Always always always original content!!! It may take longer to produce and require more thought and effort, but it pays off in the long run, I promise! A copy-paste post may generate a lot of money IF it gets lucky, but quality content tends to attract better followers, which means more money as you progress. I don't think the copy/paste posters will last; there's just not enough money to be made there. Whales and other major contributors tend to focus on upvoting quality, original content, so there isn't much reward in so-called "shitposting". I see you have a strong chemistry background; there are a lot of like-minded individuals in the SteemSTEM community. Connect with others to make the most out of your investment!
I notice some of your posts don't have the more mainstream tags; this could be affecting your payout! Try to use more than one tag (you can have up to five!) and try to select from those in the tag list (https://steemit.com/tags). Those tags tend to garner the most attention and increase the chances your post will be seen!
Most of all, it's just patience and persistence. Steemit is not a get rich quick scheme like so many believe, it is an investment. But if you put in the effort, you WILL see a payout!
Upvoted and followed!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. I really do appreciate it. Someone else had mentioned tags and I will take it into consideration moving forward. But my genuine concern is that in my first few weeks I've seen an unsettling trend of shallow posts dominating deep stuff. But I know I'm new, so I thought I'd pose the question. My goal is to share and learn and grow. So I'll try my best to put out good content. I just didn't want to be speaking to an indifferent audience, if that makes sense. Again, thank you so much for your input. Followed!
Not a problem! Always eager to help someone who wants to contribute to the community!
It is frustrating to see the copy/paste posts generate money, but by and large they don't garner returning followers (people will upvote a funny picture once, but they don't seem keen on following someone who just posts random images off the net!).
Be sure to check out Steemit.chat as well! You can check out channels like #SteemSTEM and #science and connect with others through chat or even advertise your posts there! And steemit chat generally seems to be comprised more of the quality posts (most people who do shallow posts are just "copy, paste, and go" so they don't take the time to advertise!). And be sure to check out @randowhale; for a small amount of steem or sbd (generally 0.5-1 Steem/sbd) randowhale will upvote your post!
https://steemit.chat/
Again, thank you for some really excellent information. I greatly appreciate the time and effort. Also checked out some of your posts and am liking what I'm seeing. Keep up the great work!