[Guidance] : Which way is up?

Climbing your way to the top

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Being a new kid on the block can have its ups and downs. You are wanting to push boundaries, yet you don't want to come across as a stupid child.

You have a reputation level that somewhat shows others how respected you are in the community. This isn't a majorly crucial factor, but it still has some significance. Reputation can be manipulated though. Your reputation is affected by the number of votes (and the value of said votes) you've had from others. If you are making great comments and you are always sincere and genuine, your reputation should grow at a good pace. If you are using other means to get your votes, you might rub someone up the wrong way and receive some hefty downvotes on your account.

"Well, this guy has a high reputation he must be a great Steemian."

"Oh, but his comments suck ass."

Comments

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If you are wondering what somebody is like on the platform. Go over to their comments. You can do this with anyone by adding /comments/ after there username in the search bar.

An example of my comments section link: http://www.steemit.com/@calumam/comments/

Everyone says to you when you're starting out, just write comments to people. It's beaten into you from day one. If you have the ability to source some useful information, you'll be told to comment on other peoples posts to become a successful steemian. What they always forget to say is; Do you know how to write a great comment?.

When you are fresh and everything is brand new, it's hard to know where to go for guidance.

The pit of Trending

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On Steemit, when you start up you'll be instantly met with a blank 'Feed' and the option between Trending, New and Hot to find interesting posts.

Take this advice, avoid trending and hot like you would the plague.

Although there could be great authors and content creators on these pages when you're starting out, you'll want to get involved in communities. These are communities that share great posts with a mixture of people on the platform.
One reason for doing this is for the level of engagement you'll receive, compared to anyone you might follow on the trending page. Certain servers will always be sharing great posts for you to leave comments on.

What about New?

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I was a fan of the New feed when I started out. I think it's great to look out for brilliant, fresh content in that feed and get your thoughts shared with someone who has just finished the post. You'll get a much better answer from a writer who has still got the topic at the front of their mind.

Fair warning though, sometimes looking for great content in New can be difficult. Be patient, don't burn out and always remember that some discord communities will already have great posts shared within them.

Engage and encourage

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I go on about this all the time within our BuddyUP community. I firmly believe that the way to gain success here on the platform is to detach yourself from the desire for monetary gain.

Don't focus on the payouts

Everyone likes money. Our world is shaped by it. The problem is when you focus on the payouts and it starts to cloud your thoughts and feelings. Being able to express what you learned from somebodies post, in a comment, is a great way to start encouraging and engaging with someone.

Get in the loop

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Add some value to someone else's life. This could be from feedback, celebrating their amazing work or by giving them an opportunity. Don't care about the money. Care about what impact you can make in someone else's life.

Do you want some handy links?

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I've been talking about communities and how they will benefit you when you first start out, so you are probably thinking... where are they?!

I've joined a few servers since I started here and there are some very beneficial servers for newer users. These communities are full of people who are dedicated to their writing and engaging with others. Getting to know people in these communities can help you make some great connections and friendships, which will help you get the wheels spinning on the platform.

I'll let you know about a few of them below with a little briefing to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into (these are my opinions, I am completely open to criticism and feedback if my opinions are somewhat false).

The STEEM Engine

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The first community I joined which had some form of true engagement. To get into The STEEM Engine, you have to apply and get your train ticket! This is to weed out any members who aren't willing to engage and follow the guidelines set by the team. The main feature in the community is the Baggage Car Post Promotion. To take part in this channel, you have to upvote and comment two other members who have dropped their links into it.

When you share your links with everyone (and you follow the rules!), your posts can be chosen by the team for a feature in The Daily Whistle Stop or The Inbox Runneth Over. This is a great opportunity to get your quality content out to the masses!

Did I forget about @ethandsmith's weekly podcast? If you have been working hard on some brilliant content and he notices your efforts, you might find yourself in The STEEM Engine Express.

Get along with The STEEM Engine and get your application sent to the team!

The Steemit Ramble

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There are alot of great people inside this server who are happy to guide newer users on their way. There is a mixture of channels for you to share what you have read or what you have been creating.

Are you busy on Thursday? You're going to want to clear some space on your schedule because every Thursday is the Pimp Your Post Thursday show. @Shadowspub hosts the PYPT show for us and gives you the opportunity to hop on voice chat so you can show off your post. You can send it in text, but you will need to come correct (to be honest with you, I'd recommend jumping on the microphone, the guys are great and it really gives you the chance to connect with us through something you enjoy creating).

Make sure you head over to The Steemit Ramble and meet the gang!

BuddyUP

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BuddyUP is all about encouragement and engagement. It's designed for you to progress through the ranks, depending on how much you get involved. The more you are active and showing your face, the better features you'll unlock.

If you'd like to hear more about our features you can visit here.

Get over to BuddyUP and check out what is going on!

Others

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There are more servers that I am involved with and they are excellent communities. The only reason I'm not sharing them is because I believe some servers are better suited for brand new users who just need to get their feet off the ground. If you have any other servers to share with us, please leave an introduction and a link below!