No one is safe from stopping getting rewards.
We all have streaks. Sometimes we are having a good week and sometimes we might be having a good month. The key here is to try to extend these streaks.
What I´ve noticed from highly rewarded authors vs. content creator that were getting support and stopped getting it is one just one thing, one big difference.
The former innovate whereas the latter keep using the same posting strategy all the time
Let´s talk about the first part: Getting votes and rewards for the first time
One of the hardest parts to succeed - whatever that may be - on Steemit is getting a strong follower base and achieving some loyal voters who enjoy your content or think your posts add value to the community or the Steemcosystem.
In my opinion, to get followers and daily votes, your content has to be different than any other on the blockchain. Not only regarding topics or subjects, but also how you sell it to your audience.
You know how there are hundreds of travel blogs on Steemit but only a few get huge rewards? Ask yourself one question:
How are these travel bloggers portraying their adventures to their audience? Are they different because of their videos? Do they stand out because of the way they tell their story? Is it because the anchor girl is cute? Whatever the answer is, they differentiate from other travel bloggers.
The same happens with any other subject/topic/theme on Steemit.
You will find there is competition everywhere. Perhaps when Steemit was rather young, it was easier for people to find an unexplored niche like Yoga, Adventure traveling (like me), cooking, make-up tutorials, surfing, crypto analysis etc.
But today is different. There may be tens, perhaps hundreds of people writing about the same subject as you and the competition is harsh; there is no place on the winning side for people who don´t innovate, keep creating but especially people who don´t give up easily
Find a style. Get your mojo going. Try, try again and keep trying different approaches to connect with your audience. It only takes one amazing post to get from cent rewards to dollar rewards. The moment you realize this posting strategy works, keep doing it.
Now let´s talk about the second part: Keep getting rewards and votes on a daily basis
People think the hard part is over. They already have some autovoters rewarding their content every day and sometimes a whale or two that enjoy that content snipes their posts, so they are pretty much ok right? They are set for life.
Wrong.
We, as humans, get sick of the same content and the same way of presenting after a while. As much as people state they don´t like change, the reality is that they don´t like change within their own lives, but they crave change around them.
They need your blog to innovate otherwise they´ll just get bored of reading about the same subjects, with the same writing style, using a similar photography techinques, approaching audiences in the same dull angle.
To keep getting these precious rewards we have to change, transform and evolve our content. This doesn´t mean that you start writing what your audience wants, I am a defender of writing or posting what YOU as author want. But also, you have to respond to your followers and give them your content in a way they enjoy it.
For example: I know my posting is getting dull - don´t waste your time telling me it´s not - and repetitive.
I started writing about adventure traveling and that is how I made a name for myself. Then, after getting an audience and a nice follower base, I began to mix my adventure posts with community driven and minnow focused posts - this was 9 months ago, way before I got my delegation - without forgetting that my main topic was adventure. All of this writing in two languages: English and Spanish, my mother tongue.
This way, people had different topics to read on my blog with different styles and audience. They didn´t - or I hope so - get tired of my posts.
While continuing to post about adventure and community, I tried to include some personal thoughts about life itself and my take in some daily life matters, without forgeting about my main posting subject: Adventure.
So now, I´m going to get you back my friends, I´m going to go back to the roots and start making adventure content again.
Nice new cartoon... I didn't know you were into motorbikes! Personally I've got something of a soft spot for Enfields and MZs.
Although I'm going to put in a counter-comment about what you say....
I think rather than innovating, the the way to succeed on steemit or anywhere else in life is to find a tiny tiny niche and specialize in it, make it your thang, rather than worrying about innovating in terms of breadth or form.
@crokkon is one of the best examples of someone who does this on steemit.. very few posts, all quite similar but very niche... typically on issues of data science and equality.
Even though he does get rewarded (justly) even if he didn't he's got clarity of purpose and integrity.
I say deeper, fewer and more specialised rather than broader and constantly innovating!
I also think people like a certain 'stability of style' - that way they know where they stand.
