MARKETING STEEM # 3 : What are we marketing?
We all know that Steem needs marketing - but the key question is 'What are we marketing?'
Are we marketing a blogging platform, a social network, a test bed for developers, a DeFi investment system, or is it just a place to post and earn...
Is the answer 'All of the above', or should we be more selective and targeted in our marketing efforts?
Selling Points & Target Audiences
Steem has strengths and weaknesses in all these areas.
So when marketing Steem we will need to play to the strengths, and sidestep the weaknesses.
Steem as a Blogging Platform
Steem is certainly a place where people can blog. But it is not 'clean and tidy'.
The signal to noise ratio is very poor. It may be unpopular to say but there is way too much low level, distracting content for Steem to be taken seriously as a blogging platform.
Platforms like Medium.com undoubtedly have a better reputation in this area.
How often do you see companies make news announcements on Medium.com?
Why is Steem never used in the same way?
How many real bloggers do we have on Steem? Not too many alas.
Can this be changed? Could Steem be remoulded or remodelled to attract serious bloggers?
It is possibly possible - but difficult.
Marketing potential for Steem = 5 out of 10.
Steem as a Social Network
Although Steem is often referred to as a 'crypto social network' it is a struggle to see it in that light.
Steem's major weakness as a social network is the lack of interaction and engagement.
If you look any mainstream social network like Facebook, Instagram or YouTube they all thrive on comments and interaction.
Steem has little genuine engagement on posts.
Another weakness of Steem as a social network is that because of the content author reward model the platform is very much focused on people producing long form content.
Most social networks on the other hand are very much about short form content.
Could Steem be reworked to be more like a conventional social network - more short form content, and much, much more comment and engagement?
Yes it definitely could but it would require a major re-imagining of curation models and how people are willing to participate on the platform.
As a social network Steem can offer one very strong Unique Selling Point - engagement, as well as creation, can be rewarded.
You cannot earn by making comments on Facebook or Instagram or X. On Steem you can.
Marketing potential for Steem = 7 out of 10.
Steem as a Testbed for Developers
Historically Steem has proved to be a very good incubator for developers.
With delegations and posting rewards developers have been able to earn while trying out ideas.
Steem has also been able to provide a ready made audience to test new games and apps.
With open minds and good vision the recent reawakening of the Steem DAO may provide another strong incentive to attract new developers to the platform.
Steem Monsters / Splinterlands proved that successful games can be launched on the platform.
With some good packaging and careful targeting Steem could be marketed as an attractive home for aspiring and talented developers.
As @remlaps mentioned on a previous post the Open Source community could be a prime target audience.
Marketing potential for Steem = 7 out of 10.
Steem as a DeFi investment platform
Steem can be an attractive investment platform.
Which multiple ways to earn - through content creation, curation and delegation - Steem can offer a strong win-win investment opportunity.
Using vehicles like UpVu investors can achieve very attractive returns of 30% or more (?).
While SBDs are being printed the returns can climb even higher.
The only risk of course is if the price of Steem drops significantly - but that is the gamble of any crypto investment.
The flip side of all this is though how investment driven content creation interacts with the rest of the content on the platform. Perhaps there is a solution to separate out the two types of content?
While this investment driven content can be seen as an appreciable downside, it is most definitely this investment that has helped maintain the price of Steem which is a benefit to everyone on the platform.
Marketing potential for Steem = 9 out of 10.
Steem as a Place to Post & Earn
For purists on the platform the 'Post & Earn' marketing pitch for Steem has been the source of much of what is less desirable on the platform now.
This has always been there on Steem, particularly for audiences in more economically disadvantaged countries, but in 'Old Steem' (pre-split) it was rather frowned upon and kept largely undercover.
In 'New Steem' it became very much a dominant trend and certainly helped build a new community after the split.
The community dynamics of the platform have definitely changed.
There is still much scope for readjustment and rebalancing, but the reality is that for many people, particularly in poorer countries, Steem has provided an economic lifeline - especially in the pandemic and post pandemic years.
Should this facility to earn through posting content on Steem be suppressed? Should it be celebrated?
Should it be marketed?
It can definitely be an easy win in terms of marketing - but it does have serious downsides.
