Since it’s been a few months since I’ve collected my thoughts on this issue, I thought it was about time to share some new insights and considerations on the subject.

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In the sea of steemit, each and every user who desires to draw attention to their username and posts has an ever-growing multitude of competition. Many of the newer users also have to compete against those who have already been gaining attention and building a following for months. Since the majority of us joining steemit don’t exactly have a large following from elsewhere that are following us to steemit, we are basically started from ground zero.

HISTORY

@papa-pepper joined steemit last July, and has done quite well so far on steemit. From gaining over 1200 followers to reaching a reputation in the top 15, things have went pretty well for me. Periodically throughout my blogging history here I have sought to offer a variety of ideas and techniques for others to consider as they attempt to make their way on steemit.

My previous posts on the matter are still available for reading and reflection, and a few are linked at the end of THIS POST which I posted after reaching 1200 followers. However, as time goes on I learn more, I have more advice and insight to offer, so I’ll attempt to not simply rearrange previous thoughts but rather to provide some new things for you to consider. Hopefully, this post can help and bless some of you.

USERNAME

I figured that I would start right at the beginning. For those looking in from the outside, this will help, but it may be too late for those of you already on steemit.

When considering what username to create, I’d recommend something easy to remember and type. Mine has seemed to work out well for multiple reasons, but it is not the easiest to remember to type correctly. Often I’ve been called @papa-prepper, @pappa-pepper or other things.

I realize that a many usernames have already been taken, but I’d recommend against names that are very difficult to remember or type. @er56ijk8894 would not be a good choice. It is worth noting as well that although names may be easy to recognize and follow, you will get far fewer mentions when people cannot accurately type your username. When other users accurately mention you in their posts, it’s free advertising and publicity for you!

RETAIN YOUR AUDIENCE

When other users do find your posts, it should be your goal to have them choose to follow you and upvote your future posts too. If someone comments on your post, reply to their comment. When doing so, you may also want to be thankful and say so. At one point someone ran some data and found out that based upon the use of the word “thanks” @papa-pepper was one of the most grateful users at that time.

Also, you may want to consider typing their username in your reply to their comment. Something like “Thanks so much @ades!” would be a good choice. The same is true for commenting on the posts of others. Using their actual username in your interact adds a personal touch. It may not seem like a big deal, but there really is something to it that often works.

When other users upvote your post or comment on it, it may be worth your time to check out their recent posts to see if there are any that you enjoy and feel like commenting on or upvoting. This type of interaction can build a bond or friendship that can benefit you both in the long run. Some of the first users that I met on steemit are still some of the steemians that I often interact with.

Before I start the next section, I also want to point out that when another users chooses to follow you, there is often a recent post that caused them to make that choice. If it was a recipe, for instance, you may have to publish other recipes in the near future to retain that user. If the rest of your post are in different categories, they might lose interest in your posts.

One thing that you may want to consider is adding a “follow me” at the end of your posts. This is a reminder for others who like what you’ve shared to make sure to click that “follow” button so that they can see more of your posts in the future.

REACH AS MANY AS YOU CAN

To build on what I just shared, if you only post recipes, for instance, the total numbers of users that gain interest in your posts will limited. The wider the range of subjects and topics that you can create good content for, the greater your exposure will be. If you can share about food, photos, life, money, and recipes, for instance, more users will see your posts than if you only focus on one area.

I know that we all may have our specialties, but we most likely have other interests as well. Even you are not that good at something else you enjoy, what better way is there to practice and get better than to make posts out of your attempts and ask for advice from others. The conversation and feedback will help build relationships and also potentially improve your skills.

It’s okay to step out of comfort zone and try new things. Just about anyone can try to take a photo, write a poem, or share about a meal that they enjoy. Why not give it a try?

THOUGHTFUL COMMMENTS

Though I would not recommend replying to the posts of other users with statements like “This was a good post, you should check out mine,” comments on post are still a great way to draw more attention to yourself. For one, it can be a great way to let the author know that you stopped by. A thoughtful comment can encourage others to check out more about the person who left that comment.

