Before I joined Steemit, I used to post articles on Facebook. I did this through a group that I started back in 2010. After a while I realized that this was more of a hobby that nourished my desire to learn and interact with people — something I got bored doing in the offline world. Also, like most of you, I was doing it for free.
In the real world, my ideas tend to intimidate people. Those who do chose to engage might get frustrated or even angry. This is where the online universe comes into play. When online, people can read something at their own time and engage on their own pace.
Whether one engages online for monetary or emotional gain is irrelevant. For me writing original posts and engaging in comments is always rewarding. In Steemit, I just have the opportunity to get both kinds of rewards. Win-win situation. There is no such thing as bad engagement (pun unintended). We are all social animals after all.
There is also a very special niche of people with unique perspectives on Steemit — one that doesn't exist so much on Facebook where everybody tries to conform. Good content, yet, hard to discover. I do venture quite often the "new page" to find these rare jewels but this is not an easy task. If you do happen to stumble on one though, you will get a small intellectual boner and really start engaging even if its not your thing.
A rather easier strategy for those who don't fancy just about anything, would be to engage with posts that interest you. Personally, I choose to up-vote every post I read and distribute my vote % accordingly. Even if I disagree, I reward the overall effort and presentation — not so much the arguments. After that, I leave a baited comment in order to squeeze more information and engagement from the author. I also up-vote every first comment on my post. In this way, everybody wins.
This is the beginning of the joy of curating. Inevitably, it will start paying intellectual and monetary dividends based on the compound interest floor that one creates — something you will not find anywhere else. In Steemit you do create your own luck if you master the rare virtues of patience and grit.
I do guarantee that if you start commenting thoughtfully, you will start seeing more and more followers. An increasing amount of followers will translate to more engagement and reward-relationships forming. More engagement will also attract more attention and therefore more followers. Whales will eventually take notice of your efforts and sooner or later you can earn more.
I believe this is best way to go for someone who just joined Steemit. Forget about the direct monetary rewards on your posts and rather try to treat your commenting experience more like an investment. You could spend the same amount of time circle-jerking on Facebook but in a year from now you will still be Zuckerberg's zombie. Do the same on Steemit and you actually have a great chance to make good money on the side.
There is really no convincing counter argument considering how bad other social media users have it. Being on Steemit right now is the same as being a free individual in an age of slavery. Nobody else can appreciate it but once they get a taste they can never go back with the same attitude. Personally, I couldn't engage on facebook the same way anymore. It all looked like a really bad scheme, extorting the most valuable thing I have — time — for practically nothing.
That's what we Venezuelans are trying to do in steemit, unfortunately our votes are worth little, but we try to build a strong and united community, supporting and motivating the creation of good content.
The best thing I have found on this platform is precisely being able to talk about a topic of interest for hours, reading different points of view from mine, learning from others, and, in the process, making money. It could be better?
Vote weight doesn't really mater that much at the start as much as community building.
That's right, that's why we only focus on the interaction
excellent
Hi Kyriacos, totally agree with that....I am very fan of your posts, love them too much.
I am from Tahiti, so my english is very poor, but I try to be better each day. See U soon.
Agreed, @kyriacos. Commenting and curating don't pay immediate rewards but they can snowball over time thanks to compound interest. As Aristotle said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
Ou. I like that!
Hi @kyriacos I know this comment is super late from when this was first posted since I just found this post 2 days. However, this is one of the most helpful pieces of advice here. I have been trying to write very intelligent comments that aim to add value to each discussion. So far, the results are quite good with me gaining new followers each day from it. If you have anymore tips on succeeding in Steemit, I would love to hear it. Thanks for making such a wonderful article. :)
I will be writing a piece soon about dedication and grit and how it pays in the longterm. stay tuned. :)
it is never too late in the crypto-world. a blockchain is forever.
That's great, I look forward to reading and implementing the advice you will mention in the article. :)
:)
Thank you for this good information. I am starting with this one right now.
You have made me understand the commenting value more with your post.
I really like Steemit. It is easy to help, not only ourselves, but others also.
Thank you for helping me.
Francis
Your post is one of the best I have read in while. With commenting in just 15days I have been able to attract over 50followers. I recommend commenting on post to build relationship.
Thank you man.. Steem on.
Thank you.
Francis
You have done quite well!! Keep commenting and interacting with the community for best results :)
Thank you @sgnsteems. That is the best thing a minion can do. Imagine waking up this morning to have gotten 5 more followers from adding valuable comments to valuable posts. It is awesome I tell you.
My pleasure man.
Spread the word.
@francisk like @kyriacos said, commenting pays off. Make sure comments are meaningful and add something to the conversation, not just saying "great post" or "thanks for your post". Let them know why you liked the post. AS i can see from your comment, you are doing well $1.37 :) and 20 votes...hopefully it will increase for you!
Thank you for your encouragement. This is a learning process. As I pointed out in another reply. If we think that the traffic is heavy now on Steemit. In the future, to get some eyeballs is going to be very difficult and a true chore. Like a blind dog in a meat house. So many good choices.
But, the cream rises to the top. What we all want, is to be the cream, and not the skim milk.
