500 Followers, a Reflection of Five Months and Steemfest.
I gained my 500th follower a few days ago so I thought ‘I need to make one of those 500 followers - woohoo lets celebrate’ posts.
![1chw684z1u.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/1chw684z1u.jpg)
Fives all around, five months on Steemit and 500 followers, but my interaction rate is probably 5%; are there any more fives I can add to this equation?
Possibly 7% at best is a better figure. We all know that most followers don’t actually do anything. I remember an incident during my first few days of joining. I was in a hotel room and posted an article. I visibly saw my followers increase, 11, 12, 13, 14, WOW – is everyone that interested in what I’m posting about?
It was genuine excited until I discovered these are the bog standard bots that follow every new Steemian when they start post. The excitement quickly faded when I got 3 votes for that particular article which had taken me some time to write, yielding me $0.00 in rewards.
I have rehashed some of those songs from that music article since I got noticed into newer posts; of course you get noticed if you persevere! Steemit is a tough place for new people, and you must keep trying if you want something to happen.
I was extremely fortunate enough to meet a friendly dolphin named @steevc after just TWO posts. If not for that connection, I would not be here and writing this article; that is absolute fact.
Now I am a dolphin of the lower ranks, but nevertheless technically of the same status. The encouragement that I got from this guy and a couple of others who incidentally have either left or have taken a break, was the difference of an increase in the abandonment statistics or another middle class Steemian.
![esxj8emrh0.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/esxj8emrh0.jpg)
It was late March 2018 and after just 3 weeks of me joining, and I was toying with attending the SteemCamp in Birmingham that @lloyddavis was hosting and advertising through his @steemcampuk account.
Was this some cult I was getting involved in? I have had brushes with the likes of Amway with their pyramid selling schemes and even Scientology at one part of my life, so was a little wary.
Several influential people would be attending, including @steevc, the host and @pennsif. The latter person did a no show on the day, but I got my feet wet just enough to convince me that it was worth pursuing. Maybe it was not a cult and maybe I would not be brainwashed.
The connection had been made, something had changed and I’m quite sure I will be attending the SteemFest in November to further those connections. That’s what this is all about people, connections. You can create great stuff and @curie may see you, and give you a monster vote but your next article might yield you $0.02 again.
If you want attention, then go out and find it, and if you want major attention then attend the SteemFest, as it will work wonders for your connections. We are human, sociable and we like to interact on a personal level. Meet the people, talk to them and communicate.
You can’t afford to attend SteemFest? If you are serious about your platform, you can’t afford NOT to go.
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSSjgs1swFwv64uXRVpB9DAtzSnDv2Eeqr3CnPAup4WVV/Banner.png)
If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, resteem, engage me or all of these things.
II can add another 5 it was 15 hours ago you posted this when I am commented
Congrats on the 500 followers
Hey, you forgot to mention you met me! That surely was worth the trip to Birmingham in itself! xD hehe It was great to meet everyone that I had interacted with for months previously, but it does make me sad that lots of them have now left and indeed pulled their steem out and moved it wherever. I need to be more active on Steemit, but it has been hard recently and the fact my posts only get $0.90 certainly doesn't inspire creativity lol But hey ho, if we want to keep this platform alive, we have to keep trusting in it and hoping that one day we will find a whale to support our efforts haha I seem to be missing something that others haven't as everyone who started after me seems to be getting along quite nicely with big upvotes from community projects etc. I guess there is a secret club that I am not a part of...yet! lmao
Are you going to Steemfest? I'm happy to spill the beans on what I do to get more votes. It seems like a roles reversal thing from when we spoke before eh?
The key is being more active and getting those personal connections, and join a curation group. You will be considered 'big fish' in one of those I can tell ya.
Most of the brum crew are still active except for @davedev who never got going. I'll keep visiting you, and I'll try and get your posts > $1.
Are you using the esteem desktop app to post or just bog standard Steemit interface ? If its the latter, then use the former.
Oh no, I have been just using bog standard steemit website. I am not very techy, it is probably my main downfall tbf :( Thank you for the tip, I will check the esteem app out.
No, I can't get to steemfest unfortunately, which is a shame because it is actually happening on my birthday! haha (7th Nov). I can't leave my son and the 5 dogs with my husband for that long, he would have a meltdown xD
I know you are right about the connections, I used to have them, but they all seem to have disappeared for me. I would love to know more about curation groups, like which ones to join etc and how to go about it?
Thank you for your support, I truly appreciate it x
Its a shame you cant make it, this is the big one.
eSteem Surfer you can get here:
https://github.com/esteemapp/esteem-surfer/releases
Then get this one if you are using Windows: (yellow)
If you author your content using this instead of Steemit you 'may' get a vote from @good-karma and @esteem. I'm sure he wont up-vote fried egg pictures, but I use this to do everything now outside of @tasteem.
As for the curation groups, check @thesteemengine. Its free to join but you have to get past the self labelled grumpy @catweasel first.
