Make More Money Posting: Follow the Success Formulas of Steemit’s Top Posters

Make More Money Posting: Follow the Success Formulas of Steemit’s Top Posters

By Richard Kaplan, @steemship

Have you ever been to one of those $1000 sales seminars on a weekend at some hotel conference room? They bring in Colin Powell or some championship football coach to make a rah-rah speech. They play inspirational music from the Rocky Balboa soundtrack. They get the audience all “jacked up”, dancing and high-fiving their neighbors. And the lead motivational speaker often says the same thing: if you want to succeed, watch what successful people do. Copy their winning ways and be persistent: you can be a winner, too!

It sounds corny, but that’s actually pretty good advice. There’s a reason they all keep saying it. (They also tell you to get a decent haircut, clip your nails, and wear some good shoes, but none of those things matters on Steemit.)

On Steemit, we’re about to have the ability to “follow” successful posters or up-and-comers we think are likely to make popular posts. If I’m not mistaken, this technical feature will soon be implemented on the site. Click, snap, earn money from voting on their successful posts. I’ve written about this piggybacking strategy before, in my original pre-bot Voting Cheat Sheet blog posting: https://steemit.com/steemhelp/@steemship/voting-cheat-sheet-how-to-follow-steemits-all-star-posters

Today, we’ll cover a different kind of “following” – not following All Stars to vote on their posts (though that can be quite profitable, even after the bots vote). Instead, we’ll be mapping their success strategies. If we can find out what they’re doing right, then you can get busy with copying those strategies. If it works, I trust you’ll come back and upvote another of my posts as your token of thanks to Richard. It won’t cost you $1000, either.

Before we go further, let me be clear about one thing. I’m not telling you to copy the top earners’ blog posts or write on the same topics they choose. I’m asking you to relax and follow along as I sketch out the formulas that some of them use. If you dedicate yourself to learning what they do well, you can implement these same strategies in your posts.

I’m not guaranteeing the same results, because these people already have name recognition. That’s something you will need to establish with the quality of your posts. But I do believe you will be much more likely to create some high-earning posts and be in line for a nice payout/Power Up. If you keep posting profitably, then you will start building a following of your own.

Methodology:

-Start with @arhag’s list of top content earners. https://steemit.com/steem/@arhag/post-payout-snapshot-for-june-2-2016

-Filter it to eliminate most posts by founders, insiders, or other early whales, since some of their posts are announcements or draw more votes than usual because of their identities.

-This approach ends up with a list similar to @gavvet’s. https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@gavvet/introduce-yourself-upload-content-and-start-earning-if-its-good . In fact, it’s so similar that I’m just starting with that list, adding a couple of additional names that would make an updated version of the same list. I’ve repaid with an upvote and a link here to that original post. FYI, @gavvet is a very good blog writer and almost made my list below.

-Eliminate any blog posts that are merely re-posted links, occasional ‘fun’ postings, postings that ask questions, or anything that scored a wayward downvote, etc. No reply comment posts, either, only blog posts.

-Must have at least five total posts. Fewer than that is not enough of a sample size.

-Focus on a user’s last 10 posts. Some early Steemit posts got unnaturally high payouts. Also, some posters seem to have discovered some secrets over time, hitting a higher profit point with more recent posts. The nature of the site is evolving quickly. Someone with success over the last 10 posts knows what it takes.

-Three of last 10 posts must have earned $200 or more. This eliminates “one hit wonders” or people with a couple of big initial posts. Having at least three recent hits also makes it more likely that those remaining on the list have discovered something of a formula or some secret to profitable posting.

-After applying the above filters, I ended up with 11 names. Call it a Top 11 list if you wish. I prefer to see it as more of a Selected 11 which may offer us some lessons on earning money from posting on Steemit. As always, this list is incomplete, but it’s a good start.

11 Top Earning Recent Content Creators to Analyze
(@name, total earnings from last 10 posts, average earnings per last 10 posts)

1. @donkeypong, total: $14,700, average $1470
2. @cryptoctopus, total: $11,778, average $1178
3. @steemship, total: $9,409, average $941
4. @au1nethyb1, total $9359, average $936
5. @cass, total $6856, average $686
6. @kencode, total $6449, average $645
7. @cryptogee, total $5627, average $563
8. @nanzo-scoop, total: $5,272, average $527
9. @mummyimperfect, total: $4563, average $456
10. @blakemiles84, total: $3204, average $320
11. @piedpiper, total: $2,374, average $237

Observations from each poster’s successes

1.) @donkeypong, total: $14,700, average $1470

Observations: Some earnings come from blog newsletter, which apparently are being spent to attract more bloggers to Steemit. That may factor into popularity of posts. Interestingly, @donkeypong’s top-earning posts are not newsletter related. Hats off, this guy is just a damn good writer. Long articles, makes genuine connections between ideas, often relates it all back to Steemit. Besides Mr. Larimer, I haven’t seen anyone doing this better.

2.) @cryptoctopus, total: $11,778, average $1178

Observations: Facebook man. His marketing expertise and the help he’s giving Steemit definitely add to the popularity of his posts. But don’t stop there, because Octo is a solid writer in his own right. Take a good look at his posts and you’ll see something more. He has an ability to give the tale a twist, using a catchy or provocative slant or headline to his articles. You should be creative with your posts this way also.

3.) @steemship, total: $9,409, average $941

Observations. None, except for WTF am I doing on this list?

Really, I have nothing to hide. Here are my secrets: I write about law and about the Steemit opportunity. The law part comes from my background, and all I have done has been to write down informative guides to a couple of law subjects I know well. You probably know about some other subject, like gaming or building paper airplanes or grooming calico cats. Try writing something up and posting it. Second, I have written a few articles (like this one) about ways I think average people can succeed on Steemit. Articles about Steemit probably won’t earn this much forever, but right now the project is still being explored and explained, so if you think of something that has not been described or explained well enough for an average audience, have a go at writing something informative and clear. Not just paragraphs, if you want to earn big money, but at least a couple of useful pages’ worth of content.

4.) @au1nethyb1, total $9359, average $936

Observations: Blog posts have focused mostly on some very practical projects that improve the Steemit system and users’ experiences. These include the classic “Critical Mass Adoption” post and the suggestion to enable a WordPress plugin. The information in these posts has been very well organized and presented.

5.) @cass, total $6856, average $686

Observations: Graphic artist-in-chief. Some of @cass’ top posts have been graphics-related, such as logos and ads. This is exactly how Steemit should be used. If someone is providing a service that adds value for all of us, we should upvote that person and thereby direct some money to rewarding that hard work. Don’t think that you can’t emulate this type of success, though. Do something useful for Steemit, post about it, and probably get upvoted. This could include developing some useful software or a related site or it could involve outreach or marketing of some sort – just some ideas.

6.) @kencode, total $6449, average $645

Observations: This gentleman seems like a carry-over from BitShares who has done a ton of work on its behalf. He is still posting about his BitShares work on Steemit. Others who have done this don’t necessarily make a lot per post. His Smartcoins wallet and blockchain summit stuff are useful for all of cryptocurrency, including Steemit. But basically, I think he is another good example of someone who gets rewarded for doing some useful work that upvoters appreciate.

7.) @cryptogee, total $5627, average $563

Observations: Dynamite blogger who clearly came to Steemit with blogging experience. Take a look at his first blog post “Steemit Forward the Revolution” and you will see the formula for a good blog post laid right out. It focuses on a grounded idea (revolutions, which includes a definition), then moves through applying this to the crypto journey, using clear subheadings and a few photos, and finally ends with a conclusion that follows from the text.

But what I want you to notice is not just @cryptogee’s full-length blog posts. Notice how even the posted videos and new items get votes. Why? Most others who re-posting thing on Steemit do not make a lot on them yet. I think it’s because @cryptogee took the time to introduce and explain why something was important, giving some thoughts of his own, before just posting the link to it.

8.) @nanzo-scoop, total: $5,272, average $527

Observations: This poster has had some hits and misses, or else does not mind posting direct links that are not necessarily profitable yet (good for you if that’s true!). There are some thoughtful posts here, such as adding straplines to posts and getting charities to use Steemit, as well as some other useful ones such like “How to Submit A Blog”. My favorite of @nanzo-scoop’s posts was “BLOWING OFF SOME STEEM”, which was a real-life story of a conversation about having a random crypto discussion with someone on his way home from work. That shows some honest, entertaining writing and is well organized with subheadings, easy to follow.

9.) @mummyimperfect, total: $4563, average $456

Observations: This lady is a good writer and yet her articles come across as if she is just a normal person. Her blogs are a personal log of her experience with pregnancy. We have seen these kinds of blogs elsewhere on the Internet when someone does food or travel or other blogging. If there is a topic you like and you want to try something similar, Steemit may offer a real market for this. Take the reader through your journey, even if some of it is ordinary, and do not be afraid to share your feelings and impressions along the way.

10.) @blakemiles84, total: $3204, average $320

Observations: Please see the notes above for @cryptogee and @mummyimperfect, some of which also apply here. This is someone who has been a successful writer elsewhere. If you want a map to a good post, read any of these. Most of all, what I see with @blakemiles84 is not just the substantial content in the blogs, but also the personal angle. He incorporates his own experience. The end result looks honest and it feels real. You might not have served in the Special Forces, but I’ll bet you have had some experiences that have been meaningful enough you can write them into your blog posts.

11.) @piedpiper, total: $2,374, average $237

Observations: This poster has focused on two main themes. The first is describing some of the Fort Galt experience and reasoning (it’s a Libertarian expat community in Chile). The second is adding some value (see some of the other top posters on this list) to the Steemit community by creating/posting some promotional videos and animated clips. Again, do not discount the value of doing some external work that creates value here and posting about it or sharing it directly with the community.

Conclusion: Lessons on Profitable Posting

Based on this breakdown of some recent high-earning posts, we can see that those that make the most money have some of the following attributes. Note that these are not requirements; they are just factors. In the legal field, when we use factors, we look for as many of them as possible, but understand that not all will be present every time:

-Posts are well organized, have clear introductions and conclusions, often with subtitles and graphical interest (photos, charts, etc.) along the way.
-Posts are often longer than average, providing greater perceived value or evidence of harder work on the part of the poster.
-Personal stories and honesty are great additions. Put your own thoughts and impressions into it. Be real.
-If you have a skill or the ability to conduct some development or outreach, anything that adds value to the Steemit community, you can post about it and hopefully be rewarded with upvotes in thanks.
-Upvoters are still rewarding posts that relate to Steemit itself, but other topics are welcome. If the writing is good or the blogging seems honest and real, you should make money with this also.

I hope this has been a helpful analysis of some recent high-earning posters’ successes. Hopefully, you can learn from what they are doing and apply some of this success formula to your own writing. If this results in some more financial success for you, then I believe that will make Steemit richer by spreading out the wealth to a broader base of people.

Peace, Richard, @steemship

#steem
#writinghelp