Marketing potential for Steem = 2 or 9 out of 10 ???
This is a quick race through the possible selling points to use for marketing Steem.
There may well be others that I have missed.
They all need probing and exploring more.
We do need to work out how we want to market Steem.
Then we can decide who we want to target and how we reach them.
Thank you
It is a complicated topic; nothing is black and white, as there are many grey areas. However, Steemit definitely cannot be compared with Facebook and Instagram. I use these two other platforms, so I can at least say this.
Both media thrive on advertisement. The one big major difference, and then they were basically a means of connectivity, and the video sharing aspect is definitely another big perk. Then there is a business model that has been integrated into these. People advertise their skills and also the business. Steemit, on the other hand, is on an entirely different tangent.
It's a blogging space and literally has nothing to do with the advertising side.
Only those who possess reading and writing skills can effectively utilize this platform, including investors.
Regarding comments and engagement, they differ significantly from those on traditional social media platforms. Engaging on Steem necessitates reading, and since there's a financial incentive involved, the time spent reading and engaging assumes a different level of importance and preference.
Only a handful of people genuinely engage when they find something interesting.
Most of the time, engagement feels obligatory, driven by various factors such as SEC regulations, the desire for visibility, or to connect with influential voters.
There are no shortcuts on Steemit. Understanding the platform and its users is essential. It demands consistency, active involvement, and a genuine desire to create content.
This is the stage where many new bloggers and those seeking quick profits often step back.
The question of whether Steemit should be promoted and under what categories remains significant.
The answer to the first part is a definite yes.
Regarding the second part, Steemit can be promoted across all these criteria. The question about advertising monetary aspect - why not! I think it should be emphasized, as time is money. However it should be left to the user to explore the chain on its own and they will definitely come to terms with the fact that Steemit is not easy money.
Agree with your points.
This part is key...
Should the word 'good' be inserted between possess and reading?
Erm... No
Because, you know why!
Do you want me to elaborate?
Please do elaborate...
You could call it a failure of Proof-of-Brain! The trending posts are not always the quality posts. I really will not go into details here because you get the gist.
Now, turning to the lower tier of high-earning and typical posts and posters; it seems that simply being on the platform for a long time is the primary factor for them to receive fervent upvotes, regardless of the content. Yes, I stumble upon a post and find myself wondering, 'What did I just read?' Then, I glance at the rank, sometimes the SP, and the influence of the writer, and I find my answer.
Please I'm not pointing any fingers. But that's just my perspective. And the answer to your question.
My focus was solely on the reading and writing aspect (in the point you have highlighted) as opposed to the video/shorts/tiktok content found on other social media platforms.
But you put the variable good in the equation.
It's true. You notice it yourself if you upvote. Give 50% upvote to someone with a low level/SP it's less than if you give it to those with a collection of dolpins/orca's.
I am spending time in 3 different worlds of Steemit lately to figure out what is going on.
My average earn became lower since I joined the clubs. How can that be?
I noticed 3 lines even 6 words without hashtags is enough to receive high upvotes even with only 800 SP.
Where does this Steem come from? The null-bank?
You get paid less in SBD if you are club 75 as long as SBD prints
Mana, that is, the power of the voice. mana can then be, for example, 90-100% which gives more than lower mana
If I understood your question correctly
And another thing that counts is that posts that give below approx. 20 steem in payment both author and curator earn slightly less than one for posts of more than 20 steem in payment
Unfortunately, there are always loopholes in any system which can be exploited!
That loophole looks more like a totally different part of Steemit than the one we are joining.
There are definitely significant gaps and failures in the implementation of the Proof of Brain / Curation model.
Solving those issues though is not easy unfortunately.
TEAM 1
Congratulations! This comment has been upvoted through steemcurator04. We support quality posts , good comments anywhere and any tags.I think one of the biggest difficulties that arises is trying to understand what Steem is primarily, and understanding that there are different ways that it can be thought of.
When I think about how to promote Steem, what comes to mind is the possibility of making new developments, and that while new ideas are tested, a very interesting and attractive one emerges as a result and that this makes Steem project itself in a new way. and different. As you mentioned, games attract a lot of attention, for example.
