Blogging is the whole new trend nowadays, isn’t it? From mummy bloggers who blog about parenting to foodie bloggers…there are blogs for just about any topic under the sun. In the past, blogging was merely regarded as a hobby, but now blogging for a living has become quite common. No one will bat an eye at you if you say you are a blogger; instead they will even respect and admire you (most of them).
However, I think for those who would like to venture into blogging, Steemit is a better platform to do so. I will explain why with two Ts and two Cs.
1. Timing
Currently, the blogging sphere is one saturated market. Whether it is over-saturated, that is debatable, but the reality is that professional blogging has already become decidedly mainstream. Being thus matured, it is much, much harder for newcomers to put up a formidable challenge to the incumbents.
This is as opposed to the situation of Steemit, whereby Steemit is still in beta. The general opinion is that current Steemit users belong to the phase of innovation/early adoption (with reference to the innovation cycle). When Steemit finally takes off, those who were the innovators/early adopters will stand to reap massive rewards, monetary and otherwise.
Regular Steemit users now who are constantly amassing Steem power will then become the incumbents once Steemit reaches the mainstream. Putting aside the obvious opportunity for wealth that may come by, is the even more precious opportunity of being a powerful voice – an influencer. And is not that the aspiration of every blogger?
2. Topic
Maybe you don’t agree that it is extremely difficult to succeed in the blogging sphere. That is where the issue of niches come in. To stand out in an already saturated blogging sphere, your blog must either specialise in niches that have relatively fewer incumbents or be truly exceptional in well-written areas (such as personal finance, food and travel). An amateur blogger that writes about anything and everything without a niche will fail more than 95% of the time. It is only well-established bloggers that have the liberty to do that, not those bloggers just starting out in this utra-competitive and packed environment.
So you ought to have a niche. But this poses a problem. One, you may not have a niche that you can write hundreds of blog posts about (you may love a sport or an art, but there are only so much information and so many new perspectives you can explore). Two, you may desire to write about your life and experiences, which is definitely very multi-faceted.
As an amateur blogger, if you decide to go ahead without a niche, you are very well trading off success.
However, Steemit allows that multi-faceted approach. It is perfectly alright to have niche topics on Steem (many Steemit users do as well), but feel free to depart at any time, because there will not be an unforgiving blog audience who only wants to read about a certain topic. Steemit gives you that freedom right from the start, which blogging may not.
3. Cost
Don’t even get me started on the cost. There are some sunk costs of starting a blog, which may affect some more than others. I paid over $50 USD just to have a wordpress.com site with my own domain. For a wordpress.org site, you have to pay for your own hosting as well as template. These can easily add up, and all without any guarantee of return.
For Steemit, it is completely free to create an account and start posting. No sunk costs. No hidden charges. You may not be able to paint the background of your page blue or pink, but as an amateur blogger this shouldn’t concern you too much. Creating quality content is of paramount importance – and Steemit rewards you for each post!
So, a comparison:
Blogging = some sunk costs + no guarantee of return
Steemit = no sunk costs + some possibility of more immediate rewards with each post
4. Community
I leave this for the last, because it is one thing I truly love about Steemit. For bloggers just starting out, getting traffic to your site is a perennial worry. Sometimes it is not that your content is not brilliant. It is just that no one ever knew about your site, and ever read any of your posts. Therefore, a lot of time is spent promoting your blog (which you could have spent creating more quality content).
However, the chances of your Steemit post being read is much higher than a week-old blog, even if you are new around here. Not only that, the Steemit community is highly encouraging and supportive, and hesitates not to leave comments.
Conclusion
What is there not to like about Steemit? Go full steem ahead with Steemit!
This insight is very much needed, thanks so much @joeylim
You're welcome @b-scotton, glad you found it helpful! (: