It's 6:20 AM on Wednesday. I'm writing this post early in the morning as I like to start my days creatively. I find that my most creative hours are before lunch. Yes, I can be creative in the afternoons and in the evenings too but it's pushing it.
So today I'd like to think about success on Steem. This topic came to me some time yesterday in the evening after I've written a post "Less dependent on Whales". I didn't want to forget this idea but I wasn't going to fire up the computer either. So I just opened Busy on the phone and wrote a sentence about it as a draft. Now I knew that in the morning I will find my next idea waiting for me to expand into a post right away without the need to stare at the computer screen for too long and not knowing what to write.
So back to success. Everybody wants to be successful on Steem. There is no question about it. When I first started here 362 days ago, the price of Steem fluctuated between $4.10 and $5.20. That's almost 20x more than what it is today. And Steem was in the 31st position on CoinMarketCap. Now we are at 51.
So the expectations for the rewards were much higher and overall sentiment was we can earn full time income on Steem. I looked at trending page and what did I see? Posts earning over $500, sometimes up to $1000. Only much later I looked much closer and saw these trending posts were all being promoted by bid bots. Then I began to see that rewards can be bought, not organically earned. I didn't know if these promoted posts earned some money or not, considering expenses but I felt the system could be gamed and cheated.
Going through this strategy wasn't appealing to me. Yes, I tried out bid bots a few times just to see how they work but soon realized I'm losing my own money as a result of these promotions. It was better for me to do the work the way I always did - through perseverance, grit and creating valuable content (however I understood what valuable content was at the time).
When you started on Steem your story might have been similar or different from mine. But surely, you wanted to get more upvotes, like I did.
We get what we focus on, right? I delegated some SP to @curator and they give me daily upvotes. I've been posting my Pinky and Spiky comics and this obviously attracted some people who like my silliness and humor.
Only recently my perspective changed. I began to want more comments and engagement, and not upvotes. My comics would get a couple of regular comments from my closest fans, like @lildebbiecakes and @deemarshall and I was always looking forward to see how my comics resonated with them. But apart from their comments, the place looked kind of empty and I started to wonder why.
As it turned out, I wasn't actively commenting on other people's work. I was only replying to the comments of others. In a sense I was being lazy. Maybe not lazy but going the most obvious route - create and engage with your followers. But I wasn't proactively looking for new engagement.
I understand, we are all busy, all doing what it takes to keeps us afloat. And sometimes actively engaging with the community isn't our biggest priority.
But it should be. Because without it people won't stick around for more from us. We might get a few nice random comments but nothing regular. And everyone knows that the best customer is repeat customer. So on Steem, from my experience the best comments also come from the people who do it regularly.
Once in a while I would participate in commenting contest that @curie organizes. I even won a few Steem this way or would read @qurator's daily curation compilation posts. But what I understood right away, I was learning so many new things this way because every post that I read was so different.
Reading, upvoting and commenting on random posts is one strategy which works for people who constantly want something fresh and new but it might not work for a deeper level of engagement because most of those authors would reply to your comments, of course. Some even comment on one or two of your own posts but since you are constantly commenting on new posts, most of them won't stick around for your future posts.
Now I have a few authors, like @tarazkp, @taskmaster4450, @spectrumecons, @pennsif and others whose work I look forward to reading and commenting whenever I can. I'm not checking if they upvote me or not. I'm doing it because I'm genuinely interested in what they have to say. Their work feeds my brain and with the help of their ideas, I generate my own ideas.
So think about it. In order to be successful on Steem maybe we should focus on being in the idea business (comments) and not in the money business (upvotes).
This frees our mind to create and engage and not worry about low prices and bear market. Because worry is the result of fear and we can't really create anything worthwhile when we are controlled by fear. It's better to be motivated by passion to learn something new or to create something interesting or observe the world or whatever passion means to you. Because we all look forward to passion and shy away from fear. This all ties back to passionately engaging with the community through your own posts and comments.
If we focus on comments, upvotes will take care of themselves.
I haven't planned this post to be 969 words long. Now with all the edits it's 7:59 AM. I'm quite hungry and actually feel like I earned my breakfast. But first I will feed the wild birds in our snowy garden outside because they need to eat too and do 11 pull-ups.
What success on Steem means to you? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments.
Nice post, and I need to say that is the same thing that I came in conclusion.
I am trying to comment more and more, but not only in some previous bloggers, but all of them that have good content. I explain...