In this same order of ideas, I remember that in the old Steem, there were various apps, for example there was one to create short stories of 250 characters, Twitter style, there was another app to upload photos, which allowed you to include messages. I remember that I used them, the posts were replicated on Steemit.
I think that what is currently happening is that Steem as such should not be reduced to Steemit, because Steemit is just a way through which Steem is produced and/or co-marketed, that is, it is a derivative, a way in which we We can relate to Steem, but it is not the only one nor does it have to be the only one.
Now if I am going to talk about Steem as a blog, you are right, it has painful shortcomings, precisely because it is very focused on posting and winning, not only is the problem that it is seen as something instantaneous, the problem is deeper. If we go to Medim.com, a membership is required there to be able to participate, that is, there is an interest because your article appears on that platform... The platform itself has its value.
I remember that when that hardfork occurred that limited resource credits, what I could sense was that it was about creating awareness that Steem Power was necessary to be able to have interaction on the platform. Ultimately, the “ideal” thing is that users would like this Steem Power to be able to interact there… I think there is still a long way to go before we can get there…
Seeing Steem as publishing to earn is undoubtedly the least flattering path, it only brings the desire of bleed out the “SP” resources, which is supposed to be what you should “want” to have to have that reputation and power within the platform. I also see that there is a long road to get there, although long does not mean it is impossible. But without a doubt you have to see things with another approach beyond "publish and earn."
I'm going to leave these small reflections here because it is an extensive topic...
Thanks for sharing, I think that by writing you give us a broad idea of what Steem marketing means, and what Steem really means.
Steem beyond Steemit is definitely all important - but unfortunately quite limited.
More games and apps would be extremely beneficial in growing the platform - but it is difficult to see where they will come from with the current economics of Steem.
Very much agree...
TEAM 1
Congratulations! This comment has been upvoted through steemcurator04. We support quality posts , good comments anywhere and any tags.I recently faced the same questions. I ran a paid campaign to promote Steem on Instagram and people who were interested in blockchain blogging started asking me questions. For example, why should I spend my time on Steemit instead of TikTok or Instagram. What is so unique about Steemit?
And that's when I realized that Steemit has nothing to offer people who are constantly scrolling through short videos. And that's great! I think people who can't give 2 seconds of their attention to a certain content are not needed here on Steemit.
Steem doesn't have to be like Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. We need to follow our own unique path. Here it is worth mentioning the concept of "Proof-of-Brain". Only those who are not lazy to use their brain can succeed in Steem (in most cases). Steem can potentially become a club of people who can expertly share certain information. And I'm not talking only about some professionals. Each of us is an expert and eyewitness of our own life and only we can share true and exclusive information about it. The only question is whether we can interest the readers with this information.
I see the following messages when promoting Steem:
I don't think Steem should be positioned as a social network. Everyone is already sick of DeFi, so I don't see the potential here either. I would bet on the involvement of educated people willing to exchange information.
Steem also needs developers, but I wouldn't recommend luring them with the possibility of DAO funding. I think there are very few projects capable of bringing more benefit than harm from the sale of the funds received.
This is very useful feedback from your Instagram promotion campaign.
Steem has great potential to be a platform for quality information that people want to read.
But the big problem may be of how that 'quality' is achieved. Curation currently, if it is guided by Proof of Brain, is not yet achieving the goal of bringing the quality content to the top - and conversely discouraging the proliferation of low quality content.
Some more robust curatorial mechanism may be needed to make Steem stand out as a reliable source of good quality information.
The DeFi question is more difficult - without it the likely scenario is that the price of STEEM would fall considerably.
And it is likely no one would be happy with that 😞
Maybe the answer is to separate that side of STEEM off into another place. Steemit.com being an 'everything platform' throws together all types of content - the Good, the Bad and the DeFi.
I think bid bots create a big problem here. They break the principle of Proof of Brain and make low-quality content more visible. In addition, the SP delegated to bid bots is not involved in maintaining quality content and community development.
The problem of the existence of bid bots could be solved by allowing investors to earn their profits without having to post every day. For example, if there were deposits with a return of 50% per annum or more. If they simply replaced bid bots, theoretically there should be no additional selling pressure. Such a deposit program brings us back to the difficult question of DeFi.
