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I joined in May of this year, unsure what I was going to blog about or how to grow my account. However, after a few weeks fumbling around I steadily started to gain followers. 2600 people currently follow my account and I received my Christmas wish last night of attaining a reputation score of 64. I have some great support on my blog and regularly receive rather tasty upvotes.
What is my secret?
Anybody who follows my blog already knows that there is no secret formula. The best advice I can give anybody is to forget how to spell 'ME'. That's right, stop thinking about what others can do for you. Think more about what YOU can do for others. Join communities and engage with them in a meaningful way. My particular favourites are @MinnowSupport and my own community, @TheWritersBlock.
Minnow Support, and their Discord Server PALnet, is where I learned about the benefit of communities. But rather than joining to see what you can get out of them, see how you can help and support others.
Gift Economy
Look at Steem as a gift economy. What is a gift economy?
A gift economy is one in which services or goods are given without an agreement as to a suitable payment or trade to be made in return.
Instead of monetary gain, gift economies often rely on intangible rewards like a sense of contribution, community, honor or prestige. The idea is that although gifts may not be directly reciprocated, broad participation leads to a system in which people give according to their abilities and receive according to their needs.
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The gifts here are upvotes and resteems. Like something you see? Reward that post. Think it deserves further rewards? Resteem it. Yet even this is short sighted: think about how YOU can bring value to the platform and communities. Maybe start a new community initiative, not for monetary gain, but simply because you can.
Tooting my own horn
While moderating at MSP, I regularly sent the required steem to new users wishing to register and sign up. Many others did, and still do. I never required repayment or anything in return. I, along with the rest of the moderation team, did our very best to welcome new users, point them in the right direction at the beginning of their Steem journeys.
I started up my @Muxxybot curation account in order to share minnow posts with my followers, in the hope that more eyes on their content would result in an increase in followers and rewards. My curation team has slowly grown to 22 members who now get rewarded with shares of the SBD payouts from the curation posts. I would like to think that by being seen as curators, they get further visibility and followers on the platform as a result.
In September I left MSP and, along with @rhondak, created The Writers' Block Discord Server. At the Block we help budding writers polish their work by brainstorming ideas, editing their work and by generally supporting them and their writing. We hold regular writing contests, my own are paid out from my account. I do this to further encourage writers and to increase the quality of work on Steem, hopefully doing my bit to increase the value of content on the platform.
Being selfishly unselfish
Yes, that sounds like an oxymoron, but think about it: I go out of my way to help and encourage others. I hold contests like my recent 5 days of Muxxymas, pledging the SBD payout to lucky winners. I also have my new Introduce A New Steemian initiative, whereby I find an #introduceyourself post, share it on my blog, 100% upvote that new user and pledge all SBD from my post will be sent to them. I could simply keep the money earned and build up my own account, but chose instead to give it away. Why? Simple, I enjoy giving. But more than that, it puts my name out there. I get followers. Yes, right now they are 'plankton' with very little power, but one day they will not be, and when they grow into dolphins and maybe whales, perhaps they will remember that crazy Brit who gave away earnings to help them early on in their Steem journey.
Hey Muxxy,
The best advice I can give people is to try and be original.
I've always strived to offer something that others don't, something interesting and/or funny that's gets people to engage.
It's through engagement with others that you find the kindred spirits and loyal followers who stick with you and make your journey worthwhile and rewarding.
Top advice from a top bloke. Thanks for sharing.
The Gift Economy game is the name of the game i've been playing since day 1, while all the others where racking their brains trying to figure out how to "game the system." I was never in search of riches, but something else that I hope will come to pass in actions in the future. If we had more people like you, me and some others, there would cease to be that dark dsytopia that enciricles the earth. The tribes of the past were a hint of what we could become on here......the leader of the tribe was not the one who hoarded the most. The true leader of the tribe became the leader because he or she gave the most. Through this understanding of who had the most abundant mind, the leaders emerged. What we have currently is the opposite of the gift economy. Fear makes us hoard our wealth. Not many people can get out the cycle.
