My Suggestions To Improve Steemit

Overview

Stemit has a good community and I have enjoyed being part of it since joining in August of last year. The Steemit model offers a unique value proposition that no other social media platform has matched, i.e., members can earn financial rewards for their contributions. Nonetheless, I believe that there a number of steps Steemit could take to enhance the user experience and gain the widest possible adoption. Moreover, Steemit could win over more of the general public from the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

I would like to take the opportunity in this post to entertain a number of ideas that would represent some enticing features that could propel it along a path of becoming the absolute platform of choice. Just to be clear, I am not an expert on any of the topics I will present. This is simply my attempt to express I believe may help Steemit achieve long-term success; and if I could be so fortunate, the ideas discussed would serve as a catalyst for other community members to bring forth their expertise and skills to offer suggestions on how to implement those ideas.

The topics will follow in no particular order of importance.

Simplify the Sign up Process

In order to compete with the big players within social media space, Steemit must streamline and simplify its sign-up process. Techies and savvy social media types may be willing to wade through a multi-step approval process but I suspect that most within the general public will not. Having to wait days or ever weeks for membership approval will turn most people away.

Perhaps Steemit could implement a system with near instant approval offering limited privileges until the more thorough verification process is completed. This would remove some of the friction from the process and encourage more people to join the community.

Enhanced Content Filtering

As it stands, Steemit does allow one to browse by topic category based on general categories, however, it stills feels too difficult to zero in on topics that may seem genuinely interesting. This is where I believe enhanced content filtering options can help. Two areas where this can be of great use is in viewing posts from members who are followed and in viewing posts based on combining specific tags, topics and date ranges. Example scenarios follow below.

Followed Members

Using a followed members filter allows for narrowing the results of content feeds. For example, one could select to view all posts from followed members or a could select a certain number of feeds to view form a single member followed or a selected number of members that are arranged as a group.

Tags, Topics and Date Ranges

Advances filtering options that allow for tags, topics and date ranges would make it possible to narrow search results and increase the relevancy of the information being sought. This would also facilitate the means to reply to the posts more rapidly to those who are followed.

Introduce A Rewards Program for Bringing In New Members

Word of mouth is some of the best advertising in the world, just ask your friendly neighborhood marketing professional. Happy community members will freely promote Steemit to their families, circle of friends and acquaintances. Steemit can exponentially increase its membership by establishing a rewards program for onboarding new members, e.g.,10 SBD for each verified new member brought on board. Beyond that, it can serve as a basis for establishing groups of communities within Steemit, even specialized communities such as guilds, e.g., writers, composers, producers, etc.This would be a pretty sweet deal to incentivise members to help grow Steemit.

Provide a Mobile App for Android and iOS

It goes without saying that mobile internet rules supreme because more people experience the internet via mobile devices than any other means; and, in light of this fact, it only makes good business sense to provide the public with a mobile application that allows it to enjoy the Steemit experience to the fullest extent possible. At the moment, a third-party app, eSteem, is currently available and is a very good app. However, Steemit should have its own application that tightly integrates all of the various services it has at its disposal and enjoy the benefits of direct branding. Although it does not control access to the Steem blockchain, Steemit should definitely own the top spot in how users experience Steemit, and providing users with a native app go a long way in securing that goal.

Make Buying Steem Easy and Secure

Steemit should provide simple a way to make direct purchasing of Steem possible. This could include options for credit cards/debit cards, gift cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, major exchanges, and wherever feasible, ATMs or kiosks.

Credit Cards/Debit Cards

Credit and debit cards, where feasible, provide security and convenience while conducting transactions. Most people in developed economies possess one or the other or both. Having this option would likely encourage many community members to purchase Steem on a regular basis, thus building the pool of financial resources available to Steemit.

Steemit Gift Cards and Steem Prepaid Cards

Steemit Gift cards

Gift cards are a very popular medium that provide people with a cashless option to purchase goods and services. They are routinely used by millions of people to gain access to goods and services that are often not readily available or in areas where local suppliers do not exist. In some extreme scenarios, Venezuela readily comes to mind, some citizens, after enduring hardships due to economic sanctions and a collapse in the national currency (the Bulivar), have resorted to mining Bitcoin and converting them into fiat currency in order to purchase Amazon gift cards. The gift cards are then used to purchase the everyday necessities of life. Zimbabwe is another example where economic turmoil has driven the populace to seek out cryptocurrencies as a desperate means of survival.

The main point that I wish to drive home is that an ever increasing number of ordinary people are beginning to view cryptocurrencies as a viable, and in some cases, an absolutely necessary alternative to fiat currencies and other traditional financial instruments. Currently, Bitcoin and Litecoin are among the prefered virtual currencies in a number of stressed economies. As a result, many people could have an opportunity to supplement their incomes by earning money through their contributions the Steemit community. And since gift have become somewhat of a modern pseudo currency, I personally think that this is a more effective strategy to pursue than primarily receiving handouts through charities.

