One of the blog topics that has been beaten to death is the popular post which every upcoming blogger looks for " How To Grow A Blog" . This is not strange because in every field you find yourself you have to familarize yourself with how things work there in other to excel there
There are a lot of blogging gurus both within and outside Steemit who have taken out time to teach the upcoming generation the secrets of the trade, but most os the people who read these posts often fail to build a blog worth paying attention to
Why ?
It is because they pay to the wheels instead of looking ahead. When learning how to ride a bike you are often urged to look at where you are going instead of the front wheels of the bicycle. Looking at the wheels makes you drive in a zig zag fahsion because the moving ground makes it seem like you are not stable and you will always try to correct your path
As a result you end up driving in a zig zag fashion. When you look at the road ahead however you ride more straight because your brain is confident of where you are going
When building a blog most people focus on the methods when they should be focusing on the principles. But what are the differences between methods and principles you may ask
Principles answer the question "why" while methods answer the question answer the question "how" and "what" . Knowing the method that an expert blogger uses is not enough, you have to know why he/she is going through that route
The truth is that principles are universal but you have to create your own methods based on the stage where you currently find yourself. What works for someone with 10,000 followers might not necessary work for you that just have a 100
Different Keys For Different Doors
There is a saying that goes like this "What is good for the Goose, may not be good for the Gander".
One thing I will use to illustrate this is commenting. It is a well known fact on Steemit that Comments are a way to crerate connection with others. It is the number one driver of engagement. When most people hear this they often go on a commenting spree without sitting down to analyze how to approach commenting
Their are other underlying factors that determines the success of your commenting game. First you must only comment on posts that you read and understand, You don't just comment for the sake of it
Another important note when it comes to building relationships with comments is the person you are commenting on his blog. I tell often tell people to first check the previous posts of the person they are trying to vuild a relationship with, If the person does not appreciate and reply readers comments then don't bother making a move. People like that just post to earn and have no desire to make connections
It may sound harsh but that is the basic truth. It is more painful for some people to accept because they want to build that relationship at all cost maybe due to high Steem Power or any other reason. The truth is that most people who support me now are fellow minnows that I made friends with and we grew together and over time their votes became more and more valuable
Most people chase whales and ignore fellow minnows and dolphins like them. And know tha Steemit is a very big place. There are a lot of amazing people you can connect with. A cursory exploration of the #blog tag yesterday brought me in contact with a lot of amazing Steemians
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Instant Gratification
Another cause of this is the desire of people to see instant results. People want to get instant growth, long term does not sound sexy to them. But the truth is that long lasting things always require time to grow
The people who you are admiring right now did not build their profile overnight, they put in the work and made a name for themselves. When an influential Steemian like @papa-pepper comments on a blog post, it does not even matter if the person replies comments or not, when he/she sees the comment they will surely respond, the case might not be the same for you
This is because @papa-pepper have built his presence overtime and he already have that socail capital that commands returns.
There is no magic method or silver bullets when it comes to building presence, you have to consistently give value to be noticed. Rome was not built in a day
So when next you come in contact with a new strategy try to find out the "why" before mapping out how to approach it.Understanding the principles will make you win with time
So what are the principles that have helped you grow your blog ? Share them in the comments below
Thanks For Reading
Image Source : Pexels.com
Lovely post @ogochukwu. I used to think that saying was "what is good for the goose is also good for the gander" though I guess there's two sides to this quote to fit different scenario. But it this context, its quite true. What works for someone on steemit may not necessarily work for another person. I agree to the fact of not just trying to build connection with the whales, most times its futile as they don't even reply comments. Its easier connecting with People on the same level with you. The plus side is that as they grow, you also grow. Now talking about what has helped me grow, I would say its discord. Join communities and make your presence in them felt. Its quite easier socialising through chatting. Once again, lovely post.
@pasaift over and out.
Thanks for sharing your views and the added wisdom @pasaift
Well said sir @ogochukwu. Growing a blog is not a days' job like you said and the principles you stated in the are also correct. Another thing I also do to get more attention to my blog is trying to connect with other steemians outside the four walls of steemit. Places like twitter, and discord is very good for this. Having private conversations and discussing matters outside steemit. Helps build relationship that will last and bring positive impact to your blog. This is my own secret. Once again this is a great article you made. @jemimah - seaDragon
Thats very true @jemimah
Relationships are very Important on Steemit if you want to excel
Hey bro, its nice that I came across your post again after a long time. I think I have been the one that wasn't following and checking on you as suppose.
Regarding the topic of today, I love the bicycle illustration you used because I'm a cyclist myself and I can relate well. For my blogging strategy, it's summarized down to quality relationship with the right people.
That's what I can say for now.
Thanks for checking up on me @bania.
And yes quality relationships are Important
i think commenting has always been the key of increasing your audience here on steemit, well i also think organizing competitions and making unique thinks also increases your audience.
however not everything works for everyone as you said, we just need to find out right position
Thanks for reading @camzy
You nailed it.
Principles being the key point.
Integrity to the core!
Thanks for your input @worldclassplayer
I couldn't agree more with what you said about commenting. I so often see comments of "nice post" or something along those lines that is strictly spam. I know this isn't necessarily the type of commentor you're speaking about, but I think the two often get mentioned in the same sentence.
I think it's quite simple. In order to be successful on Steemit, you must bring value. Whether that's in your posts, or in your comments, you must bring value to the platform. That is truly the only way to succeed here.
Hello @brandonp
Spam comments are very bad It makes people have bad vibes against you.
Just like you said, Value is Important
Do unto others what you want them to do unto you. If you want others to upvote and comment on your post, do same for others.
Very true @eucharis
Thanks a lot
always try to be unique if you want succes. when you follow the masses you dont stand out and make a difference!
Thanks @reini137