I believe that Steem can be promoted in all the directions listed in your post. It all depends on the target audience. I think it is not worth talking about blogging, DeFi and progamists in one message. Depending on which platform the article will be published on, you need to choose what to focus on.
One more question. How to interest this or that media to write about Steem? I think you should start with paid articles. Some media outlets provide this opportunity and publish your press release for a fee.
TEAM 1
Congratulations! This comment has been upvoted through steemcurator04. We support quality posts , good comments anywhere and any tags.Well said! It made me think...
Education is defintely one of them. (•ิ‿•ิ)
Buenas noches amiga, tu comentario me hace pensar en la propuesta de @kouba01 hace algunos meses, podría ser un buen punto de partida comercializar la educación
Oh gosh! I missed this post!
Thank you for bringing it to my attention. 🎕
Education is everything! I don't think there was one business where I was involved in business rescue that did not have a problem with staff not knowing:
This is always where I started my investigations, staff, and education.
That would be great if @kouba01 developed that idea for teaching on Steem.
Steem definitely has great untapped potential as a platform for educational delivery.
A few attempts have been made but I am very surprised more has not been made of this.
With a few extra tweaks and modifications Communities could be very useful for delivering courses...
I agree 100%. Some changes would be required.
It would be awesome if there was a place or method where we could "store" these courses, as a lot of effort goes into them.
I wrote 10 posts on how to start your own business two years ago. It was read when it was published, but now it is nowhere to be found on Steemit.
I found them searching on Google.
However, no such luck when I search for posts on Steemit with the exact same words.
Maybe an upgrade to the search facility can do the trick.
Steem has many users in terms of web3 platform. With the users, developers and companies can launch new web3 services. I think this is the way to go.
If we are able to creatr a new web3 service in steem, we can test the possibiliy of the service with the current steem users. It is huge benefits to the developers.
The problem is that several steem services are not marketed because of no support from the foundation or from whales.
Which web3 service do you think would the best to promote at the moment?
Including the future services, I would say the instant help service which I described the details in my last post.
https://blog.etain.club/hive-151113/@etainclub/web3-steem-7-instant-help-service
The other one is location based service like one I visioned here:
https://blog.etain.club/hive-151113/@etainclub/web3-steem-7-move-to-earn-m2e
However we market steem, rewards are what sets it apart.
Having said that, to keep the decorum of content creation within the blockchain,
I wouldn't market steem as Social Media or as Post & Earn platform. Steem is quite outdated as compared to the competing social medias. Social Media Influencers wouldn't want to join when the brands and companies are paying them much more for promotional content on other well-developed social medias. At this stage, when we have very low activity as compared to Instagram or Facebook, brands wouldn't want to promote their business here.
(I don't want to see promotional content on steem anyways. I don't know the consequences (they might be good) but it doesn't align with my personal preferences.)
The beauty of Steem lies within content created from heart (and brain of course).
Secondly 'Post & Earn' sounds like easy money.
Our main focus should be on targetting developers, bloggers and investors.
Agree on all your points, especially...
Hola amigo, vivimos una vida muy acelerada, es por ello que plataformas como Instagram tienen mucha popularidad, pues son publicaciones breves que se revisan en un instante, llaman la atención y generan gran cantidad de comentarios, mientras que Steemit se ha manejado en base a contenido largo, donde para interactuar hay que dedicarse a leer, en Instagram podemos ver muchas publicaciones en un día, mientras que acá unas pocas por día, bien sea por el largo contenido y el poco tiempo disponible para ello.
Pienso que la idea no es igualarlos o competir con otras redes sociales, sino buscar las herramientas para hacer Steemit mas atractiva para diversidad de usuarios.
A pesar de que muchos amamos estar aquí y hacer lo que hacemos, una de las cosas que mas atrae es generar ingresos, y ese es un tema que hay que trabajar, pues no solo se trata de ingresar nuevos usuarios, sino de mantenerlos activos y que no abandonen en poco tiempo.
