Be A Whale: My First Month On Steemit: Tips and Suggestions To Stop Acting Like A Minnow

After 30 days, this place is not so foreign to me. A month ago, I got my acceptance email for Steemit and, little did I know, it was going to radically change my life. I can categorically state that I am presently addicted to Steemit. This is, by far, the best social networking platform out there.

There are a lot of lessons that I picked up, too many to describe in one post. However, I want to offer a few suggestions up to newcomers as a way of short cutting their path to success.

Before I do that, I would like to say thanks to many people who supported me in my time here. These people went beyond just upvoting or following me, they also took the time to explain some of the ins and outs of Steemit. Also, these individuals also engaged in some wonderful conversations even if we didnt always agree completely.

If you get a chance, I would suggest you check out their blogs and give them a follow...you will not regret it.

@igster @lyndsaybowes @davebrewer @cryptoeagle @dusckmast3r @diggndeeper.com @exxodus @gyanibilli @hilarski @libertyranger @pandorasbox @orangesphere @steemitlife777 @zer0hedge

I am sure there are many I forgot and, if you fell into this category, do not be offended...age is catching up to me. I thank you also for all your interaction.

One thing, I wanted to mention my stats thus far:

562 Followers
2749 Posts
1090 Following

I also have SP of about $.12 at 100%. While some of this is due to the upvotes of others, most of it was due to my investment in steem. If you are a believer in this platform, it might be worth your while to take this approach.

That said, here are my tips for success on Steemit....at least for the first month.

1. Comment! Comment! Comment!

This is a social site and the only way people are going to know that you are here is if you comment. Find articles that interest you and post comments. One suggestion: post thoughtful comments. Do not post a ton of "great article, thank you" posts. This means nothing to the author. Post something that shows you actually read and thought about what they write. The people that I listed above all take the time to reply to comments on their articles. They are engaging with those who post sensible stuff even if they do not disagree.

1. WRITE Articles

This is a blogging site. Every once in a while it is perfectly acceptable to link an article from mainstream publications/sites or post a youtube video. However, do not make a habit of this. Personally, this does little to interest me and will rarely, if ever, get an upvote from me. Take the time to write up what the main point of the article or video in your own words with your insights on the subject (while linking the article/video to avoid the ole plague). If I wanted to know the original author's thoughts on the subject, I could have read his/her writing and have no need for you.

1. Do NOT Engage in Quid Pro Quo

Most all of us are guilty of this at some point. Never, never, never, ever ask for an upvote when commenting. I see so many who will post upvoted your article please upvote mine. This really puts you in the "amateur" class. Even with as little time as I have on here, I am turned off by this activity. Whenever I see that in the comments in my articles I say "yeah right...not a chance". This is a site where givers get. If you want upvotes, start upvoting people and making comments that catch people's attention.

*A note on following: I have no problem if someone posts in the comment section of one of my articles that they are following me. This is a way for him/her to let me know that they gave me a follow. This gives me a chance to look at their profile and decide to follow them back. But please, do not post followed you, follow me back.

1. Posting Links To Your Articles

Here is another do not. Do not post links to your own articles in the comments section unless you know the person you are commenting to. To do otherwise is spamming. We all have articles we are proud of. If each of us did this, the comment sections would be nothing more than spam which would kill the site.

1. Power Up

This is a wonderful site and I am optimistic on Steem. For this reason, if you can, I suggest you power up. It will make your life a lot easier on here. To start, your SP becomes more valuable which means you can actually give the authors who post content you like something worthwhile. Secondly, over time, with the inflation of the currency per the distribution schedule, you money will most likely grow. Thirdly, you will make more money off your activities if you have more SP in your account. I know this is not feasible for everyone but I do suggest it if you can.

1. Leave The Whales Alone

There are 375,000 profiles on here. Every whale could easily have hundreds of thousands of followers. We all want to be followed by them. Of course, reality is that it isnt going to happen. Why would a whale follow/interact with you when you still have the standard header, few posts, and even fewer followers? To them, you are one of 375,000 other people on here. This is how it is for all of us.

Ergo, it is best to focus upon those who write content you like and comment on their stuff. Focus upon those with a 45 reputation and below (as a guide) to start. Over time, when your reputation increases and your numbers fill out, you will start to garner the attention of some of the with higher ratings. Post good content and occasionally a whale will find you. Since I started I got 3 or 4 votes from whales, it is a wonderful feeling. Resist the temptation to badger them.

1. Have Fun

Yes we can make money on here but this is not a job. It is a place to interact, learn, and grow. There is a lot of wonderful information on here...take advantage of it. Also, do not put pressure on yourself to get huge returns immediately. It takes time. At first, my articles got very few comments and even less money. Over the past month, I can say both have grown. I am by no means a whale but I am happy with the progress. Nevertheless, I keep writing regardless of what the post nets. It really does not matter. Quality content consistently put up over time will get results. Just be patient and enjoy yourself ( @igster told me that when I first came on here).

1. Spend Time On Here

Trust me....it takes time to put up 70-80 posts a day. It also takes a fair bit of effort to figure out what is going on here. This site is like nothing you ever experienced before. For that reason, learning the difference between steem, SP, steem dollars, etc... is crucial. Reading the white and blue papers is very helpful. Interacting with others helps to forge relationships but that takes time. Success requires effort on your part. Those who are already on here do not need to reach out to you to achieve on here. They already have plenty of people they are interacting with. It is up to you to put the time in and reach out. This is done by posting....a lot.

Just because we are minnows does not mean that we have to act like them. Whales and Dolphins behave in a certain manner. I promise you many of the actions I warned you about are not done by the heavy weights on here. They are not into shameless self promotion (for the most part). It is best to act like this is not our first rodeo.

One final thought: Do not begrudge the success of others. The fact that people on this site are generate huge dollar amounts off a post should only motivate you. I see so many get discouraged and, almost, resentful at those who can. The basic fact is we have no idea what they went through to get to that point. Whatever they had to do for their success, that is their business. It is up to us to focus upon moving ourselves forward.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps. If it did, you know what to do....it is okay, you cant break the upvote button.

Pics from google images

@florida