Open Letter to New Steemians
How to make a post without sounding condescending and have new Steemians read it?
I have no idea. Yet some falsehoods need to be cleared up about how wonderful and easy it was "back in the day" to get people to see and vote on your posts.
Now that everyone left that doesn't care to learn, let's go over some facts based on my two years on Steem.
Two years ago I made a Steem(it) account for free. I had to wait five days to get my new account. I was lucky enough to get on Steem when new accounts still received a 35 Steem Power delegation from SteemInc.
What did that mean? It meant my vote was worth 1 penny. What we didn't know at the time was you needed a 2 cent vote. If your post or comment you made only received 1 cent, Steem "dusted" your vote away. Meaning you made nothing on your post or comment. They still dust votes to this day.
I did not have to worry about running out of RC credits and could post or comment as much as I wanted.
There were not hundreds of Discord groups connected to Steem to help new people. There were no Tribes. There were a gazillion more people using the platform back then. More people to vote on your posts, right?
Wrong! Dead wrong!
More people to get lost in. More people joining with their friends and being voted on by their friends. Sound familiar? Talk about feeling lost in an ocean. The word 'Plankton' doesn't even come close to how small and insignificant you felt when you first came to Steem.
If it was so hard when I came to Steem why did I stay? The people. How did I get to know Steemians? Commenting on other people's posts that I enjoyed reading. Let me rephrase that. Commenting on other new Steemians posts that I enjoyed reading.
I read and commented on a few Orca's posts. I read the larger fish's posts because they were interesting, not to receive a vote back. There were, and still are, interesting people like @Papa-pepper. He did his best to run contests that anyone would be able to do. His posts were, and still are, fun to read.
Do I think out of his 21,208 followers I am going to get a vote from him? No. I read his posts because they are interesting to me. I leave a comment on his posts if I have something worthwhile to say.
I had friends very lucky. They received "Currie" votes worth hundreds of dollars. I was not one of those people. I had friends that knew people that were still on Steem when Steem was born and had larger wallets. I was not one of those people either.
How did I grow my account if I didn't know many people and no whales were voting on my posts?
Commenting on other new Steemians posts that I enjoyed reading.
By commenting on other new Steemians posts you got to know them through their writing.
You read, REALLY READ, their posts and left comments that showed you read it. I was lucky. I started doing the Daily Freewrite by @mariannewest. Which, by the way, is still going 734 days later.
I would write my post and then go off and read all the other posts written that day. I would leave comments if a post moved me in some way. From there friendships were born. Laughter was had. Memories were made.
#Contests were also a great way to make some Steem. There were all kinds of contests that were based on everything and anything to win Steem and help you grow your account fast.
Today there are 143 posts under the #Contest tag. I hear from people running contests that they are not getting people to enter them! Hmmm.......
I am not new on Steemit but after looking into contests more, I will be going back to that tag and checking some of them out!
You need to make a post anyway. Why not make a post where you might win some free Steem?
The last advice I will give in this long and winded post is, All Steem or SBD you make on posting or curating, Power Up until you reach at least 500 Steem Power.
Why?
Older Steemians look for new people on Steem in it for the long haul. Why invest in someone that is not investing their time and energy into the platform to help it grow? You wouldn't. It's not smart business.
Remember, everything you do on Steem can be looked up. Everything. I am always amazed at how many people do look up others on Steem.
It is a great thing about blockchain technology. Information is never lost. It's there for all to see to the end of time.
If you are new to Steem and have questions the best place I know to go for answers is @steemterminal. They will help you find the perfect place for you on Steem. They help new Steemians because they remember how it was when they started on Steem. They do not get paid. They do it out of kindness. It's who they are. Real Steemians!
Help someone smile today. It can not hurt you.
Love,
Snook
Steem Witness's I support
Enginewitty!, Jackmiller!, Guiltyparties!, C0ff33a / Deranged!
Spot on Ms Snook... Steem is not that much difference than any other platform. You have to be willing to put the work into getting noticed. The difference is when you get noticed here.. there is some financial return.
Thank You!!
I agree. You get out of something what you put in!!
Happy you survived the first confusion back then and are still here <3 Great advice!
Posted using Partiko iOS
I am too!! and Thank You!!
HUGS
Great advice, and has held true for the nearly two years I've been here too.
And, as has already been said, it's not that different from other social media sites . . . you have to engage with others to get noticed, which is how human interactions work in the real world as well, and if you're lucky, you'll make some real friends in the process, as we both have.
I got some great advice when I first came to Steemit, which was to post daily, and upvote and comment on at least twenty posts daily.
And I did that for a good long while, especially posting daily, though recently I've been commenting more than posting. Life intervenes.
I'm resteeming as well, as hopefully at least a few newbies will see it and take advantage of the great information and tips you've offered herein.
;-)
That is perfect advice!! People forget you have to work toward something. All is not free. Never look at just the end but someones journy to where they are.
Exactly.
You get out of anything what you put into it. If you make no effort, you deserve no rewards.
That's life in a nutshell.
Posted using Partiko Android
You're included every advice to new steemians also who're frustrated with their steem journey. New and old steemians try to attend contests for showing user's talent. Especially newbiews can take attention of whales and orcas. Only few orca and whales didn't make good support to newbies. But newsteem took attention of bid bots. They reach quality content creators post for cast votes. It's great way to newbies.
Resteem for see more newbies from my side.
Thank you so very much!!!
The most difficult thing on Steem right now for me is to find time to read and to leave thoughtful comment. Some days I do better than others. Like today. I came to Steem back in January 2018. Yes, contests work. Yes, commenting work. But also investing into SP worked for me, otherwise I would probably be around 1000 SP which wouldn't give me attention I want.
I agree about investing. If I had the money I would but all I have is my time so I try and make the best of it here.
@tipu curate 0.5
Posted using Partiko iOS
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 15/30)
Thank You!
I had to resteem and share for a wider dispersion...
Posted using Partiko Android
Thank You so very much. The more people that read it the better!!
Just a quick comment on a Steemian's post that I enjoy reading. You go girl! 😎
Thanks :D
I hope all is well in your world!!!
@snook I just wanted to say, good read. I will check out @steemterminal. thank you
you are welcome and Thank You!!
Nice post ✅👍🏼
Great comment.
Posted using Partiko Android
HA! thanks for making me laugh!!