Think of him as a guardian, but beyond is membership. I like this as they don't let anybody in. He might just jump in here and say something grumpy.. hehe..., I do try and wind him up a bit sometimes.
You can find @thesteemengine on discord, I know you are familiar with that, and that is how you can apply.
Also join @qurator, this costs 4STEEM, but you will get an up-vote for life. If you vote their posts up once a day to at least 5c, then you will get a heavier vote. I use @steemauto to do this, and it has yielded me a nice ROI.
Invaluable information, thank you so much!
I certainly need a mentor, no matter how grumpy lol I am a member of Qurator I just haven't used steemauto in a while. I really ought to set it up again tbf.
All the discord groups that used to be so active, have gone so quiet. I need to find a new home :)
Thanks again, you are an angel! Say hi to @bingbabe for me too x
@beautifulbullies I am indeed grumpy, but if you catch me after a nap and you give me a scritch behind my ears and you fill out the application properly you will be in with a chance. After all, I let @slobberchops in!
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
Lol, there you go.. he's in a good mood today.
Phew! xD
I'm sitting here trying to decide which way I ought to go here. Should I roundly praise Beautiful Bullies? Or will she do better with CW if I'm like lukewarm or less? I mean if he thinks I don't really like her is that a character reference of itself? It's making my head hurt.
She likes dogs. How bad can she be?
Hahaha BigT you always make me giggle! XD
hehe well I am very good with ear scratches, I have 5 dogs so lots of practice! :D I have hopefully completed the application properly :)
Just listening to the show
Glad to be of help! You gave me a hand once and I remember things :)
If you do any eating out, take loads of pictures and do a @tasteem review. My Firepit one is one such review, and you can see how that went.
You need to use their own interface for these at tasteem.io and also need to be white listed . They take a full vote off you every time you post but give you a nice vote back if you don't post a load of old crap!
They are one of the better incentives we have had in recent times.
Sounds good, thanks! I don't eat out often to be fair, especially at the minute doing the intermittent Fasting thing, but I will defo keep this one at the back of my mind just in case!
Ooo, I have just done a mini competition trying to get people to engage in the community side of things a little bit more. Let me know if you think it is a good idea or if I am clutching at straws :) I used the eSteem app to upload it too hehe
I have had no luck with contests on Steemit, even if you have giveaways nobody seems to want them!
On another note.. you are getting a crappy vote from qurator now..
Wheras my vote from them is ..
To get the same as me, just vote up their @qurator posts once a day using SteemAuto fanbase at a $0.06 vote just to be sure. Its $0.05 required actually.
You will then get the vote I do, once a day. Sometimes mine is 3.5% or 4% giving me $0.12.
If you back track their posts going to 6-7 days and retro-voting you can speed this process up as you will then qualify for 7 days of $0.05 sooner.
You will then get the bigger weighted vote. With your SP size it wont be a drain on your account.
ok...You sold me. I just downloaded esteem surfer...and I think ill join quartor as well...
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Cool picture :) I would love to take one with you all.. Still sorting out if the planning would allow me to go !!
Hope you can attend, its not so far... you could almost walk I'm sure :)
@slobberchops, First of all really congratulations for achieving the Milestone of number 500 followers. And i jumped upon your post for the first time and i hope that you are doing an awesome job, because your numbers are speaking for you.
And in this short journey you've explored this Sphere really effectively and it's really an appreciable aspect.
And also great to know that you are attending SteemFest too, and as you said it's an great platform to develop our long term connections.
Good luck for your future journey and i want to wish you great heights on this platform and in life.
Wishing you an great day and stay blessed. 🙂
Thank you @chireerocks, are you attending Steemfest? I see you are from India, so long travels if you are. There are people from South America who will be there, so it is feasible.
Welcome, in current phase i cannot afford but for sure i will attend one of them. Stay blessed. 🙂
Well, I don't much celebrate followers 'cause they don't much celebrate me.
Don't get me wrong. I am mighty glad that you met your guy and hung around because this place would be poorer if you weren't in it. So there is a really good reason to celebrate. You've helped to make this place what it is.
Thanks. Not just for the post, and all the other great posts, but for hanging around. There's a lot to be said for that.
Thanks @bigtom13, I'm not going anywhere soon, I can say the same too you, keep posting as this is what it is about :)
I saw this post from @steevc’s resteem. So congrats on 500 followers, and you now have one more real human follower :) Have a good day!
Lol thanks! and you too.. have a great one!
I can't wait to be at the SF3! The previous one in Lisbon was fantastic and I met many nice steemians (yes, I met also @steevc and his ukulele! ) ^_^
Congrats mate, you are one of my favorite genuine persons around here.
Congratulations on hitting 500! Now I want to hear more about your brushes with Scientology
Aack.. I'll never tell.. well I might one day. There may be some 'pro' people on Steemit and I'll gain enemies then.