Consistent action on Steemit can yield prodigious results

There are many, many articles on how to be successful on Steemit. One only needs to search for them - and read them. And then follow them. Each of us will find our own path on Steemit, or DTube, or Dsound or some other interface of preference. But no matter how we do it, there is one rule that seems to rule them all: consistent action over time yields prodigious results.

As I mentioned yesterday, some people appear to be disillusioned that the price of Steem and Steem Based Dollars is not going to the moon on schedule. In yesterday's article, I outlined some of the reasons why that is and what we can do about it.

If you want Steem to go up, create transaction demand. If we use Steem, we create demand and that increases the price of Steem relative to the dollar. But if it were me, I'd rather rely upon our own action to influence the price of Steem than to rely upon speculators. Remember, some of them are short selling bitcoin and that drives the price down. And when bitcoin goes down, Steem goes down. But I'm straying from the point of this article.

I have looked at some of the most successful contributors on Steemit and have found one very common theme. Consistent action over time. Maybe I should say, consistent actions over time. They post on a regular, predictable basis. They engage their audience and reply to almost every comment. They curate the articles of other people. They create content that people can use, that entertains, and that adds value to the community.

So, with the limited time available to me, I'm doing that. I'm writing articles every day that I can. I would do three, but I have a family and a day job and I'd like to watch a little bit of Netflix/Prime/Whatever, and I'd like to spend some time at the gym for exercise. But even with the limited time that I'm working on this, I'm seeing results.

What I'm learning is that success starts with just one loyal follower. And it builds from there. Now I'm not an expert on the subject. Today, I'm just going to share with you what happened when I changed just one habit. But if you're looking for a great starting point on how to succeed on Steemit (and really, just about anywhere online), check out this article by @luzcypher: The Most Valuable Steemit Post Begins In Your Head - Tips To Mazimize Your Social Currency On Steemit. That article alone, completely changed the way I think about Steemit.

So today, I just want to share about how I noticed something that really took me about a year and half to notice:

The replies link. Over the last few months, I just got really dedicated to producing something and posting it every day. Consistently. But what I wasn't noticing were the replies coming my way.

You know how on other social media like Facebook and Google+, you can get notifications for replies? Well, I can get that sort of on Busy.org when it works. And the Steemit.com interface doesn't really have a system for monitoring replies other than to hit that Replies link on your home page for your blog here in Steemit.

So I'm getting in the habit of doing just that and adding it to my routine. I post an article in the morning and then after a long day at work, and/or with my kids, when everyone else has settled down, I hit the replies before I go to sleep and nail every reply with another reply. I always thank my readers for their attention. This is an attention economy, so I always thank them. This is the one new habit I'm adding to my routine.

If my readers found my article helpful in any way, I take note and consider producing additional related subject matter. I thank my readers for acknowledging my work. I thank them for noticing the little things I didn't notice about my articles.

That little bit of engagement helps to build a following. But don't take my word for it. Look at the top earners on Steemit and you will see that is what they do, every day. Yes, it is a job and it is work, but it enjoyable work.

I have a day job. I get paid hourly to do that job. When I show a customer something new about the system that they have paid buku bucks for, and I hear that click and the light goes on over their head, that is my high. I feel it in my chest and my arms. I'm energized when I help people. And I remember how that feels.

So I am learning how to do the same thing on Steemit. I'm learning how to help people with what I know by sharing. And I do this, one person at a time. I know, it seems like peanuts at first. And that is what it is for me now. But I've seen feedback from someone I've helped, and that someone became a loyal reader, not just a follower, but someone who will actually make a point to read my articles and see what I'm doing.

That buzz that I get from helping people, that feeling I get in my chest...that's better than anything I can eat or swallow. That's better than anything I could ever see on a screen. Mankind is built to feel that "helpful" feeling. That helpful feeling is the foundation of the success (if you can call it that) of the human race. In terms of success, there is no better character attribute than being helpful, and we're deeply wired to feel that feeling when we help people.

Over the last few weeks, I've noticed a small but growing trend in my posts. Yes, I've paid for some promotion, but that's because I'm a tiny voice in the howling wind of Steemit. I'm only broadcasting my message. I'm not trying to get on the trending page. Even if I did (I did just once long ago), I still must engage my readers.

I'm also posting comments on other articles by other people. And I check for replies to my comments. I keep it short and on point. I have a tendency to write articles in my comments. But people are busy, so I try to keep it short. As a writer, I like to hit every single point and angle that I can find. I just like how I feel when I do that. So I'm striking a balance.

There are people on Steemit that I happen to like. I like their content and will waltz over to their blog just to read a few articles and upvote them and comment on them. I want them to know that I'm here, reading their stuff and letting them know that their words mean something to me.

It's a rather virtuous cycle and it's not a capitalist cycle. As you'll read in @luzcypher's article above, Steemit is a gift economy. Every day is Christmas on Steemit. I give, they give. They give, I give. It's not an exchange of services, it's an exchange of gifts. All gifts, all the time. But it must be done consistently for it to work.

One last thing. If you don't enjoy your work, you're probably doing it wrong, or you're not doing what you enjoy. There are so many ways to give on Steemit. I love to write. I just blew through 1200 words (at this point), in about 30 minutes. I start writing and the words start to flow. And then I have to figure out a way to stop, to wind it down.

You can do sound recordings, videos, apps, photography, and writing. It's all here and there is more to come. Just contribute on a daily basis and maybe take the weekends off. But be consistent. Be positive. Be here. Because the other social media siphons haven't figured out how to be nice to their content creators.

I came here for the money. I stayed here for the community.

Write on.

Slogan by @tecnosgirl

Other articles you might enjoy by @digitalfirehose:
Plan B for Humanity

A basic guaranteed income in the context of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A sort of political movie review: Star Wars: Rogue One

Happiness isn't getting everything you want - happiness is a skill

The opposite of love is not hate, it is apathy

Fate, impunity and altruism