Having said that it is good to play around with new ideas and forms of expression. Taking part in your video challenge was very much worthwhile and I realised it really has value.
However, now I'm going to take a while to figure out the best way to use that medium moving forwards rather than carrying on innovating.
I meant to encourage people to keep writing about what they do, but to innovate on the way they do it. Also, to diversify but not to completely change.
I´m going to use as resource some fallacies because this subject is just my opinion and definitely not the absolute truth, but more a judgement made out of experience and by watching other Steemians stop getting rewards.
Example: A girl doing Yoga everyday and Livestreaming it, no matter how great she is, she will stop getting rewards at some point, whereas if she writes about Yoga in her daily life on mondays, talks about the diet that is perfect for yoga practicing on wednesdays, she livestreams her yoga classes on fridays, and perhaps if she makes a video of she doing yoga in a different set every sunday, she will never stop getting rewards...
If @crokkon starts using graphics, gifs, maybe some videos once in a while. Perhaps some day analyze other people´s data science or attack the same subject someone else did, but from a different POV... I think this practices will only bring variety and more votes in the long term, helping his audience to not feel tired of the same stuff over and over. All of this while concentratign on data science and equality, keeping the subject on top.
Not about innovating subjects, but about innovating ways of presenting them.
Of course I mention variety of subjects without forgeting about the main topic, but that is just what I did, was just an example of what worked for me. Perhaps I should´ve been clearer :D
I have a motorbike, not a good one but one I like. I think the person who did this ( I need to remember the steemit username, I´m such a bad person) saw the video I uploaded of me riding it for a contest I made and found it appealing to make a pic of it and gift it to me :D (See? Variety :P )
To bridge my comment and your reply... as long as there's some underlying 'substance' to the innovation, fair enough.....
Oddly your post made me think of Madonna... who is an innovator, often thought of as someone whose reinvented herself many times over the years... but at the same time she's got some kind of 'thread' running all the way back through those 40 years, rooted mainly in dance (she is an amazing dancer) I think, rather than music or even just general performance.... so she innovates form but there's some 'root art' running all the way through her performance history.
So while I generally don't like pop culture, I've actually got time for Madonna because there is some underlying integrity there.
Maybe I'm just lucky to have 'found my thing' before social media was invented! I have this horrific image of younger people floating around the internet experimenting with all sorts of things trying to get attention and never getting noticed... whereas they may be better off spending 10 years offline learning the piano (or whatever) and then they've got much more chance of getting recognition, and even if the don't get that, at least they can play a half decent lament! Or perhaps it's the pseudo-academic in me?
What kind of bike d'you have.. (M.Z.s aren't generally regarded as 'good' bikes btw!)
EDIT: It just occurred me that this video is the kind of 'depth with innovation I appreciate'.... Paul Wheaton with a 12 minute video on why energy saving lightbulbs are BS...!
Karl.
"As much as people state they don´t like change, the reality is that they don't like change within their own lives, but they crave change around them." --> Wow, that's really deep. You know...I never thought of it like that. Now I'm going to sit here and over-analyze if I'm varied enough, or too repetitive.
Thanks for making me lose sleep tonight! Haha, just kidding. It's actually really good to think about these things...asi que gracias por tu consejo!
"Nobody likes change, except for wet babies." [not sure who said that]
Just another deep thought for you to over analyze, ha ha
😂😂😂 I'm going to be up all night
I'm sure it will all result in an entertaining new article of yours tomorrow (at 3am or so :P ) Where are you now?
Oh so you comment on other people´s comment but ignore my post? That is sooo heartbreaking :( hahaha
I hope you are doing awesome, it was nice to see you roaming my post :)
I know, right? It's like people standing in your living room, having a chat, while totally ignoring you :D
But at least I upvoted you with my mega 100% that counts for something, right? :D
Many new users are signing up everyday , while the old ones are leaving. Thats also another reason. Somehow I feel that many users are not active in the last weeks. i dont know if it is because of the SBD price or they just gave up. Also using voting bots instead of reading posts and upvoting them, is another reason.
