Emeraldflame #2: The Big Trap: What I learned in the first few days of joining Steemit and how to avoid falling into it!
Hey Fellow Steemians,
So it has been a few days since my very first intro post, you can check it out here
I was really blown away by the support of the Steemit community and event Steemit in general wow what a platform with so much potential, I am really excited to be here and be amongst those of us who are changing the way we interact and communicate online.
What I feel is that Steemit is an opportunity for us to share, express and communicate in a more free, open and expansive way and one of the many reasons that I am moving more away from the centralised social media networks such as facebook is that this space allows for true expression and also the sharing of real valuable content for FREE yes FREE!
I don't know about you but I think we are all over the sales videos, the click funnels and the articles which sell you into a 10 step process, then they tell you step #1 and then they say "click here" for more and then you are led to a page to buy their 10 week course!!! I get it- all good and actually there was a time that I felt this was working for me too, but not anymore.
What it has created is an environment where users have become more focused on creating content (for the sake of it) vs authentically expressing/ sharing. The focus right now on these platforms is "how can I create more content that sells vs what can I share that I am learning, or what can I share that is valuable that can support others."
We loose sight of what is real
We loose sight of what is most powerful
REAL people living real lives, sharing authentically (without filter)
Now I briefly spoke about expression in my intro post a few days ago. I spoke about bursting the “purpose” bubble and looking deeper within ourselves and asking the following questions;
“What if I was abundantly supported for being me- what would I be doing? "
"How would I be spending my time?"
"What would you give the world without expectation?"
"What is your gift to the world?" (The one thing that lights you up, that allows you to embody more of who you are. The thing that allows you to feel more joy, peace, love abundance in your life everything)
So what is really awesome about Steemit is for the first time ever, we have a platform that rewards us abundantly for our own expression. What I am excited the most about is that it is giving us all an opportunity to share content from a very different space and we as a community have the opportunity to share wisdom, knowledge and learnings with one another that have never before been shared. We have the opportunity to make this platform the most transparent, authentic and powerful platform for human interaction, learning and growth.
This is huge!!
However… I noticed myself over the past few days after posting my first post, that I was falling back into content creation trap. I found myself in a head spin;
"What will I write about?"
"What will people want to read?"
"What will people up vote??"
and what happened?? Writer’s block of course.
Busted! There is was.. The BIG Trap!
So I thought to myself "Isn't Steemit is different??”
The reason I joined Steemit is because it is meant to be about me expressing what I feel in the moment and how I live and what Im learning. It is about sharing what is hot on my heart, and what is real versus what I think people will like.
It about sharing something different. It is about giving without expectation.
So here is my approach:
Share what is real
Give without expectation
Otherwise what is the point? We might as well be on Facebook which is what we are moving away from.
So one of the first things to do is to sit and ask yourself the following questions:
What I am learning right now that is valuable?
Would it support other Steemians?
Would this be fun to share?
Can I give this with no expectation?
If the answer is YES to all, then this could be the content you could be sharing.
This is the type of content we need from all of you. If we all choose to create from this space we will support Steemit to become the most kick ass un-centralised social platform that ever existed????? Are you in??**
If yes then keep reading..
5 ways you can create more authentic content that is magnetic:
1) Express yourself authentically vs become a content machine
Express yourself authentically, your thoughts, what you feel, what you learning or witnessing in your life or in the world (No filters) Write valuable content and insights from direct experience, learnings vs writing something for the sake of writing or regurgitating generalised content.
2) Do it because it lights you up (not because you want to be liked, appreciated or up voted
There is a very different energy to a post that is written from a place to be liked, to make money vs a post that is written from a place of authenticity and be unapologetically you with no attachment to any result
3) Be in integrity and alignment
The more I post with you the more I will speak about energy and the energetics behind everything we do. We have to give it as much attention now as we do with the physical world. The intention we put behind everything, including our thoughts, our words, our writings is vital. People are too awake now and conscious, if the blog doesn't come from a place of alignment with your values or alignment with your integrity people will feel it. If your intention is to give, people will feel that. If your intention is to profit, people will feel that. So ask yourself, what is the intention behind your post today?
