Working on Steemit for the last month has been quite a journey. There has been a mix of emotions from ‘WTF?’ to Holy Shite…

I am have met some awesome people, made relationships and read countless posts.  I have also met some, well let’s just call them Dicks.

But most of I have learned. 

I didn’t think there was going to be so much to learn when I started out.  ‘It’s just another blogging platform’, I thought to myself.   Hell I have been working online now for 7 years.  Creating content and making money, what could be so difficult right?

Lol but it doesn’t work out that way does it....

So I have decided to write this post, as a minnow on Steemit, but an experienced online content creator to explain to the established Whales and Dolphins the dilemma that Steemit poses to established Bloggers and Content Creators.  Many of you reading this will recognize the dilemma, as you have come to Steemit, like me, with an existing following elsewhere. 

My Story

My story is like many others.  I began working online in 2010.  Totally by chance. In 2007 I had my first child, but while I was on maternity leave the whole world changed.  Financial Doom.  Banks collapsing and total business sectors completely folding.  In Ireland we did not escape.  We were hit badly (and we are still paying for it might I add).  I had no job to return to.

So With a passion for Excel and a professional qualification in Accounting, I decided to make a series of Excel video tutorials, for Accountants.  Video……I knew nothing about making videos, editing, sound, mics……not to worry, sure I can wing it and learn as I am going.

With a CD in my hands containing 10 hours of Video tutorials, I approached a professional body and told them their accountants suck at excel and I could fix the problem.  Sell them my tutorials and it’s a win win.

They loved the idea, but…..

They wanted a website and a learning management system and this and that……

I knew nothing about this stuff……Shite it doesn’t matter, I can wing it……

And I did, my first online course has made me over €150,000 and still sells.

But if I have a website, I can get even more reach online.  So I needed to start blogging.  It’s now 2010.

Not coming from a technical background, setting up my first blog was such an achievement…it was a learning curve.  From selecting and buying my first domain, to figuring out how the heck to use WordPress.  Everything was new to me

Oh and then there is marketing the content…..what else do I need to learn……

Every week I produce 3-4 new pieces of content, some are blogs and some are videos.  I have joined communities online and answer questions daily, post comments on other posts and generally interact with the community.  

Learning not to spam was difficult for me at the start, I didn’t get the community thing.  It was only when I finally got this that things began to change.

When I link to my posts in these communities, I get comments, shares, likes, traffic, and increase in email sign ups.  Only because I put the effort in, day in day out.

And because I have grown my own traffic, Google are kind to me.  I have never paid for ads with Google and I still get 20% of my traffic from them each month.

Over the years I have grown my business, I now have courses on my own platform and other platforms such as Udemy.   And with each platform, there was a learning curve, and there is a community. Being part of these communities has helped a lot with my growth on these platforms.

I work online, but I work hard.  Yes it is fun, but I only get out what I put in.

here is some proof of my reach....I have almost 20K students on Udemy alone.....

It’s now 2017 and I am on Steemit

For the last month I have treated Steemit as I would any other platform from which I can create content and make money.

I have spent time mingling with the community, I have joined discord and mix with Whales in Whaleshares, mingle with other minnows in Minnow Support.  I Read post, make comments, share, resteem, upvote.  And I produce content.

Within a week my Steemit account was worth $200+.  3 weeks later and it is still at $200.  Not because my content is doing badly, but because the price of Steem (and Crypto in general) has taken a nose dive.  This is okay, to be honest this does not phase me in the least.  I wasn’t expecting to start making ‘money’ so fast.  I kinda get it.  My posts are getting more upvotes, it’s just the value of peoples posts are worth less, so I am still growing.

The problem is the time.  

The time to get involved with the community.  

The time to learn.  

The time to make posts and promote these post.

Where has this time come from?

Well it’s been taken from my existing business, and now a month later, I am seeing the negative effects being on Steemit has taken.

I am not in the communities as much, in fact I have spent so much time ‘getting the hang of’ Steemit that I have managed to neglect my existing following.  I am not there to help them, I am on a new project.

My website traffic is down over 30%.  My email list has barely increased.  That means very few new ‘customers’ and a downturn in revenue.

You see Steemit is not something you can hit running.  You need to have the time. You need to be able to commit.  That’s the nature of business.  If you have been working online growing a following and monetizing it then you know what I am talking about.

Do I think I can grow on Steemit faster than I deplete on my own site, I don’t think so.  Steemit is still in Beta.  Steemit could still fail. After all that work, all that learning, all that growing, there is now way I want my own site to slip.

You see what I give to Steemit, I take from myself. 

This is the Steemit Dilemma faced by established Bloggers and Content Creators

I for one intend on STAYING on Steemit, There is still so much to learn, and I really do love being on Discord.  I enjoy a laugh, and I do have one there.  It’s a great place to learn.   If you are not on discord yet, consider joining PLA Minnow Support and Whaleshares.  These groups rock.

But I do have to restrict my presence (I know all you guys will miss me around so much!).  I have to because I need to protect my existing business.  What’s worse is that I know this will slow down the growth of my Steemit account.

I already hear some of you ask…..if you have an existing following, then why don’t you bring them to Steemit?

 The answer is simple really.   I have spent a month getting to know the platform and I am still learning.  Most of my followers don’t want that hassle, it’s taken 7 years to grow my reach to over 40,000 people.  I recently had a look at the Steemit Database and the retention is only about 6%.  You can check out that post here:https://steemit.com/steemit/@paulag/steemit-retention-problem-analysis-of-steemit-database