Many Monnows remain invisible, not because they have bad content, but nobody is ready to read it.
Some users prefer to upvote their comments instead of upvoting other posts.
You brought up a nice topic today. Keep up the good work :)
I totally agree with this. I usually do finance-related posts since it is my niche, just like what you did in your travel posts back then.
Though I have gained loyal readers, sometimes I think my posts have turned into boring blogs. Just thinking about it makes me tired of writing, but just like what you suggested, I tried a different approach while incorporating a touch of humor in my posts.
Guess what I find out? not only did it get much attention from my readers, it also made me more driven to write for more because why not? I really find it enjoyable.
So yeah, we must not just innovate for the sake of others, but we must also innovate for ourselves. Sticking to the old ways can somehow lessen the excitement while expressing the same line of thoughts -- all the time.
This makes a lot of sense to me, it seems as if most whales say the same thing... because it is true! You guys have figured out the formula and without complicating things too much it boils down to; Good original content that readers enjoy.
I have been at the Steem thing for over two months now and it is reassuring reading posts like this. Learning that if I create content that is different and interesting people will enjoy and share it with each other.
Do you have a suggestion about frequency of posts? I really enough blogging so I try to get a post written and on Steemit once a day (excluding trips and vacations I take). Would you suggest a different approach or do you think one a day is good?
Thanks again for the post and the info! Those of us that are newer to Steemit really appreciate it! :)
I see what your saying. It's not an easy thing to do. I have been trying to get really creative and still stick to my roots at the same time, but I guess it can get repetitive as you say. Can't wait and see what you come up with. 😀
I am in support of this phylosophy, people get tired of upvoting when you are used to same style and way of posting. Also, an awesome amount of followers really count, or your posts will just be loitering areound.
That was so informative. I've on my own noticed how the competitions is so high here. I'm working carving a niche for myself yet.
Very detailed. Personally, I swing to where there's appreciable SP and get paid for targeting aright but the difficult thing with such approach is it doesn't guarantee one to continuous upvote.
What I was trying to say is: initially, I was focusing on STEM targeted post until I became a fellow at sndbox. At sndbox I found out they encourage people blogging about real life events like meetup, adventure, steemit education, talent show, etc more. So I stop targeting science community and focused on real life posts and steem based educational posts.
Now I am returning to writing STEM targeted posts and it appears I am a new Comer. I regret it. I should have continued with STEM posts because that's where I am naturally drawn to.
This post is 100% in order. Thanks
@eurogee of @euronation community
You're going back to your root, well I get steemit may just be changing very soon and it may even become tougher should it become centralized, however like you rightly said, one has got to be unique this days it may even get to a time, there won't be cents again, should steemit hit 1 million users or more,
However all said and done it bores down to individually, support and total love of sharing
I'm looking forward to those adventure posts, thanks for the tips
As in, you just made so much sense @anomadsoul. I just considered the matter some minutes ago. I would seem I have gravitated towards nonfiction and poetry to the detriment of my fiction. I need to correct that. I need to reinvent.
Thank you for this concurrence. Your post makes me see the necessity. Thank you
Thanks for the content, I will try to innovate so as not to die in steemit
Tú sí que sabes postear :-) Ahora me dejas esa inquietud: "Renovar mi filosofía de trabajo en el ecosistema Steemit"... Te sigo porque admiro tu trabajo y avance en la plataforma y por supuesto emular tu crecimiento es uno de los desafíos a los que un novel en la red se enfrenta. Voy a pensar en ello, porque desde luego quiero crecer acá. Un abrazo @anomadsoul... Mil bendiciones
Coincidences don't exist, at least that's what I believe. This is meant to be, that you are writing this post now about innovating, while I decided for myself very recently that I want to mix the hard topics with more pleasure, like writing fiction stories, making art , comedy and music stuff. I need to find a better balance for myself, and I started good with making my first artwork since months... And today I've decided to also do something for the music community as I have some plans up my sleeve for whenever I'm ready. This to me is a confirmation that I am on the right path :) Thank you for this post! Enjoy the travel stuff.. I guess I will be hanging around being the tourist in our lovely town Budapest this weekend too :)
Forgot to answer your question, lol. I think it's a Steemit AND life philosophy :) Because life is constant about adapting to the current situation. I actually like it, because it gets less boring that way.. I need some change anyway from time to time :)
very true, votes fluctuate. It's hard to keep the audience interested, especially for someone like me who prefers videos rather than writing. I try to keep my style different (short videos with music) as opposed to long blogs with lots of talking. Maybe it's good, maybe it's bad....
