What is your breaking point?
Earlier this morning @whatsup replied one of my comments on her post, and she told me how she had posted over 95 posts on steemit without earning anything. I was really amazed. For one to be that dedicated it takes a lot of strength. But we are not all cut from the same material, so they say. I on the other hand might have given up after so many attempts, or maybe not.
I started first blog, www.prynczzwonda.wordpress.com , at 18. I have been running it for close to 6 years--well I hardly post there anymore. Even when I had little or no engagement, I kept on writing and improving--which is very key for any writer.
What kept me going?
There were two or three persons that read my blog frequently, and their comments and acknowledgement of my creativity and it's potential was priceless to me. I wasn't earning anything, just the emotional reward of seeing someone appreciate what I did. My target audience was just ten persons. I would tell myself: If could just get ten persons to read my post I will be fine. I did not put a price tag on my creativity. But as one matures needs change. For me, it was far more better monetising my skill than getting a job I do not like, so I started searching for ways to earn from creating content and still get my emotional fix.
Now, on steemit we are driven by financial rewards. When you sign up on this platform you have it at the back of your mind that you're here to earn. Maybe that was not the incentive for the first set of users, but for now it is the incentive that drives most of the users. Thus, Steemians relegate their content to this ecosystem because this is where it pays. Hardly would you find a steemit post on other platforms like twitter, reddit, etc Even if you do find, it's just by a few persons which, in comparison to the population of Steemians, is insignificant. And in the end a lot of people still don't earn much or any emotional pleasure from the process. In my opinion, this is why people leave. Steemit doesn't provide that emotional stimulation that drives creativity. Most people will leave this platform if they were not earning anything or something significant. And I really don't think this will change, because it's a mindset that drives the activities on this platform--that you're here to earn. Everything you do is centred around that, and when that's not happening people move on to something and usually it's the social platforms that offer only emotional rewards.
So will I still be here if I wasn't earning?
No, because that's what I was promised when I sign up:
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I think this is the problem. It might have served as a bait before now, but now it's the reason why people leave steemit. This promise is not met adequately and can not be sustained in the long run. As @markkujantunen stated in his recent post, Poor New User Retention And What To Do About It
There needs to be more fiat flowing into the Steem ecosystem for the price of STEEM to be supported.
We need another slogan. One that emphasises investment. If we are all here to earn free steem, do we even consider how these steem are created? What makes it stable?
I understand that steem's value is dependent on the volume of investment in the platform, not just the time and content I put in here, but also buying steem and powering up. So I'm not expecting to make a fortune just by writing good contents, that's just one aspect of steemit.
Going back to what I was saying earlier, yes I will leave if I wasn't earning. But If I had more stake or influence on the platform I might not leave. How do i achieve this? By powering up. Everything I have earned so far goes to building my steem power, which is my stake on the blockchain. I want a situation where every time I feel like giving up or moving elsewhere, I have something to hold me back-- an incentive to stay, which is my STEEM POWER.
My current goal is reach 500 SP. This can only happen in two ways: either I buy steem or through my earning from contents created on steemit. This is a very lofty goal considering my earning rates and finances. It might not even happen in the next 6-12 months if I'm to judge by my earning rate. But like I have said countless times, I'm here for the long term.
Some people cannot stay to build, they just want their quick fix--steem! Steem! Steem! And there are some who want to stay but aren't getting any reward, either be it emotional or financial. I will advise that such persons spend time engaging with others on the platform. Find people with similar interests and interact with them. And your post should not just die here on steemit. Share! Share! Share! On Twitter, Facebook, medium, etc There are many channels you can use to connect with more people outside the steemit ecosystem, that way you're even spreading the gospel of steem to every corner of the cyberspace.
We all have different breaking points, and we should realise also, that to some extent, our commitment to the steemit platform is dependant on our stake here. That's why it's easier for the newbies to leave and the oldies (yes, oldies) find it hard to leave. Someone may say it's good for the steemit ecosystem, separating the wheat from the chaff. I've supported is notion as well. But if we are pulling people to this platform and offering them a chance to earn it really should be worth their while.
However, we can make new users (and old users) a better promise. One that borders along the line ofinvestment on the platform, because the major way steemit can make significant progress in the future..
OTHER POSTS
• [FLASH FICTION] THE PRODIGAL SON
• THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU CAN DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS
• WE ALL CAN BE GREAT, WE CAN'T ALL BE GREAT. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
I wrote that post only yesterday but still I'm a bit underwhelmed by the level of response I got. You are the only one who understood the key point of Steem needing more fiat investment. That is absolutely vital. This question boils right down to the value proposition of Steem and that's what we should be brainstorming all the time here and not getting other users to upvote us instead of some other users.
All 95 of my earning-less posts were not in a row. It was a rough start back then also. Although there were fewer of us, there was a huge curve in the reward pool and the vast majority of the rewards went to the same small group. They were giving big delegation and they upvoted each other first a couple of others as a "Look I helped" kind of mentality. It was super frustrating and like today's minnows I was kind of mad and whiny.
It changed when I quit being mad and started to figure out how to earn my share. I don't know if you will break or not, but if you look at my account history you will see I built the account on grinding. Little tiny votes, little tiny SP, it's starts to build and gets easier and easier.
thanks for the insight. I appreciate your comment.
like they say, only time will tell. it's only just 24 days since I began this new journey, but I am optimistic that I will be here for a while.
I think another reason why newbies don't last is because they do not understand the steemit ecosytem. Day by day I keep reading revealing things about the blockchain and it gives me a better understanding of the platform and the fundamental elements to its success.
Very good article....
YOU have written very precisely...and down to earth way...
Please place your comments here:
https://steemit.com/restoration/@bindas/kerala-floods-severe-calamity-says-central-government-of-india
You have a good, positive approach to Steemit. I'm only a minnow myself, but if you're willing I would like to do a project to see if I can help get you to that 500 SP mark. All I would ask is that when you reach it you would help someone else to do the same.
well, if it's safe I do not mind. Helping others is fundamental to one's growth so I dont think that will be an issue. If I am in a position where I can help people I will do so gladly, esp when it has to do with steemit. But first I need to know the nature of the project and if I have the capacity to follow it to the end.
The project is more on my end than yours. I really want to know if a minnow can do much to help another make headway. You're already doing a great job. Your votes are well spread and as your SP builds you will start to get curation rewards.
I was thinking more along the lines of sponsoring you. So regular upvotes, resteems now and again on quality posts and if you keep up the quality that you currently have then I might be able to promote around with others I've come to know. Maybe tips now and again that I believe will help you.
I don't ask anything of you, just whether you'd mind if I made notes of how your SP is building and if I can potentially make a post/posts on how things go. It would be lovely to have a success story or even learn from it.
well, if that's all it takes then I accept. It will be a great opportunity for me.
Great.
I've just applied for you to be enrolled in @steembasicincome. Have you heard of them before? There is a waiting list so it will probably take a few days, but look out for a notice in your wallet which will tell you when you've been enrolled. If you haven't come across them before have a little look and ask me or them any questions you might have. Basically it you'll get upvotes from them for as long as you post on here.
it seems they run most of their activities via discord. I cannot access discord on my phone (using Blackberry z3). the thirdparty app I tried using makes my phone lag so I deleted it.
You don't need to be on discord to made use of it. I use discord we very little myself, because my time zone is so different to most of the active internet world. What I've done is enrolled you for your first share and one it's completed you'll get upvotes from one of their accounts every time you post. Once you enrollment comes through you'll be able to increase those shares by upvoting the @steembasicincome posts regularly. It works in a pay it forward kind of loop where your input helps both you and others.