want to write and not just what they’re paying me to write all the time. So, I do what old guys do, look for the instructions. I found a few things and figured out a few others on my own and now I spend a good bit of my time trying to help other people who need it get a leg up, so here’s five things you’re probably doing wrong if none of your posts has cashed out with over $20 bucks yet. Ready?
# Your Headlines Suck! #
> *Sorry to break it to you, but it matters, a lot! While I hate clickbait as much as anybody, a clickbait headline is the way to go. If you’re not asking a hot question or providing a hot answer, it better be silly or inspiring or make me feel something if you want my vote. There’s two big reasons this matters, and if you don’t get this right, nothing else will. *
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First, there’s a lot of bots on Steemit. Some are searching for something. Some are are joining in on popular posts. Either way, that headline is going to be the key to getting their attention and as much as you hate them, you need them if you want to win! Seriously, a human user might dig behind your headline to find out if its good or not, but most won’t and the bots will follow them.
Second, the human users are moving through here quickly. There’s a ton of crap posts every day and no one has time to read all of that. So, make it easy. Give them a headline they agree with, or that makes them curious to get the door open. Then, you can have a chance to show them what you’ve got, otherwise, you’ll never get that chance.
# Your featured image sucks, or worse yet, you don’t have one.
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> This one is aimed almost entirely at human users, but you have to catch their attention. It can be ugly or beautiful, high res, or grainy, but it must tell a story. That story has got to get them to read the headline and make a decision. Most votes will come from bots, or people who don’t read your article. Don’t be offended. Get their attention and get their vote. *
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You’re probably better off with multiple images throughout your article and a little bit of text formatting to match it. Make it scannable so they can get the gist without needing to read every single word and make it entertaining. Teach them, make them laugh, make them angry, but evoke a response.
# You’re Picking the Wrong Topics #
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> Sure, you may love action TV heroes of the 1950s, but unless you can give me a reason to buy into it, I don’t care. You have to find something that people are actually interested in here on steemit. One great way is to study the articles at the top of the trending and hot pages in each category. Look for things you can imitate, but not duplicate. Write or share something like it, not just a cheap knock off. *
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Topics that are hot here are related to the platform, the internet, the news, cooking, photography art, even fiction if it’s done well, can get consistent payouts, trust me, I made over $60k last year doing all of those things.
# You Don’t Have an Audience #
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> My follower count is not what it was nine months ago when I was in here everyday cranking out content, but it’s coming back around. Look at the steemers that consistently get big rewards, they almost all have bigger audience than you. Only a small percentage of those that follow you will read your stuff or upvote you, so, the more you have the better your chances. *
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To get more followers, use your vote power, and comment, comment, comment. The more you engage others in conversation, the more people will see your name around the platform and become curious. If your follower count is still under a hundred, unless you’ve attracted some whales, you’re unlikely to get any payouts over $30 or $40, even on a good day. Make some new friends.
# Your Content Needs Help #
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> While a lot of crappy writing gets rewarded here, almost all of it is readable. People need to be able to understand what you meant, even if English is not your first language. Take your time, choose your words carefully, review what you learned in high school English about writing and practice!*
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There are some great tools out there, like Hemingway, an editor that can help you improve your writing for just a few bucks. Use your spell check and grammar checkers if you have them. Don’t post crap. Sure, others are getting paid for it, but long term, the most successful steemers are those that do quality work.
**So, if you try all of this and still have issues, try something new, try a new category, topic or style. Being funny’s not working? Try dramatic, write some horror, you never what will stick, but don’t give up, after all, many of us will be millionaires, when and if this coin goes up to a $100 and beyond.
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