Change is inevitable in everything. And usually thats what people struggle with the most, myself included!
Te daré mi punto de vista en español.
Cuándo me hablaron de Steemit quedé maravillado recibir dinero cambio de o que ya hacía en Facebook gratis me parecía asombroso.
Fue un duro golpe ver como realmente eran las cosas, me habían pintando algo que no era pero no desistí y aqui estoy.
Nosotros los hispanohablantes tenemos largo camino por recorrer en steemit pues la gran mayoría de las ballenas o usuarios grandes hablan inglés y eso dificulta un poco las cosas, pero trata de seguir adelante y hacerte con un nombre, intentarlo todo quizas de esa era consigas que alguien te lea y mantener algunos seguidores.
"People think the hard part is over. They already have some autovoters rewarding their content every day and sometimes a whale or two that enjoy that content snipes their posts, so they are pretty much ok right? They are set for life".
I like that, it made sense. May God help some of us.
Eric your style is awesome. The travel is cool, the contest are fun but what makes you special is the care and willingness to reach out to people. That is what most of us fell in love with I am sure. Your post are not boring and now that you've found dLive they are becoming even better as they are in your words as you think them.
Change is hard to tackle for some as well as random is. I am not sure if I have ever based my blog off of any one thing to be honest. I just usually try to be honest, engaging and thought-provoking. I am pretty sure I either have a love it or hate it blog for most but it is what feels right to me as I make each post. I also enjoy what I do. I have not limited myself to one sector of followers, to me that is key.
I try to talk to as many souls as possible and is how I feel your style is as well. It's been a fun wild ride and it's only going to get better moving forward for those of us who love it.
Who did you on the bike? That is a pretty awesome image.
Cheers!
Yeah we need to innovate and keep doing something fresh and yet also still has our personality when we do a post, video or art. It should still be us.
Hola Eric te escribo el comentario en español para expresarme mejor. Oye creo que está muy bien tu argumento de innovar yo lo he tratado de hacer, aun estoy aprendiendo. Aunque veo cuentas que siguen publicando en el mismo esquema desde hace más de un año y han tenido éxito. Yo pienso que el asunto de los votos es más por el tema que publicas que por como lo muestras en las publicaciones, porque puede ser un post bien maqueado pero si el contenido es pobre no creo que tenga éxito a menos que sea de alguien que ya tienga gran poder de voto y muchos seguidores, entonces cualquier cosa que publique tendrá éxito. Saludos. Oye esta muy bonito tu dibujo!
Gracias por tus recomendaciones, en los meses que tengo en la plataforma me he percatado que hay una relación importantísima entre:
*número de seguidores
*Inversiones que hagas en tu cuenta
*Alianzas estratégicas.
Me he dado cuenta que crecer solito es más lento. Imagino también que anteriormente eras más visibles a las ballenas y eso te impulsaba mucho, ahorita somos muchos y llamar la atención se vuelve algo hasta frustrante para los que nos acostumbramos a ser comedidos y reservados.
Recuerdo que cuando llegué a la plataforma me hablaban de comunidades como las de Cervantes donde debías realizar post con contenido inédito, muy bien presentados (estructural y ortográficamente) para poder conseguir una visita o un voto, más sin embargo actualmente se han unido unas Steemian´s que han logrado conseguir la atención de los más serios y codiciados publicando material "Hot", en este sentido a los que somos más reservados nos seguirá costando avanzar.