I would strongly recommend not leaving comments that seem “spammy” or like you are begging for votes or followers. Often, other users will not appreciate this and they may even downvote your comment.

LINK DROPPING

Link dropping is when you copy the address of one of your posts and paste it somewhere else for others to see. There are good ways and bad ways to attempt to do this.

Good ways that I would recommend are on steemit.chat or discord. There are specific chatrooms for post promotion and these are the appropriate places to share the links to your posts with others. Some chatrooms are for chatting only though, so make sure to read the description of the room before pasting your link in it.

Bad ways to link drop are on the posts of others. When you comment on someone else’s post with a link to one of your posts, it can seem spammy and offend the author or others. If you actually have a post that relates or one that you would like to share with the author, I would recommend just saying something like, “This was a good post on the subject. Recently I shared some other views in my post yesterday.” This lets the author know about your post and it gives them the opportunity to check out your post if they want to. By mentioning what the post was about or when you posted it, it’ll make it easier for them to find.

RELATIONSHIPS NOT MONEY

The odds of getting “good money” often for your posts are slim. Without consistent “whale votes” or “curation team” votes, likely your posts will be worth as much as you would like, at least when it comes out to the post payout.

If you focus more on interacting with other users and meeting new people, you will be building relationships. If your main goal, or only goal, is to make money here, you will probably become discouraged. Getting noticed takes time and there may be a lot of disappointment before that ever happens. You will see mediocre posts from well-known authors getting nice payouts and stellar posts from newbies going unnoticed. Trust me, it happens.

Even though steemit offers the opportunity to earn, it does not promise or guarantee it. I would recommend having fun and interacting, building relationships with other users. Then, when a post or comment gets a nice payout, it’ll be a bonus.

I think if you give us some time, you will find that there are many knowledgeable, helpful, talented, caring, and interesting steemians already here, and we are pleased to be drawing more people every day!

CONTESTS

I cannot stress the importance of contests enough. There are such an excellent way to get to know others and interact with them, plus there are added bonuses. First, you could win some STEEM or SBD! Also, it gets your name out there to more and more users with each contest you participate in. I know that sometimes users can get writers block as well, and not know what to post about. Entering contests is a great way to get some excellent post ideas, plus, you can advertise the contest for the user running it too.

Another excellent way to have more users notice you and to grow a following more quickly is to run your own contest. Many users have had a lot of success just by running contests. Recently @fibra59 began a meme contest and now is becoming a user that many others are familiar with.

I’ve run all sorts of random contests, and am currently starting the 3rd Season of my WILD & STRANGE Contest. Perhaps you could participate and get some extra attention or followers out of your effort!

YOUR BRAND

There has been not time like the present to build your brand. We now have an avatar feature, which did not exist early on. This gives you the freedom to choose any image to represent yourself. A professional or fun avatar can say a lot about you and inspire others to check out your post.

Also, you can now add a description on your home page. This gives others the opportunity to know a few things about you the moment that they check out your page. I am involved in a lot of different things, and my description reflects that.

On steemit, there are many creative and talented individuals, but, we are all individuals. Though we may have similar interests or talents, we also have different flavors and though we are similar, we are not the same. To a degree, you are branding or advertising yourself in a vast ocean of others doing the same thing.

Strive to stand out and catch the attention of others!

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CLOSING

Hopefully this post has been helpful. It is meant to encourage and inspire, and is by no means exhaustive. If you have some great ideas that I missed, feel free to mention them below to further help others out, or just make your own post with your own ideas and drop the link below so I can check it out. (Yes, I gave you permission to do something that I would not recommend just doing anywhere.)

Also, if you have any questions, let me know, and I’ll do my best to answer them or help out!

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FULL STEEM AHEAD

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FOLLOW

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Awesome Handcrafted @papa-pepper logo kindly donated by @vlad - Thank you!!

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OPERATION TRANSLATION logo provided by @oecp85.

(click link above for more info on Operation Translation)

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The long-term purpose of this account is to help provide the necessary funds to live a self-sufficient lifestyle at home with my family.