“Give without expectation”
4) Be Transparent
The veil is lifting, and as I mentioned above people are becoming more aware. Be honest and transparent with your readers, let the barriers down, be vulnerable and show them the real you it will create more trust and also shows you are a real human with ups and downs too.
5) Be inspired: Share when content that hot on your heart
When there is energy behind what you write it is magnetic. When you feel the need to write or post a blog, do it! Don’t second guess yourself. Get it out there and quick. I personally find the videos , posts that I share when I am in the energy of inspiration reaches far more people and creates the greatest impact!
So let's do it, lets use this platform for what it was made for, lets create more impact, lets express and share more real and authentic content, let us allow for more variety, more creativity and allow yourself to experience what it feels like to be rewarded for being you!
Of course not everyone will resonate with everything you share but that is ok- the world needs your voice, it needs your expression, your colour, your voice and that is what I am most excited about with this platform.
Over the next few weeks, I intend to share more and more with you.
If this resonates comment below and if this has supported you to crack open and bring through some amazing content I would love to hear from you, post link to your blog post in comments below and let's start sharing some really cool Sh**t!!
Big Hugs,
Niamh
(aka Emeraldflame)
Hello Niamh, although I mostly concur with what you're saying, there are a few things I would like to add.
To me having expectations is critical for a good experience. You probably with expectations that is monetary-driven, but you can also have expectations that people read your blog and appreciate it. This is in my opinion the best motivation to be active on Steemit.
I have been active in IT for many, many years. I could take you back to the times we created our own computers and programmed in assembly, but I won't. Or did I just?
Anyway, just spewing your ideas, moods and feelings of the moment have proved in the past to quite often lead to issues in the future. Although at the moment it is difficult to find information back on Steem, in the future tools will probably appear that will make this a more streamlined experience.
At those times posts of the past may bite you in the ass, so I feel a common sense filter is something to have handy at all times.
Still, do not hold back. We now have the opportunity to express ourselves freely, while all MSM in controlled by governments and companies.
If we use the correctly we may finally be able to make some real changes, and maybe make this a better world in which we are finally really free.
Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to seeing more of you on Steemit (or busy.org, which I prefer).
Greetz,
Ray.
Thank you so much for your feedback and taking time to respond to my blog and also for sharing more about busy.org will check it out.
Hey @emeraldflame you have made a little bit of a mistake with the linking of your Introduction post you need to remove the"!" from the back in the html code because now the page is being linked to:![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmQW3LuJbk5nsV4X9FvnuToWDBf87yiEehR7imXLxe1q8W/image.png)
You are absolutely correct on being authentic on steemit, this is something i have said aswell :)
Thank you for being you!
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://s20.postimg.org/52x6ld1mz/divineencounter.jpg)
Thank you so much for sharing this with me I am really grateful . Will update now I have upvoted you
lovely learnings :) I'm sure your content will be perfect for the community!
Thank you Alanite
Love it. Thank you for this post and reminder. Home run for me!
Hey Niamh. Don't be discouraged that the second post didn't do as well as the first. It's always the way. Stick with it, be grand.
Hola de nuevo, espero que estes muy bien, te comente en la publicacion de tu primera presentacion, ahora aca, repito siento que me habla mi yo del futuro (ja ja ja), esto es muy extraño pero a la vez emosionante, gracias por estar presente y compartir tu intención... EXITOS.
Well I absolutely loved this post, every bit as much as your first, Niamh! It encapsulates everything I've been currently thinking about the social media world of marketing, where every man and his dog is making the same cheesy funnels, annoying popups and clickbait.
You are right, most people's first thought when they start a blog or social media page is "How can I monetise this?" and this results in them copying of what "works" rather than being authentic. They may be providing some value but in the long run, I reckon it costs people more than they make in a few quick sales.
The people out there making good money long term are usually the ones who weren't trying to sell from the get-go, just doing what they love and genuinely trying to help others.
Looking forward to reading more of your work and hopefully connect as a fellow "awakened" being :)