Pero como dicen en mi pueblo: Pa´lante es pa´lla..... Yo sigo siendo fiel a mis principios aunque la llegada sea un poco más tardía.
Have been writing about health lately because that's the niche I think I can excel because am an aspiring medical practitioner. But it seems it's not worth it, I put in my time thinking have done the best and all I do get most times isn't what I expected.
But as you've said maybe it's because I haven't tried different strategies on how to improve better, than giving up.
Thanks for sharing this..@anomadsoul this article is really great, I think it was made for me.
You are so right. We all have to be innovative to add a bit of beauty to our post.
I don't want to look like a spammer saying "great post" so I will add that I bookmarked your post to read it again.
It's one of the best recipe posts about how Steemit really works and what can make anyone a great steemer.
I can only ask myself why haven't I followed you sooner? Hope to see this kind of posts more often from you as I am sometimes discouraged about my progress around here.
Thumbs up!
I have realized that the best way to succeed on this platform is very good to support the different communities, only your great effort will give you success ... great post greetings.☺
yes that right and it is wise to change and evolve something a little different once in a while to give your viewers a "wow" factor. Just like your thumbnail picture today .... love it!
hey! super excited to hear about more adventure content! i think it's a great point to switch it up, evolve, stay fresh, try new things. and also not to "rest on our laurels"... thinking because we got success once, we'll always get it! good thoughts nomad :)
good tips! i'm pretty new and shall try to incorporate some of them. thanks!
This is very interesting, because as it happens with my blog, although I am currently not getting a big income, I do not give up even though the price drops, I will still create original content as I currently do, although the uniqueness of my work has not there is a good rate, I will continue to fight.@anomadsoul.
This post really makes me motivated.
after reading your post, i feel like get new fresh air. because it's all start from 25 and sp 15. i am so proud of you to betray for yourself and believe the success. thanks for inspiring article... i'll follow your path to success in this platform
I agree that adding something new at least once in a while is crucial. Even better is adding something small new everytime. However, I think the bigger problem is creators relaxing too much once they get more autovotes. They start posting more tiny posts/ filler content and more often. I just started using autovotes myself and I simply cannot afford to reward a poster every single day when there are many other creators. I imagine it's even on bigger scale for those with much more SP.
It's all about moderation and staying interesting. On the other hand, posting too little can make your audience forget you. I'm personally trying a new strategy by posting once a week, but same day. It's too early to tell if it's working, but it's definitely less stressful! :D
As always awesome post, can't help but leave a long ass comment/reply ^^
You're right, Eric! Human hobbies always change throughout life. At Steemit monotony bothers many voters just to give support to their followers. I believe that the quality of content needs to be constantly improved.
I would like to see your photos on a motorcycle).
Yeah, absolutely right. I was really down when I first started getting low votes last year. It was prolly due to me posting similar content and whales wanting to vote on some new comers to the platform. Keeping things innovative is really hard. I might do illustrated short stories in the near future. I've never done this so bit nervous... Let's see :)
I'm a creator of content that continues to innovate, also loves to hear feedback from readers. Unfortunately, I can not write in English. Only @mariska.lubis willing to help translate. So far I am grateful to get rewards, including from @rok-sivante. And I do not know him. There must be some good people who have given recommendations. Whoever it is, I thank you.
I also got an upvote from @levycore and @aiqabrago. They are good curators and support many people in Indonesia.
Useful way of looking at the blogging thing. I am still trying out lots of things on here and trying to figure out what works best. I do know that to create a real connection to other people, you need to interact with them in the most honest way and leave sincere comments on their work. So this is what I am doing right here, thanks for your well written advice, I will keep it in mind in the months to come! Cheers
Good job man. I like being taught new things and enjoy posts like this. I'm quite new here and am battling to get going, but am enjoying the few great people I'm getting to know so not overly frustrated. Earning toward my retirement is why I decided to give steemit a go so it's a ten year plan and greed is not my thing.
I like real people. I like the message that you're putting forward as it fits in with my own motto, Improvise Adapt & Overcome.
Have a gooden
I loved this post, so accurate!