And yet a new cycle is forming that will allow the old to become obsolete! Well observed. Thank you.
I'm a fan of The Gift Economy as well.
Thank you for your comment. I truly believe we can attain a true gift economy that benefits everyone, once we stop focusing on the self.
This is a perfect reminder of what we should all be doing to make an impact on Steemit. I've been going online at night and welcoming new users to the platform. There seemed to be a gap in the wee hours so I jumped right in.
It feels great to brighten someone's day and make them feel at home. I encourage others to do the same. Cheers! :)
I am one of you! Too many people are just gaming this new awesome platform and those are unable to interact... I am new but I hope for a great future of steem! Thank you for your thoughts!!
Thank you for your initiatives to help and support other's. It's not only greatly appreciated, but a respectable ideal to replicate. I am very new here and have found the Steemit Community to be very helpful and mostly genuine.
Love the idea of a gift economy! It's crazy because although we have limited voting power, the steem that we are "giving away" isn't actually ours, so why aren't people more willing to go all out with supporting others?
Nothing to lose and everything to gain in my opinion! I've been following your blog for a while and started using your advice and managed to make a handful of great friends on the site! It all came from convos on discord, joining communities, and supporting the mess out of people with no expectation of a reward! It takes a while to build friendships, but when you do, Steemit becomes less about making money, and more about being excited to boot up your computer to see what your friends are up to!
Well said.
Thanks gmuxx! Hope you had a Merry Christmas if you celebrated!
It is so nice to read about your philanthropic work. stay blessed and happy new year
In my opinion in order to grow your account you have to do two things:
1. Be authentic and original.
Post about things that are really related to you and you enjoy talking about them.
2. Be engaged with the community.
Always respond to your followers, start discussions, follow their blogs and their posts.
I am new to Steemit and unfortunately my effort still hasn't paid off even when I follow these simple rules that I made for myself. But I believe in this idea and I am sure that sooner or later I will find my place in this platform.
Posts like yours give hope, so I will resteem it. Cheers :)
It will pay off eventually. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the encouraging post- things line that keep new trying to work hard on this platform! I would add this tip:
Even if you have no time for posting, check out posts you like, vote for them even if your vote is worth nothing right now - it makes a person happy to see that people like his words/art/poem etc. Even if he doesn't get money from this - you still can reward the post writer with a nice, constructive comment. And pretty much like what gmuxx wrote - being selfless will be good for you, as people like being acknowledged for their hard work and creations and they are willing to reward those who stop by and appreciate their work.
Dear @gmuxx,
I would say that I had a lot of hopes about steemit/steem and gift economy.... But many people here are for the short term. and unfortunately they don't send a good image of steem to make it grow.
With Steem, we can change lives. Have a great impact. On people who have a very poor life...... But here, we see that poors struggles and get frustrated to see the rich, become richer and richer.
I hope this gif economy can really change things, but I see that 's people use this system... Not for the good reasons.
And to answer your question, to grow your account, don't just publish high quality content. I am so so sorry.. but it doesn't pay.
Act like in the real life : make connection, friendship, network. this is how the life works and how Steem works.
I wish you all a lot of success anyway :)
This is a great advice for someone like me who has left Steemit for a while.
I hope I can copy you and forget the "me" word.
Let's see how that goes.
Thanks @gmuxx
This post has been resteemed from MSP3K courtesy of @isaria from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ).
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Best Holiday wishes to you @gmuxx, you are one of the most unselfish people I've had the pleasure to meet here.
You just earned my follow. I appreciate your way of life, giving. I have always lived the same.
Feel free to check out my artwork & yoga posts. I feel as though I have quite a bit to offer, and am still in my first month of Steeming.
Thanks - @Daltono
Awesome stuff. I don't call it the "gift economy" as I saw it mentioned below, I call it the real economy. Benefits we earn in life are meant to work for us, as our will sees fit. This type of free will is why true independence is such a remarkable thing.