Beyond destressed economies are opportunities for Steemit in emerging economies. Many people in emerging economies are unbanked and are isolated from financial transaction with the rest of the world, Steemit could provide a means by which people can earn money and the Steemit could grow its community by orders of magnitude because people will have a clear incentive to earn money and better their lives.

Giving gift cards as a present for special occasions as birthdays, school graduations, etc. or as an expression of appreciation would be a way to build more excitement for Steemit. As the recipients of the gift cards begin to become more engaged Steemit, they will like provide positive word of mouth advertising to their families, friends, and associates. This will in turn help grow the Stemmit community.

Major retail outlets as well vending machines in major airports and rail stations could also provide a good means of distribution for the cards as these are frequented by high volumes people on a daily basis.

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards could offer a time limited boost to voting power. For example, a person buys a prepaid card worth $30 and applies it towards his or her account. The voting strength would then reflect the $30 value and would be in effect for 30 days or say 30 up-votes, whichever comes first. Of course, the cards can reflect different price points, e.g., anywhere for $10 to $100 in value. Time and voting strength limits are also tied to the value of each card. Availability of these cards can follow the gift card model.

Bank Transfers

Bank transfers from reputable institutions could allow individuals to purchase Steem when credit and debit card options do not exist. This is where I can imaging tremendous opportunities with the [partnership](World's First Crypto Bank AriseBank Announces BitShares Partnership, Acquisition of FDIC-Insured Bank - Bitcoinist.com) recently formed between Arise Bank and Bitshares. If I understand the proposed plans correctly, people should be able to trade Steem for Bitshares and then transfer the value into their Arise accounts. From there, people could initiate bank-to-bank transfers. This should present some very interesting possibilities, so we should definitely keep a keen eye on developments here.

Major Exchanges

Experienced investors would likely find the ability to buy Steem on major exchanges a very attractive option. Having Steem listed on most major exchanges would also lend credibility to the currency. Getting Steem listed on major exchanges could possibly be achieved through Steem evangelists and and various other advocacy groups.

ATMs & Kiosks

ATMs

The sheer ubiquity of ATMs make them an attractive means of transferring funds. Of course business arrangements would need to be in place that would allow individuals to transfer funds into an account that would go towards purchasing Steem. Steemit could, as in the case of the Bitshares partnership with Arise Bank, look to establish similar arrangement. For example, Steemit would have a business account established with Arise Bank, Steemit members could purchase Steem through interbank transfers and could have also make arrangements for on-going scheduled payments at fixed amounts.

Kiosks

As far as kiosks are concerned, Steemit could explore the possibility strike business deals to place branded kiosks in major airport and train stations. Another option would be to place then with large shopping malls, and in some cases, in popular convenience stores. The main point here is that Steemit could stands to greatly benefit from taking advantage opportunities in gaining exposure through major retail outlets.

Vendor Partnerships

This could be an excellent opportunity for both vendors and Steemit. Imagine the possible sales volumes that would be derived from the ability of people being able to make purchases at major retailers and food outlets using Steem. For example, if the likes of Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Starbucks, etc., would be willing to accept Steem as payment, Steemit would find itself light years ahead of any possible competition because this would truly be a killer use case scenario. This is where Arise Bank may be able to provide the necessary infrastructure and act as a clearing house making the transactions possible.

Community Surveys

Usability Surveys

Usability surveys can serve as tools for gathering input from the community on issues concerning UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) and any other points of friction the developers may be unaware of. Project leaders and developers can take this information and make the necessary adjustments to improve upon features, stability, security and user-friendliness.

Periodic Solicitation for Features and Improvements

Where feasible, Steemit could solicit feedback from its user base to implement features that people request the most. If implemented properly, survey can give community members the impression that their input is take seriously.

Cross-promotional Collaboration with DTube

Born out of the Steemit community itself, DTube is the first of its kind service that uses blockchain technology to facilitate the publishing and consumption of video content. Content creators can earn directly from their fan base and and have a ready made means to communicate with them.

There are several key areas I would like to address in terms of how a close collaboration with DTube can directly benefit Stemmit. These include: DTube's unique selling proposition, why it is important to attract top talent away from YouTube, cultivating top talent organically and developing a range of incentives for content creators to produce quality content.

DTubes Unique Selling Proposition

Perhaps the best selling point that DTube has to offer is that it allows content creators a means to generate income directly from the community Steemit community itself. For example, a person watches a video on how to grow tomatoes in small spaces and likes the content. That person can upvote the video and the money from the upvote will be credited to the creator's Steemit account. This is just one example but you can probably imagine people upvoting videos on just about any topic under the sun. The bottom line is, if the videos attract enough upvotes from members with strong voting power (ideally Dolphins and Whales), content creators can generate sizeable sums of money and this can serve as a tremendous motivator for maintaining quality and relevance.

Attract Top Talent Away From YouTube

People generally hate having their viewing interrupted by ads as witnessed in the wide adoption of ad blockers. The problem with this is that content creators have to find ways recouping production costs or they lose the ability to continue producing desirable content. Many have been able to offset their production via compensated through an ad revenue sharing model with YouTube. Some of the most popular channels have made some YouTubers quite wealthy. In fact, some creators have built entire businesses on this scheme. And for some people, it is their main livelihood.

