Do you want to be a Steemit BETA Tester? [A New Recruitment Model]
It is no surprise to anyone here that Steemit has had a user retention problem. I don't see this as a major issue, because I expect most of the major issues that are causing user retention problems will be addressed before the site is out of BETA. What should we do in the meantime as far as recruitment though?
I've thought long and hard about this, because as much as I love being here - I find that I'm not trying to convince lot of my friends to signup (yet). The reason is because I am pretty sure they will not stick around. It does take the right kind of person to see Steemit for what it will become, and not what it is today.
I think for the most part up until now, our main recruitment pitches have been along the lines of:
- Check out this awesome new blogging site. You can get paid for your content!
- Look how much money this person made!
- Check out this new social media site that is going to take over Facebook!
- Steemit is going to revolutionize the world!
- Etc.
These are all great, but users are joining with the wrong expectations. Steemit is not there yet. As one would expect, they are getting disappointed when they realize that Steemit is not a full-blown professional website (yet), and leaving. Way too many people do not get the "yet" part!
I think our retention would be a lot better if our recruitment was more in line with what we have to offer today. Even for what it is today in its "BETA" state - Steemit is still awesome! We just need to set the right expectations.
- It is a small community of people that are helping to test this new website and provide feedback on how it works, to help turn it into a mainstream blogging/social media site.
- Even though it is in beta, you can still actually make some money for participating. It is usually not a lot, but over time it can add up. Some people that have built up large followings or produced really amazing content have actually been able to make hundreds or even thousands of dollars from the site already.
- There are still some kinks to work out and a lot of features that need to be added, but even with what is there today it is really fun!
- You can get in on it now and become a part of the core community before it takes off and becomes the next Facebook.
- If the currency value goes way up once the site goes live, the coins that you keep vested in the site could one day be worth a lot of money.
- Eventually once the site is ready to officially launch, they are planning to become bigger than Facebook, Reddit, etc!
Thoughts?
Having personally signed up several people a week for the last couple of months - nearly all of whom are quite happy with where the site is at - I have found what works the best (for content producers) goes something like:
"Hey, you want to see my latest art/essay/(fill in the blank)?"
"Sure! Where can I find it?"
"Have you heard of Steemit? I'm putting all my stuff there these days!"
"No ... Steemit? What's that?"
"It's where all the best creative people are starting to put their stuff. They actually pay people for adding value to the site."
-Long Pause-
"I'm making an extra hundred bucks a month using it. It's not much, but it's not nothing, either."
"Really?"
"Yup. Check it out. I'm @mada. The site's still in BETA, so it can get kinda tricky. If you sigh up, let me know, and I'll walk you through how to do it."
Steemit's perceived stability needs a bit of work before I will feel comfortable mentioning the site to my serious investor friends. But signing up new users who come in with realistic expectations and stick around is super easy if you keep your pitch simple and honest.
The "get-rich-quickly" leitmotiv should indeed be avoided at all costs. As I have already said elsewhere, only a tiny fraction of users is actually making 'a lot' of money. Most of the users are making no money, and a significant fraction of them are making some money.
Stating it from the start would avoid getting people disappointed and running away after a few weeks, IMO.
Less focus on money, more focus on features that make Steemit unique: it's uncensorable, open source and it has built in payment network.
What are the niches we could go after?
When we have a decent network effect, we can start to focus on the payment network. Just imagine if Facebook gave a bank account to all users, with fast and free transfers, unrestricted to everybody.
I've been honest with the people I reach out to.
And most of the people I know have never used cryptocurrency, so I let them know there's a bit of a learning curve - but the user support here is pretty awesome. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, that's for sure!
Great recommendations! Thanks @merej99 :)
how can i be a tester
You already are :) Everyone that is here is a beta tester.
The best comment! Haha
The way I frame it to myself (and thus to others) is to pull back and place Steemit participation in a wider context of learning about and experimenting with blockchain technology use cases.
I remember accessing the old web search engines (remember Alta Vista?) via dial-up (1200 Baud!!!). At the time, very few people could predict a Google being accessed by smart phone (I know these people existed; I was not one of them). The folks who invested (at the time “wasted”) time and effort bumping into dead ends were the ones I subsequently saw jumping on the first e-comerce opportunities, the web consulting gigs, the new models for publishing, and inventing a widget that got bought by Yahoo!.
So my pitch for Steemit Beta would be something along the lines of: This could be a loser, and so could Bitcoin for that matter. But blockchain technology is here to stay. This moment when you get to play with the “embryonic stem cells” of new economic models will pass. The winners will eventually consolidate their positions by using the power of money and intel to lobby for government-enforced moats. (Yeah, I know… decentralized freedom for all… but I am not holding my breath. In the end, rivers and ports will still be able to be blockaded by navies, so government will always have a role.) SO… use the Steemit Beta moment to do your blockchain use-case-reconnaissance in a tangible way. Keep thinking about what steemit is and is NOT as you participate. Perhaps you will have gotten in on the ground floor of a Google. Perhaps you will have gotten in on the ground floor of a pets.com. No matter. In participating, you will clarify your future investment insights, your ability to discern what is great about Steemit’s next competitor, your own app that rides on the blockchain.
Also, as a creative (decidedly NON-tech guy), it gets me off my ass to just put some product out there without just handing ALL the value over to Facebook.
Great perspective, thanks for the comment :)
Hello @timcliff, this is a very thoughtfully put together set of ideas. I too have been wondering who to recruit and how to best prepare them for what they are stepping in to and this post helps me to develop my thinking and understanding of who and how. Thanks!
Right on. Glad it helped! :)
You know that if the same number as other platforms come in... then Steemit will become just another brain dead platform.
Start slowly, weed those not committed, keep the number of quality people rising... that seems to be the way it is building so far.
Interesting perspective
I think you're right on the money with that pitch. It's still a baby and people love to get in on something early.
@timcliff
Thats really true.
Steemit is still in Beta, but has got a big beta user base with great community and following.