I have resteemed this since the advice is so solid in it! It ought to be resteemed by minnow support or something!
Much appreciated.
Have you ever read Spiral Dynamics, @gmuxx? It talks about the discovery of levels of consciousness within individuals, organizations and societies. You make an excellent point that is at a higher consciousness level - that we are all connected and we succeed when we seek to benefit others! Love it!
No I haven't. I will keep an eye out for it, thanks.
I'm new to Steemit and don't have 'advice' on growing these accounts. What I can share is that I have spent this and other lifetimes immersed in the elevation of consciousness. What does that mean? We are all finding out, all the time. Communities like those mentioned here, are a huge updraft in this process. Thank you for writing this! Just when I start to feel that there aren't enough of us who 'get it' I read a piece like this one. Brilliant! Upvoted and re-steeming.
There are many of us here @highfrequencies working and lovingly giving to others the best of ourselves. Nice to meet you here.
And vice versa. nice to meet you too!
Your idea of gift economy is a great mindset to maintain in the platform. We are after all writers and bloggers here in Steemit and producing great content should be the primary objective here. The rewards are secondary gains
Similar to any social media platform, we post content because it feels good, likes and upvotes sinply motivate you and allows you to gauge the depth of your content.
It's a win-win situation really. Hope everyone develops this kind of mindset
Excellent article. I am just activating my account today, and bring a good deal of blogging experience to the table. I am excited about the concept, and how it can help to increase exposure for many contributors.
I am still so new, but I agree with this philosophy overall and it is why I am so interested and engaged in this community. I have already volunteered to help with a couple little things over at MSP - but its truly because I enjoy the community and like to be a part of things. So maybe I do have advice: stick with what you enjoy. Dont force it or fake it...find a group or community you really want to help or be a part of, that match the types of interests you actually have in life. Its like that saying, time flies when you are having fun.
Great advice. Thanks for sharing.
Since I've joined @TheWritersBlock I re-discovered the joy of writing, reading others creations and be part of a community :) I love how you are selfishly unselfish!
Thank you. Great to have you in our little community.
'Selfless Selfishness', you just provided the perfect ooosite to Ayn Rand's 'ethical egoism.'
an inspiring article thank u gmuxxxx
I opened an account 1 week ago I'm trying to be sincere on my blog
my goal is to be as strong as you ;)
Thank you for your words. You have a new follower, I will be watching with interest.
thank u :) I am grateful to you
Hi @gmuxx, I just stopped back to let you know your post was one of my favourite reads and I included it in my Steemit Ramble. You can read what I wrote about your post here.
If you’d like to nominate someone’s post just visit the Steemit Ramble Discord
Thank you.
@gmuxx Another blast from the past... wow. I've only been away for like a couple of months, but man time flies when you're in crypto land.
Resteemed and upvoted. Great post / guide for anyone who sees the value of Steemit. I also liked very much the concept of a Gift Economy.
I keep telling authors the same thing, engage with your readers, with your followers, upvote them, give them a reason to stick. I like using the Coca Cola example - where they still give out free samples, put up billboards and do all sorts of marketing, because that's how you keep the wheels spinning.
This is a very well written article. Good moral and a simple concept. Thanks for blogging. Upvoted, reblogged, and followed.
I enjoyed reading your article and respect your attitude towards the steem community.
I’ve seen you welcome many newcomers and even send invites to chat.
There are peope out there that, as you, contribute a lot of time and effort towards the good of all.
For that I would like to thank you.
I myself try to get in here and there between work and busy schedules, heading out now , but try to at least get updates and repost those I like or feel they are important.
Keep up the fine work and thanks again.
Thank you very much.
People being real! Ya don't have to wonder why I follow and support you, you rock it!
Great post...the difference is the perspective. The 'me' perspective is short term while helping and relating with others is long term and definite more profitable 'on the long run'
Exactly.
Its a must read for my followers.... Resteemed.
