If you are relatively new to Hive and want to achieve success as a content creator, this is the article for you.
It is not easy to excel on this medium. That said, many of us feel that it is easier than on platforms such as YouTube and Twitter. The ability to stand out is much greater here since the numbers are lower. Anyone who is concentrating on their personal "brand" at this point is likely to be well served going forward.
One of the biggest challenges early on is to remain motivated. It is difficult to see the trending pages and then compare our rewards. The early days are tough for everyone.
To prove this, here is a post by one of the most regarded people on Hive, @theycallmedan (under his @dhenz account). This is his second one after an introduction post that earn him a few $HIVE.
Highlighted is the date, number of upvotes, and rewards earned on the post. There was no cleaning up on this one. It just shows the idea of earning $1,500 on your first few posts is asinine.
The reality is we all start at this point. I think I went two months before I amassed even double digit rewards on a post. There were a lot of articles that looked like this.
Of course, as I look back, the rewards were acceptable to the posts. My time on Hive was not spent focusing in the right area. It did take a few months to figure things out and strike a chord that worked for me.
Here are some suggestions on how to succeed as a content creator. Please keep in mind, this list is a result of making mistakes in the early days. They are included to help others avoid the pitfalls.
Do Not Sh*tpost
Looking back at some of my earlier posts, well it was bad. Resist the temptation to fall victim to this with every fiber of your being. Remember, what is on blockchain is permanent.
It is easy to just want to throw stuff up on the blockchain. We put together a couple hundred words and hit submit. This is fast, easy, and also pretty worthless.
When it comes to rewards, we need to focus upon long-form content. While we all acknowledge applications are showing up that delve into different areas of social media, it is best to keep in mind that the base layer reward pool is still focusing upon long-form.
At the same time, there are some who sh*tpost and get massive rewards. Here is the reality: this isn't you.
We cannot control what others do. This pertains both to those engaging in this behavior and the ones rewarding it.
Our job is to ignore that and concentrate our efforts on our articles. Therefore, I would suggest having a minimum level of 500 words on each post. It might be better to aim for 750.
Treat your blog as highly valuable real estate.
Consistency
This is nothing new.
Do you think the best athletes in the world are at the level because they "show up once in a while"? The answer is no. Yet for some reason we believe that things are different on Hive.
The reality is that the digital world is really the epitome of "out of sight, out of mind". If you are not around, no matter who you are, they will forget all about you. This is the fact that we have to overcome.
Fortunately, this is easy to compensate for. Simply show up daily and get extremely active. This is how you excel on Hive.
Your goal should be to never miss a day. This means, no matter what, you get an article up. There are no holidays or vacations, especially when new. If you want to stand out, do what most others are unwilling to do.
Showing up each day is a large part of the equation.
Comment
Hive is social media. For years I saw one of the biggest keys is to be social.
This means engagement. Most do not take the opportunity to do this. In fact, it is not uncommon for newer people to not even answer the comments left on their blogs. This is a base line code of conduct. Reply to most comments left on your post.
Of course, we would be remiss if we did not mention the quality of comments. It is a simple fact that nobody cares about the "nice post, thank you" garbage. Don't worry, many of us did something similar.
Nevertheless, focus your efforts upon leaving a comment that enhances the article. Perhaps concentrate on a few keys words within the article that could help it out. Whatever you do, always be looking to add to things.
This can be summed up by the idea of focusing upon adding as many words to the blockchain as possible. You want your account out there and one of the best ways is to keep commenting on people's posts. It might take them a while but eventually they will pay attention to you.
Do Not Complain
Here is one of the easiest ways to sabotage your efforts.
Complaining about what is taking place is not going to win any friends. Those who are succeeding are not going to buy into your pointing out what is wrong. There is a major difference between complaining and posting about ways to improve things.
The reality is that most are aware of what needs work. None of us believe Hive is perfect. There are continued conversations about how to make things better. Quite frankly, until established, your job is not to point them out.
