I don't come to Steemit to see the bland and blahzay.
I come to see real people, doing real shit. My facebook feed is flooded with things I don't care about and articles that I could find on my own. It's less a content sharing platform and more just an aggregate source of stale memes and rants about the latest thing to be outraged by in the news.
Steemit is OUR place, OUR home.
And we can decorate it however we want. Instead of letting the boring and terrible decor hang as it may, Steemit weeds out the dreary and drab by its very nature...by no one upvoting it. Those that can adapt will, and will start posting better content for their own benefit as well as that of everyone else. So here's five quick tips from me to you on how to maximize your own experience and share it with others.
1.) Embellish on the Details
If you show me food, tell me how you made it.This isn't instagram, a picture isn't enough. If you want to post a meal here, I better be able to duplicate and improve on it. If you ate somewhere fancy I better hear a tale of how you talked to the waiter and found out they were an extra in a B-rated movie or how the conversation at the table somehow got on the topic of tiddlywinks, or how the smell of the store reminded you of wal-marts before they were supercenters. John Hodgman says that "Specificity is the soul of narrative." and I couldn't agree more.
2.) Be Your Real Self
That kooky crazy snark-filled rage machine that has something to say, THAT'S who I want to see here. You can pretty up your best fake image for pointless likes on other social media platforms, but I don't give two shits about the twelve selfies it took to get the right one. Instead, post the grunged out dragon breath you that dragged your sorry ass out of bed ready to snarl at the world without fear of judgement. Tell me your darkest fears and deepest regrets. Tell me your dreams and your hidden superpowers that only work when no one's looking.
3.) A Thousand Words Are Worth a Picture
Don't exhuast me with a wall of text for no reason. Although you have more than 140 characters to express yourself, be kind to your audience and give your points some breathing room for digestion. Quips, funny images, memes, or photoblogs go a long way, but a picture all its own doesn't serve your blog justice unless it's for a photo contest, and even then, there's always a story to tell. I'm here to read those stories.
4.) Life's Not Perfect, Learn From It
This doesn't mean write nothing but sad sob stories about how the universe has singled you out for torment and failure. What I mean is that you don't have to exaggerate things to the point where everyone knows that it didn't happen like that. We all learn through failure, so share how you grew as a person by overcoming the odds, whether it was as simple as getting through a day of work or climbing a mountain, let me know what you learned.
5.) Have FUN
Let go of your fears and wishes to be a Steemit millionaire. Instead, enjoy the platform for what it is, a place where you're paid to express yourself, and all the things that make you YOU. If you're not feeling some kind of emotion while you write, be it jazzed up that you're making a great story or fighting back tears of sorrow, then you can't expect your readers to connect on an emotional level either. Even the driest of analytical posts can be sprinkled with sarcastic humor or feelings of joy and dread.
What are some ways that you've made Steemit YOUR platform?
Thanks for the tips. I am a little more hesitant aboit posting a lot on here, and i think it is because in the last 2 days i have seen a fair ampunt of posts on what people whould be writing about and how they should be writing it. I am not much of a blogger so it is intimidating to feel like you have to write a mini essay for each post. Is it acceptable to post a picture with just a singular sentence?
I have also noticed that users have been numbering their posts in certain series. Is that requirement? Do I need to post certain subcategories in a numbered series? Sorry for all of the questions, but the more i read peoples posts, the more intimidated I become.
Always feel free to ask away! I'll try to answer in order the best I know how, but I don't speak on behalf of everyone. For pictures, I would recommend at least a couple of sentences. No need to go into a huge blog, but say you post one of those gorgeous cakes of yours. I would plug at least a couple of sentences about what's in it, why you're proud of it, why you want to share it. It doesnt have to be complicated, and can help bring a little more life to the post. For your art, how long did it take, what inspired you to do it? Little details can go a long way.
As for numbering, that's a personal choice. If you have a series that you want to provide people the opportunity to follow or go back on, then it can help, but it's far from required. For general posts it's a toss-up, but if you have an idea that spans multiple articles to fully explain, it cant hurt. There's no requirements for it in any of the tags though.
Lastly, DONT BE INTIMIDATED! I'm telling you, just between your cakes, gardening, and random artbits you have SO MUCH to bring to the platform, and that's not even including your nights on the town, crazy selfies, hikes, and philosophical thoughts. You have a lot to bring to the world, dont for a second let this place scare you. Forget about the money, post what you love, and you'll do fine.
Thank you for answering. I'm not so much intimidated by the content of my thoughts, but rather fpr the facts that I am often a woman of few words when it comes to my own expression. I will try to elaborate on my thoughts, but I really enjoy one-liners and short sentiments. Thats probably why I'm not prone to blogging. I appreciate you answering everything. I started seeing posts that were to the extent of "do steemit my way or you don't belong here" so it is nice to know its not as concrete as that
Just do you. That's what I want to see. You make the rules on your blog and it is uniqueness that counts here more than anything imo. Just keep steeming on.
Alright, thanks. I will try to keep that in mind.
100% Agreed
I've been wondering some of those things myself, nice to know I'm not the only one lol... It took me forever to write my first post for a lot of those same reasons, but I can say it's getting easier the more I do!
It takes a while to get used the writing aspect. I am finding that these people are great at answering questions when things get sticky.
Thanks for sharing I will put it in mind
Good post, thank you for sharing! As a fairly new person here I am taking in all the helpful advice I can get.
You're most welcome! I'm just trying to do my part. I'm glad I could help!
Amazing article! These steps can help to proceed on Steem. Btw tell me what u think of the latest summer blog post Thanks!
This is what I was looking for. Pity I cannot upvote this a thousand times.
Thank you for this. ( Following you from now on by the way :) :) Upvoted
Hey no worries, one upvote is enough! I'm glad I could help!
What!?! I can't live vicariously through Dan Bilzerian on here. ugh...my life is in ruins now. I guess I will have to return to my part time job as the personal life coach for Elon Musk. I mean, do you have any idea how needy and clingy Warren Buffett is? I swear, the few ideas I jotted down for him on a napkin and he makes his first billion dollars and I haven't been able to have him stop stalking me ever since. FanBoys...
ROFL! YES!!!! <3
Score!!! Then I found the right place.
That was great to read and the pictures did make the article more fun and less like a English Lit assignment. You made me smile and laugh, so bravo to you. :D
This line of yours: "post the grunged out dragon breath you that dragged your sorry ass out of bed ready to snarl at the world without fear of judgement" almost made me snort water out my nose. :D
I'm following and looking forward to your future posts now. :D
Well, I'm glad you didnt lose your drink! That can get rather painful lol. Thanks for the comment and follow.
Yes it can, though its much worse if its beer or even pop, both of those burn a bit. :D LOL. :D
You're welcome. :D
Thank you for taking the time to give some good advice! I am the same way, people who are real and raw intrigue me. In a world of masks, real is what I crave.. Well done!
Amen! It's so nice to see people a little closer for who they really are, especially when who they are is not the vain narcissistic person they portray on other social media platforms.
That's another great point, sometimes people portray themselves in a way that it actually negative, when they really aren't that way. I think success is directly connected with popularity in our misguided society..