Now that we have less people active in the platform we can give more attention for people who really have something good to share with us, that is why I always try to comment in any good content that show to me.
That normally leads people to follow you if they have the same amount of sp as you or lesser. That, for me in a long term shot that will increase the money in my rewards, since more and more people will see my posts and more and more people will stop to read.
Thanks for sharing
Posted using Partiko iOS
Thank you! Yes, long-term thinking is the best!
Posted using Partiko Android
I also had great expectations for Steemit and the potential to earn at least a little and pursue a writing lifestyle.
My most successful unpromoted post was earned $127 and it was based on your idea of using other Steemian comments for writing future stories. The idea was to do it soon enough in order to help promote the commentator before the 7 day window closed. That post was probably at the peak Steem price.
https://steemit.com/life/@sighmanjestah/hey-that-reminds-me-of-a-story-2-save-the-bees-or-the-tales-of-an-amateur-bee-keeper-1
Your comment above was reflected in my signature for my longer posts;
Steemit,
do it for the love,
the reward will follow,
it just might not be mon€£¥$.
Thanks for this insightful post and all your support.
SDG
This is really nice to have earned 127 dollars with this post. Of course, only 75 percent of this go to the author but still... I think @curie picked this story up and subsequently a few of the whales. @curie upvotes exceptional posts.
Though it is by definition an exception so we can't count on it.
Posted using Partiko Android
Beautifull photo
Thanks! Can you tell me what do you like about it?
Great work
Thanks! Can you tell me what do you like about it?
This post has been included in the latest edition of SOS Daily News - a digest of all you need to know about the State of Steem.
Editor of the The State of Steem SoS Daily News.
Promoter of The State of Steem SoS Weekly Forums.
Editor of the weekly listing of steem radio shows, podcasts & social broadcasts.
Founder of the A Dollar A Day charitable giving project.
That is so nice of you to mention my name here dear friend, I feel honored and I definitely am one of your biggest fans of not only your amazing artwork, and your many incredible talents, but because you are a really nice person. And I know you are because you write such wonderful things like this, your heart is what impresses me the most Vidas, and your lovely wife’s you see. Peoples wealth does nothing to impress me, people’s kindness and giving and love towards other’s impresses me, and I know nobody is perfect here on this planet including myself. But you impress me, and what you write here I believe is absolutely the truth because I’ve experienced it for myself.
I found out and could see right away after I joined on Steemit December 25, 2017, that I was learning such valuable information an how to better my art skills by people who had mastered digital drawing. And looking and talking to these many likeminded and wonderful artist who share in the same passion to create as I do was so uplifting, and something I had never experienced before. I easily got hooked on the art contests, I was able to draw digitally for the first time. I have grown leaps and bounds with my digital drawing from practice through these contests. If it weren’t for this Steemit Art community, I would not have grown so rapidly, and I wouldn’t have the knowledge of what I have learned today. I probably wouldn’t have learned half as much in college that I have learned on Steemit and it’s FREE! I couldn’t afford this type of education. And the wonderful artist from all over the world that I have made such beautiful friendships with is PRICELESS ! I could probably travel the world seeing many countries, and have a place to lay my head each night, and this is simply because I have replied on people’s posts, just because I like visiting. You are right Vidas, you need to build a solid foundation of Steemit friendships for success now, and in the future, that will last throughout the years, a Steemit family. And good friends require sincere attention, care and giving, just like your actual family at home.
As I have watched the Steemit prices go down, I am fine with it because I know that what I have gained from Steemit , the education and friendships, is worth every second of my time and work that I have invested here.
Ok... I know I have written a very long comment, but you know me HA HA❣️Got to go and draw
Love to read your long comments. In fact, you have so many great ideas to share them in separate posts too, not just your art. If you ever have plans to visit Europe, come to Vilnius, Lithuania. @laputis and I would gladly show you around.
Ahhh, that’s so nice of you, we would have great fun, I would love to meet you both! You as well my friends, if you ever decide to come visit Iowa again someday, you would have a place to stay. I’m so glad you enjoy my comments❣️
Yes, commenting on people's posts is something I enjoy. I use the Discord 'postpromotions' a lot. I like to comment on posts ppl are pleased with.
Yes and your contests have a built-in way to engage with community.
Posted using Partiko Android
Nice drawing keep up
Thanks! Can you tell me what do you like about it?
Posted using Partiko Android