Enter the ["Apocalypse”](YouTube Wants Content Creators To Appeal Demonetization, But It's Not Always That Easy). People who have been following the ad sage that has affected content creators on YouTube are aware how demonetization has posed a real financial threat to their channels. As a result, a number of these people have taken steps to replicate their content of other platforms such as Vemeo, Facebook, Patreon or even mirroring content on their own websites. This of course is not the most ideal manner for their subscribers to access this content. This is where DTube comes in. DTube does not rely on an ad model and content creators can earn money on the platform by posting quality content that gets upvoted by Steemit members. By developing a strong brand and by cultivating a large enough base of followers, content creators can generate significant amounts of ongoing income. One example that readily comes to mind is Jeff Bourges, The Dollar Vigilante. He has a large YouTube presence and has a strong brand. Even shortly after joining Steemit, he was able to earn thousands of dollars after making just a few posts because his brand recognition got him lots of upvotes, especially from those with higher voting power.

DTube can gain notoriety and expand if it actively extends an invitation to top YouTube talent. If the best content creators join DTube, their subscriber will most certainly follow. A close collaboration with with DTube will directly benefit Steemit as well.

Access to Premium Content Using Smart Media Tokens

SMTs could serve as an utility medium in providing access to premium content. This could encompass audio, visual, and written content. Content creators would get to enjoy direct compensation from their patrons and Steemit could take a small fee for facilitating the transactions. The net result is that there is an absence of a line of middle men and Steemit would have a sustainable line of revenue.

Just a side-note concerning the current state of DTube. The video sharing platform is still in the beta phase and as such rough edges and glitches are to be expected. One particular thing to consider for those who have posted content or are considering posting content is that the site will maintain content for a fixed number of days, after which the content will be removed. From what I understand the developers are working towards offering a permanent solution for hosting content. So if you have content that you consider valuable, it is wise to back it up. News of the most recent updates to the service can be found here.

Cross-promotional collaboration with DSound

DSound is a revolutionary music platform. I am aware of no other service that allows music and spoken word content to earn money through upvotes. The service is also very intuitive and already has a good range of quality content. Both Steemit and DSound could benefit by promoting each other's services and by conducting cross-promotional campaigns. In doing so, brand recognition should increase and should help both platforms in gaining new members.

Access to premium content

Access to premium content is where Smart Media Tokens can serve as a great way to generate additional money. For example, buyers could use SMTs to gain access to materials as exclusive audio/video sets or a series of written materials. In another scenario, SMTs could allow access to live streams of popular events, e.g., sports, music, travel, etc.

As a rough comparison, consider how people gain access to enhanced content on Patreon. Content creators provide members (Patreons) with exclusive content based on their monetary contributions. Perhaps with some adaptation, a similar model function may be feasible using SMTs. And the creators of SMTs intend to give the the ability to be offered through a multitude of means. Easy and ubiquitous access will make SMTs an extremely compelling proposition.

Offer Free Courses and Tutorials on How To Use the Platform

Steemit could engage members of the community who posses relevant expertise to establish a learning initiative such as a "Steemit Academy" in which various aspects, e.g., basic blogging, establishing community presence, etc., of the platform are taught and how students can best utilize resources available on Steemit to make the most of their efforts. Course materials could reflect basic, intermediate and advanced topics and with particular emphasis on real-world use cases. Organization and presentations could possibly be modeled on what you find at Udemy, one of the most popular online learning sites.

As a side note, instructors could offer some enhanced materials to students that are accessible through the use of Smart Media Tokens. This could include certain audio/visual and written materials. This is where tight integration with DTube and Dsound would be of great benefit for all involved.

Demonstrate the Benefits of following a Long-term Investment Strategy With Steem

Steemit is a unique and exciting platform and I for one would like it to be around for the long-haul. With that in mind, I think that wise investments, i.e., buying Steem, made by the community can go a long way in ensuring that Steemit continues to develop and serve the needs of the community well into the future.

Again, this is where experts with proven track records can help others in making informed investment decisions as they relate to Steem and Steemit. Users should be presented with a number of practical scenarios that illustrate how making long-term investments in Steemit can pay off. This task can perhaps be in part best performed by whales and witnesses who have been on the platform the longest and are held in very high regard. Other who have experience with long-term successful investment strategies provide practical information on how to formulate and carry out well informed decisions.

Conclusion

Just to reiterate, Steemit is a is a very good platform and offers features that no other social media services has matched. It remains the only platform where members can get paid directly for posting content and upvoting others. The community at-large is tends to be quite civil and offers interesting views on a wide range of topics.

I have tired to identify a number of areas where I think Steemit can improve and grow membership and increase community participation. For my part, I tend to believe that Steemit has a solid future ahead and that it will, in due course, become a premier destination. It has the potential to become the definitive standard for social media platforms of the future. So with that, it’s full Steem ahead!