De repente steemitblog debe volver a realizar aquellas iniciativas para dar sugerencias, hacer una luvia de ideas de como podemos mejorar la plataforma y hacerla mas atractiva, algo bueno debe salir de allí.
Mi objetivo como usuario es hacer lo que me gusta y que me paguen por ello, si hago de Steemit mi única fuente de ingresos, indudablemente tendré todo el tiempo disponible para estar aquí, crear e interactuar, todos queremos que sea rentable estar aquí.
En fin, hay mucho que decir.
Saludos, te deseo mucho éxito.
Agree, but we must not always be looking to Steemit and steemitblog to create new initiatives.
In the old version of Steem (before the split) Steemit played no active part in curation or activities on the platform.
The community should be generating new ideas as Steem is a decentralised blockchain.
Steem определенно больше, чем Steemit. Поэтому в нем находится место: подробным и кратким постам, социальному взаимодействию, новинкам от разработчиков, инвестированию и заработку.
Имеющиеся пользователи выбрали для себя Steem в качестве: 1) повышающее статус изучение нового способа публикаций; 2) небольшой заработок; 3) инвестирование имеющихся steem; 4) изучение криптовалюты.
Не все эти пункты обязательно присутствуют у одного пользователя сразу. Но, наверное, эти направляющие интересы объясняют имеющееся в Steem разнообразие.
Yes there are diverse opportunities on Steem.
Steemit has nothing in common with FB or other 'social media'
Why not compare it with like minded platforms?
If you ask me each platform/social media has its downsides and most of them are not famous because of their great reputation but because of gossips, lies, bullying, fake news which is part of (smart) marketing as well.
Before (or after) is decided how to marketing important is too how the site functions, in the way needed, notifictions do not wirk again, tags are useless if it comes to searching..
I must say in the (small) circle I write/communicate there is engagement, not just one comment + reply but real discussions.
What you like to see will never happen because all those in need will never invest time in reading and answering, not even 5 words. Shorter posts will not change that although it would be a plus since most content is spoiled with nonsense talk, the same greetings and basic text as in every post just to hit the recommended amount of words. Reading ten times the same line in one post is boring if not annoying.
All the good content, creativity like poems, haiku, short stories, story chains, and so on stopped and those writers left.
I doubt they will return also because content can't be found or found back this besides of the fact that good writers are banned, ignored if they power down in case of need.
Thanks for this posts.
A good weekend to you.
#comment
Dan para kurator enggan memberikan komentar yang memberikan masukan untuk meningkatkan kualitas konten. Mereka juga terkadang belum mampu mengidentifikasi konten plagiat, yang hanya mencopy dari google tanpa menyebutkan sumber kutipan. Di steemit terkesan exclusive bagi akun dengan reputasi tinggi dan SP yang besar pastinya. Seharusnya mereka yang terlebih dahulu memasarkan steem dengan menunjukkan bukti hasil kerja mereka lewat pembuatan konten " REALISASI PEMASARAN STEEM"
Saya rasa para kurator tidak memiliki waktu untuk memindai teks untuk mencari plagiarisme atau teks yang ditulis oleh AI. Mereka mungkin hanya melihat sekilas. Saya bahkan tidak yakin apakah orang pertama selalu manusia. Jika saya mengingatnya dengan baik, sc01 tidak pernah menjadi orang yang sama.
Mereka semua akan memiliki daftar dengan penulis "baik" atau orang yang mereka beri upvote. Saya sendiri ragu saya akan mendapatkan lebih dari apa yang saya dapatkan hari ini atau yang saya dapatkan selama beberapa tahun terakhir.
Ini bukan tentang menjadi penulis yang baik. Ini hanyalah sebuah ungkapan. Ini tentang para investor. Mereka yang berinvestasi akan mendapatkan imbalan. Ada seseorang yang menulis gratis setiap posting sekitar 10-11 $ itu selalu sama. Hanya robot yang bisa melakukan itu.
Mungkin kita harus melihat-lihat komunitas yang mereka ikuti.
Ada juga banyak orang yang membeli Steem dan saya berasumsi bahwa administrator dan moderator komunitas yang lebih besar juga dihargai.
Saya belum paham benar tentang mekanisme vote dari bot, apakah kita harus mendelegaskan sejumlah steem agar mendapatkan upvote otomatis dari bot.
