Cryptoctopus is breaking the silence...
Introduction
Hey all, it's been a while since I wrote about Steemit. I've been watching thing goes and mostly remained a silent bystander of what's been going on in the past month...but lately my fingers were itching to speak out about an issue I see steemit.com facing.
I'm not a developer, I don't have a degree in economics and I will never pretend to know what is the best incentive structure to help price discovery, rewards % or any of that.
The tech, both on the back-end and front-end has made incredible progress since I first joined last May. On that front I'm quite happy about what Steemit has accomplished.
But I'm getting frustrated on this front...
Unfortunately, developers make very poor marketers. They are the guys who gets excited about features. Most of them get so caught up in the tech that they sometime forget that the large majority people don't care about what make this thing work. They are like the mechanics who know every little details about cars while most people care about getting from home to work in a reliable manner.
Who Are You? What Do You Want? Why Should I Care?
That's what everybody think when they see any form of marketing or sales process.
Put yourself in the shoes of someone who don't know anything about blockchain or cryptocurrency. Imagine them arriving on some random article via google or facebook and then seeing this:
What does that even mean? Why should I give a hoot about this?
This header only mean something to you IF you already know about blockchain. The cryptocurrency community is a tiny tiny elite segment of the population. Definitely not something one should build an entire social media website on.
But that's exactly what the header is messaging. If you don't know anything about blockchain, you've just alienated your visitor by making them feel stupid.
What is Steemit.com target market?
Seems cliche I know BUT it's not a question that should be overlooked. Right now, there is no message to market match going on.
People make the huge mistake of trying to appeal to everybody in their marketing. When you talk to everybody you are indeed talking to nobody. This is kind of what's going on right now.
Since multiple website can be built on the back of Steem than we have a lot of opportunities for building multiple front-end that caters to different markets.
1. FREE SPEECH MARKET
With the cracking down of "fake news" website by Google, Facebook and twitter, the hairs on the back of the neck of the free speech advocates are raised big time. The free speech crowd usually already go for alternative news websites such as the drudgereport, infowars, breitbart to name a few.
If that's the market Steemit wants to reach then they have to change the message that appear to every single non-user visitor to the website to something like:
"Welcome to the FREE SPEECH ZONE."
"The #1 Social Media Platform for Free Speech."
"The Only Censorship Free Social Media Platform."
etc. etc.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM THAT REWARDS IT'S USERS
Greed is an incredible motivator. It would get people to go outside their comfort zone and try something new. Steemit is the only social media platform that does that and no where do we see any messaging about that.
If that's the market Steemit wants to reach then they have to change the message that appear to every single non-user visitor to the website to something like:
"The Only Social Media Platform That Rewards It's Users"
Other markets...
There are many other "mass market" ready to be tapped into, you are welcome to put your ideas in the comment section if you have more in your mind.
Conclusion
Trying to appeal to everyone is a sure way to appeal to no one. Steemit has to decide WHO they are looking for, have a message to market match and then create a fun and easy on-boarding process.
Once user adoption is back on full force then we can think about boasting about our success, do press releases and attract investors...but right now, I would be skittish to invest in a platform that doesn't have a clear idea of who they want to have has users outside of the cryptocurrency community.
Glad you are back . I wish they could change that welcome boring page and the whole look . It needs a more sleek , cool updated feel all around ....and my personal wish ....more music people :)
Thanks! I do too. I personally care about how that welcome page actually turn visitors into users. I wish there was a steem based website that focused entirely on music and soundtrack embed players.
I am really glad I am not the only one who hopes for better improvements on that page. I also wish I would know how to develop such website focusing on music, radio and soundtrack players like mix cloud and similar ones. I used to run an online radio program, actually rented space on a once huge platform called Live365 but it got shut down. It was really amazing. I would love to be a part of such project again. Any ideas how to make this happen??
Great thoughts and I agree completely! First we need to decide which direction we want to go, then we decide how we are going to get there! It seems to me (an outsider) that there is no definitive plan for Steemit.com, instead it's more of a lets throw things at the wall and see what sticks kind of approach... I mean that respectfully to all the developers and founders because I love what they have created, but I really do think we need to decide what we want Steemit to be; a blogging site, a news site, a free speech site, a social media site, etc... That, and like you mentioned, we then need to define our target audience and then go get em!
amen!
I agree with your observations. I don't have a degree in marketing but have learned how to market the hard way, trial and error over the years. There is a strong marketing sense missing here in my humble opinion. Sometimes a simple tagline change like the one you mentioned, "The Only Social Media Platform That Rewards It's Users" can start to yield better results.
Thanks, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who think that way.
I felt very stupid when I joined here as I didn't have a clue about any of it, I only stayed as a friend was around to help me, is she wasn't here I would have gone the day I joined. BUT got to say loving your Jensen Ackles Gif.. made my day Thank you :)
there, you can write about that LOL!!!
I have wrote about Jensen before lol The man of my dreams... :)
ohhh now that is soooo nice. he makes my day everyday lol
(:
and my latest graphic went up about an hour ago, unrelated. I hope you are unstuck now lol
Thanks @karenb54 glad you've stuck around :-)
Thank you @cryptoctopus :)
How hard would it be to change the Front Page?
Make a dozen or so that suits you, submit them.
Hmmm...what if several were put on rotation?
a different front page every day?
Good idea. Why not split testing and see which one converts best into new users?
yup.
and if there is one thing the geeks are good at,
it's building analytical tools.
which one , or which TYPE, draws best should be easy enough to find out.
of course...some particlularyl nerdy geek will want to associate the Front Page with the internet address of the incoming vistor.
Someone from Texas...let's say, would see a Front Page with a cowboy/OilField/Wild West motif..
That's a great idea. Makes me think of how Google sometimes changes their homepage logo for holidays and other special occasions. Theming Steemit to the area the user lives in would also be cool.
exactly
I like the free speech slogan more because it's the "why", while paying for posts is the "what"
Exactly. Steemit started as a blogging platform. Ned even mentioned that is what Steemit is on the recent interview on Cheddar today. We need focus and direction when starting off to establish a solid grounding. Not running off to attract every single market and niche on the net to try to get everyone from everywhere... Start SMALL, then GROW BIG. Not the opposite where you try to take over everything all at once.
Baby steps. Trying to cater to everyone with short posts, link posts, this and that posts to get twitter and reddit people is a fail, and I have commented and posted about that. Let's be Steemit, and not try to be copies of reddit or twitter. Resteemed.
Exactly. I don't care about a blockchain. I really really really truly don't care. Blockchain, chain-link, block engine. Whatever. I don't care.
I care that I get paid.
Focus on that.
hehe, I get that. How many people know how a lightbulb actually work? How many people actually care?
I am 100% with you. I have done okay here on Steemit since June, I'm not super-duper successful or famous here. But I actually paid 100% for a beach vacation from Steemit earnings in August.
THAT'S THE STORY!
Not Blockchain, not decentralized whatever. Whatever that means.
Tell stories of what people have done with their earnings.
That's the story.
Your ideas and energy are always good!
Couldn't have said it better myself. My business partner does online marketing and sales funnels. Everything I have learned from him.....the homepage is not hitting on any of the points to grab attention or clicks.
Your ideas for each separate target audience would be a positive impact as it sends a direct message to a specific demographic letting them know what they get or what it does.