Thanks for sharing, but i dont quiet understand what the "support" communities intend to do? Upvote minnow posts? Its some sort of gathering, dicussing, promoting?
Anyways, new in Steem and excited to learn more.
Cheers!
Communities can help teach 'how to Steemit', good practices, the ins and outs of crypto currency etc. Advice on what to post, how to present your post etc...
You content is very uplifting to a tiny minnow like myself. I've learned a lot this past couple weeks. I even started writing 5 minute prompts from @mariannewest and I never used to write. I've learned about upvoting and using up your votes daily. I'm going to follow you now. Thank you
You have a great strategy of Steem Growth. Greatness comes from the heart and not from the pockets.
I congratulate you and I will follow you
Good stuff @gmuxx
It's been a grand year for you and all the folks putting the time in for others.
I hope 2018 goes the same way, cheers!
Thank you.
Post, curate, comment relevantly.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Thanks for this. Enjoyed reading your perspective. I signed up for Steem in July 2016, thanks to @lukestokes. I loved the technology, however, I’m not much of a blogger. Work and family consume a large part of my time. I only get a few short blips of time here and there. This is why I enjoy reddit, as I can choose the type of content I want to read based on the subreddit I’ve hoped into. I hate going Facebook and seeing the same new story 10 times, mixed with 5 other news articles, peoples drama, etc. it’s hard to filter everything on there.
I am excited to see apps built on top of Steem and I’m sure it will only get better with smart media tokens. For the way I enjoy to consume content, I’m most excited about #chainbb. It’s similar to a reddit, and appears to be moderated-ish/not moderated. If I understand how that works, I think it’s a brilliant way to be able to moderate (perhaps filter is a better word) content, without silencing someone to the point where no one can ever see it, ie: deletion. Blockchain FTW!
An inspiring piece that will help me in no small measure.
Your tips are very good and awesome. You are really a wise and intelligent guy@gmuxx
Good advice, definitely. The part about steemit being a gift economy ought to help me in the future while explaining how steemit works and the mindset one should approach it with. It's basically what I tell people, but I hadn't put a name on it! Gotta remember to resteem this soon.
Happy Christmas @gmuxx
As one of the first other Brits I found on steemit I have always been keen to follow along and learn the 'British way' on steemit.
You set an excellent example. Thank you.
great to see you posting how everyone can get followers.. helping others is the way to go. ❤️
Thanks for your post.i just joined some couple of weeks ago and am learning gradually from you people that have been in the system for long.i believe i will get there soonest.Thanks for helping we Newbies .............
You gained a new follower. I think the best way to get trough other is to give... Those people who gives a lot receive a lot to. Not in a selfish way... Being honest like you really inspires. Happy Holidays btw.
Thanks for sharing this info, from a 'plankton'. I've not found my way beyond the basics of posts, but this place isn't for anyone in a hurry as far as I can tell.
I honestly thought this post was going to be about the growth of the currency of Steemit rather than account growth, and even though I still would love to read about that subject, I am really happy to have found this. I am a writer with an MFA in poetry (I also write nonfiction and occasionally fiction), but I would love to join your team of editors on @thewritersblock. I really miss providing feedback to people who really want it (not just people trying to get cred on instagram asking me for a fluffy critique on Instagram). How do I join???
ps. amen to the gift economy. joy billionaire lifestyle.
Here is the link to our server.
https://discord.gg/8EgU8Dv
The gift economy and being selfishly unselfish... Building a better exchange far from the maddening crowd.
A great outlook on a new economy, an economy that unfortunately not every player on it understands.
This will change as time goes by, but people are still too heavilly formatted on the FIAT CENTRALIZED system, which is difficult to forget and places its hold on people, forcing them to feel and think with a mindset of scarcity.
you know what they say: what goes around comes around... also true for steem economy.
thanks for post :)
Then i have to do more work. Im on the MSP but dont chat much
I also open the account in November of this year. At first I was also very disappointed. Now I am slowly becoming lenient hope I can cooperate
It does take time to get going. Give it a chance.