The more SP you have, the bigger your invest is, the more famous you are, the higher the upvotes you receive. What you write doesn't matter.
You can post from now one 2 lines and will receive the same small amount. If you are lucky even more.
Look at my accounts. Same writer, same style of writing. It depends on where I post. Some communities are rewarded others rarely are. I kniw if I post with wakeupkitty I earn more than if I post with hive. If it would be true hard work and good content would pay I would earn more than 0.01 or?
It feels as if with "hard work" is not meant what you write but what you do for Steemit. The hard fork was because Justin Sun bought the platfkrm and it would loose the decentralisation. Today I hear no one talk about Justin or this fact. Did Justin sell? If not the platform has one or two owners and they are investors and if you invest you want to earn!
This means those who wark hard work for them. But Steemit has clearly more faces, communities where noone comments, upvotes and they earn very well even with a low SP.
Semakin banyak SP yang Anda miliki, semakin besar investasi Anda, semakin terkenal Anda, semakin tinggi upvote yang Anda terima. Apa yang Anda tulis tidak menjadi masalah.
Anda dapat memposting mulai sekarang satu 2 baris dan akan menerima jumlah kecil yang sama. Jika Anda beruntung, bahkan lebih banyak lagi.
Lihatlah akun saya. Penulis yang sama, gaya penulisan yang sama. Tergantung di mana saya memposting. Beberapa komunitas dihargai, yang lain jarang. Saya tahu jika saya memposting dengan wakeupkitty, saya mendapatkan lebih banyak daripada jika saya memposting dengan sarang. Jika memang benar kerja keras dan konten yang bagus akan menghasilkan, saya akan mendapatkan lebih dari 0,01 atau?
Rasanya seolah-olah dengan "kerja keras" tidak berarti apa yang Anda tulis tetapi apa yang Anda lakukan untuk Steemit. Garpu yang keras adalah karena Justin Sun membeli platfkrm dan itu akan menghilangkan desentralisasi. Hari ini saya tidak mendengar ada orang yang membicarakan Justin atau fakta ini. Apakah Justin menjual? Jika tidak, platform ini memiliki satu atau dua pemilik dan mereka adalah investor dan jika Anda berinvestasi, Anda ingin mendapatkan penghasilan!
Ini berarti mereka yang bekerja keras untuk mereka. Tetapi Steemit jelas memiliki lebih banyak wajah, komunitas di mana tidak ada yang berkomentar, memberikan upvote dan mereka mendapatkan penghasilan yang sangat baik bahkan dengan SP yang rendah.
#comment
There are definitely in the current setup. Comments are encouraged for the wrong reasons so often lack any value.
It is a shame that the creative writers you mention have left. Is there any way to get them back?
No, I don't think so. I am still in contact with a part of them but by now they found a new home.
I do see a bit more old Steemians around lately. I spoke to a few in the past days and invited them to have a look again. Who knows they will and stay.
Too much pressure I find hard since I have no idea what to offer. There's not even a writer's community. Perhaps in a few months @freewritehouse is more known again. Hopefully, also a place where writers engage.
A bit chit chat to be closer is hard to achieve. I always see the same people engage. It also feels as if more Steemians are more frequeny absent for longer periods.
I guess Steem price will always be a key factor.
There was a Writers & Reviews community a while back - I am not sure if it is still active.
I will stay in the freewriters or some community where I feel I can be creative. I read more and more messages about people, scs included, who feel all those rules are killing them. It should be a hobby, fun, something next to our life not wipe our lives out. I am by far not rewarded by all those hours I invest, the comments I leave, the upvotes. I truly ask myself why I am doing this. Who will benefit from my hard work? It feels as if we are back right before the hard fork.
Hello, @pennsif
This is a great post as it is precise, direct and objective to understand the marketing objective of steemit.
I think you touched on crucial points, perhaps there are more but the ones you mentioned are enough.
Since I'm methodical, I will always think first about the what and how of what I want to achieve.
It is also essential to know who the marketing is aimed at and for what.
Having the above answers will allow you to do good marketing.
Regards!
Thank you for your feedback.