8 Absolutely CRUCIAL Lessons I've Learnt in my First Month on Steemit.
Number 1 - Be Real.
You are on a platform where everyone is looking out at everyone, thinking "Are they really interested in me or are they only after my upvotes/follow?" - You know it's true, you do it yourself. Am I right?
And how good do you feel when you realise someone is genuinely interested in your work? It feels amazing, doesn't it?! =) ... So, be the person who makes others feel that way. Engage sincerely. Be real. If you take only one thing away from this post, let it be this.
Number 2 - Find The Best Followers.
This is not Instagram. Don't go following hundreds of people for them to follow you back. You want your followers here to be real people who will love your work and upvote your posts with pleasure. - So how to find them?
Remember that Steemit is 100% public. You can easily see the habits of any member. Many tools thus exist for you to take full advantage of this: Upvoters is a great tool for this purpose. You can see who your (or anyone's) most loyal and engaging followers are by simply entering their username.
Number 3 - Optimize Your Content.
You may be the best writer/artist in the world, but without some glitz, your post is not going to go very far. The classic saying that people eat with their eyes first is as true for blogs as it is for food. - So learn to use markdown to style-up your content!
Like a magic wand, with a swish of italics, a dash of headlines, and a swirl of images, your content will suddenly come alive and people will be much more prone to read to the end and engage with comments. For more on this, see this amazing post by @markrmorrisjr.
Number 4 - Engage your followers!
It's your blog, yes, but it would be nothing without your followers. Don't make it just all about you and what you have to say. Ask them questions! Give them valuable information that could help them. Start a contest!
There are dozens of ways to get your audience interacting with you and happy to be doing so. Again, for a more in-depth look at this, check out @markrmorrisjr's post on the subject: Are You Winning at Audience Engagement? He knows what he's talking about!
Number 5 - Make Them Laugh.
This ties in with number 4. No matter your main type of content, a bit of humour can go a long way. If you're naturally funny, then great! But if not, you can still throw in a funny GIF between passages related to what you're talking about.
Or simply share a MEME that made you laugh on Dmania every once and a while. Which brings me to the next point:
Number 6 - Use All the Tools.
Steemit has a variety of "sister sites" that you're probably not exploring! Check out Steepshot for images, Dmania for memes and Dtube for videos. Beware though, posting to any of these sites also posts on your main blog here at Steemit.
So if you're going for a certain style here, just make sure your other posts fit the theme.
Number 7 - Spread the Word.
Don't be self-conscious about your work. If you believe you're doing good stuff that others will want to check out, go tell them! Of course, if you've got a major following on Youtube or Instagram, then I don't need to be telling you this.
But if not, what about your Facebook? Is it not full of friends and family who like you and would like to see you grow? Share your stuff there. Don't be shy.
Number 8 - Be Real.
"Huh? Didn't you say that already?" - Hell yeah I did, and I'm saying it again to make sure you know that it is the most important lesson. You can do all the others on this list but if you seem fake to someone, they won't take you seriously.
One final point...: This will not be easy. If you expect an easy ride, you may as well get off the train right now. Because actually, it is not a train. It's a hiking trail, up a really steep mountain. It will be hard, you will want to give up, but if you want those magnificent views from the top, you're going to have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
Excellent post with great advice - you've learned well, and it's a pleasure to read about your progress in #dolphinschool! I've upvoted and resteemed!
Thank you, JC! I hope not to disappoint as I continue my journey.
Way to plug in all the tools !! This was a post I could have used 6 months ago!
I loved the analogy of eating with your eyes first ... because I’m a baker at heart and this is SO true!!
@jeejee
Thanks jeejee =) ... Indeed, it is something my father always used to say (he was a chef). Hopefully this post, and all of ours from this assignment, will help many a start plankton out ^^
My son says he wants to become a chef. I will teach him this motto! 👍
Very nice post!
I have been on here since December and I still need reminding of these key points sometimes!
Thank you!
My pleasure =)
Very nice post. You really showed off what you've learned. I enjoyed reading it.
Thank you Linda! =) Just a few more days of #dolphinschool to go... Gonna miss it!
Hey, great post, and yes, being genuine is the most essential thing. People can tell when you're faking it and it takes too damn much energy, so get comfortable with yourself. Good images, great headline, I'd challenge you to add actionable steps to articles like this in the future. Tell me, how can I be more genuine, uh, conversational comments! Etc.
Aaaahh yes, I see what you're saying. My language is just a wee bit stand-offy and authoritarian. Thanks for always noticing the spots that could do with improvement! =)
This was very well written! I really like how you formatted it as well. It was straight to the point and will be very helpful for Steemit users.