Find your niche and build within that. Show yourself to be a positive force for Hive. This starts with your attitude.
Over the years, I came across many complainers. The result is always the say: their wallet is horrific and they never end up staying.
If you want Hive to be a major part of your future, which I suggest you do, then do not fall victim to this. Complaining ranks up there with sh*tposting.
Resist the temptation at all costs.
Do Not Ask For Votes
This is another one that is easy to do but logical if you think it through.
Do not go to the larger account holders asking for votes. You will be immediately framed as a taker and will likely sabotage yourself right from the start.
Aligned with this idea is spamming the comment section of others people's article with links to your posts. Never do this. Their works are not there for you to advertise your articles.
Let your actions speak for themselves. There is a progress that is undertaken on a daily basis in a consistent manner.
Think Long Term
Hive is a compounding machine.
This naturally applies to rewards and the monetary element. It is, however, equally true at every level.
As we put forth effort, our followers will grow. Many of them will have small stake to start. Nevertheless, as time passes, their votes will grow.
When I started, my vote was worth very little. There are people I have upvoted for 5 years, with an ever increasing value to my vote. They might be getting the same percentage from me but the payout is greater.
Long-term thinking also allows us to concentrate on things such as improving our skills. Dedication to our craft, and Hive, is what pays out in the end.
Whatever your focus, make sure you are taking your growth seriously.
Find A Niche
Bring some expertise to the table and find a niche. There are plenty of opportunities on Hive, especially with the tribes.
Not long after I started on Hive, I noticed a lot of negativity towards the chain. Certainly there were many problems at that time. However, much of it was due to a declining coin price (sound familiar).
Fortunately, I have enough experience with technology to know what I was looking at. It amazed me that people were posting the garbage they were while overlooking the potential that was right in front of them.
Hence, that was the niche that I found.
Whatever your area of focus, there are people on here who are interested in that. While it might not be large at the moment, it could grow in time.
An example is my focus upon Tesla. Obviously, this is a topic that has a lot of following on YouTube and Twitter. Few on Hive are discussing it nor, it seems, care about it. That is fine. What I am doing is positioning myself for when the numbers do start to arrive.
Again, this relates back to the long-term thinking.
Look To Add
This is probably the most important suggestion:
In all you do, look to add to the ecosystem. No matter what the activity, make sure it helps to push Hive forward.
This pertains to posts, comments, engagement on social media, and discussions on Discord. Whatever the medium or activity, be the best representation of Hive you can be.
For example, if you want to stand out, set a goal of leaving 25K words in the comment sections a week. Does that sound like a overwhelming task? It is. However, standing out is a difficult endeavor.
As a frame of reference, in the early days, I was putting over 75K in the comment section each week. It took time along with a lot of typing but it got me on the radar of people.
In Conclusion
There are no shortcuts or magic formula on Hive.
If you want to be a serious content creator, then it requires the time, commitment, and effort. There is no way around this.
Like with all things in life, your luck will increase the harder you work.
People like to discuss the idea of working smart. That is fine except too many believe it is a way out of the difficult stuff.
In the end, there is no way to avoid typing a lot of words on the blockchain. That is what is required for success. We appear on screen and that is how people view us.
Fortunately, there is no magical skill required. One does not need to be an award winning author. Take the suggestions here, implement them, and keep honing your skills.
That is all that is required for success.
Consider where you want to be in 5 years.
Starting in 2019, I put the Vision 2025 graphic at the bottom of my posts. This was a reminder to maintain a long-term focus. It meant to not concern myself with the price of $HIVE, the payout right in front of me, flag wars, or anything else taking place.
Instead, it was the idea of keep the long-term view, put my head down, and keep pushing ahead.
Here are a few stats to exhibit how this can add up:
- As of earlier this week, I have over 2,000 videos posted on 3Speak
- According to PeakD, my blog and comments are at 77,815
Showing up each day and getting busy does produce results in the end.
It is a path to becoming a successful content creator on Hive.
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