Francis
Great point about attracting new followers! Personally I have found commenting to do just that! I tend to engage a lot in post that are providing knowledge or content that is generally outside of my music/artistic steem niche. It has allowed me to interact with and, also follow other steemians who typically provide some very intriguing info on the crypto world/various platforms/life hacks etc
excellent strategy.
Another top tip for when you're in it for the money: make sure to write as many sycophantic comments as you can under the postings of those of fame with big wallets.
You may feel dirty for a while, but getting access to the inner circles is invaluable when you want to see big payouts.
This approach also works miracles for the quality of the Trending Page, one of Steemit's calling cards to the outside world.
Excellent advice. Did miracles with TDV when he just came about with all that crap he was posting.
Oh goodness, unfortunately this is sad but true. Tempting but it'd make me feel like a sell out..lol.
"You may feel dirty for a while".... LOLZ!!!!!!!
@ocrdu I had to lookup the definition of sycophantic (behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage) to understand your comment :) Will take your comment into consideration and see if it works :)
Hi @kyriacos, another great post! I'm new to the platform and I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but I have a question about something you referred to in this article. How do you determine the vote percentage you want to allocate? Do you follow any best practices or do you just select a percentage at random? Ever since learning that at a certain point you could change the vote allocation for upcoming posts I've been curious about how people use it...
If it's a well thought comment, even if I disagree completely, I give 100%.
If its just "great article, thank you" response 1-4%
if it's a smart comment 50-75%
Everything else from 5-30% depending on the side of the couch I woke up
No special algorithm. Just voting on merit and rewarding what is worthy.
Unfortunately i could not upvote 200% as i intended. There are some special interest groups also on Facebook that i would gladly upvote.
All in due time I guess. It may be possible in future forks (upvote in a form of futures).
This is such great advice! Well, your whole post is, but I especially liked this little Steemit wisdom gem. The "thoughtfully" part is especially important to me, I've been known to follow people that have commented on other's blogs due to the awesomeness of their comment.
Also @kyriacos, I really like how fearless you are when it comes to sharing your opinion and displaying your sense of self, reading your posts and commentary is always a pleasure😊!
Trying my best. I do get some hate mail from time to time but I guess there is no such thing as bad engagement.
Ah, if you go through life without irritating anyone by being yourself and offering your opinion freely, then you are just missing out! Sorry about the hate-mail though, it's kinda sad that people can't just disagree and move along, but like you said, engagement!
i think if one hasn't disagreed for something one hasn't stood for anything
Excellent perspective on the topic of commenting. I am looking forward to more of the "Zukerberg zombies" (LOL) getting the Steemit antivirus and doing their thing over here! ;-)
soon
I know I am late to the party, but I want to add my thanks for this post. I have been commenting more and more, but haven't had any specific strategy for doing so.
With my "freer tomorrow" content I think I have useful information to share with the world, and a unique perspective. Of course I want to earn money from my efforts here, but getting the word out is even more important and will surely pay dividends in the future.
This post reminded me to keep my eyes on the big picture, and not how many cents my latest post earned. Thanks!
Excellent. Keep up with the good spirit
:-)
I broke up with facebook about three weeks ago!,It was an abusive relationship....I have tried to to be honest, friendly and keep in touch...but she seams vindictive and out of touch...she just stutters and struts.and I can not seem to communicate my thoughts. ...I'll try to share some of my effort to communicate in a post,as soon as I learn how to work this little magic box...lol...
namaste!
I am glad you got out.
don't worry. everything in due time.
@jesse2you take it a day at a time...you will learn something new every day...just have patience and have fun!
Thank you.
That's the only way I have figured out to take them ...lol..I love to learn so that is not a problem...patience with people ,and this computer stuff I am working on!...trying to have fun!!
"life is to short for bad days!!"
namaste
Look for tags # that interest you and interact with those people to get more followers too. At first we all struggled, but no one is telling you you gotta learn it all the same day. Namaste :)
Time will tell the story. The article looks really nice. For someone that just started I find it quite hard to really get into it. I don't want to just post trash that might get upvoted for some reason. But starting out at this point is really hard.
I am hopeful for the future as new improvements may make it much nicer to be here. But at this moment in time it's basically impossible to get involved since the gems really are rare.
I thought the same when I started last year. If you like reading then the more you comment then better you get at it. engage with what you can find and try to write your own gems.
Today it's steemit but I have been in similar boats before. I invested a lot of time and effort in many things In life and I have learned that people mostly just don't care. Of course this is not a rule, there are exceptions everywhere. Like I said I hope this place gets better in time. Sure enough with upcoming updates...
Look. If you are already spending time in other social media, it wouldn't matter if you just divert that time, in here. win -win whether Steemit succeeds or not.
I am here aint I? :)
I guess so :)
@greengroove Just make posts about things you enjoy or are passionate about. Then interact with other members who have similar interests. Look for the tags # according to the subject that interests you. Little by little you will enjoy interacting with the wonderful community we have here on steemit, and you will spend more time than you actually want LOL!
Oh yeah I already started and I'm enjoying the community for sure! Thanks for the upvote, it's very much appreciated.
In the real world, my ideas tend to intimidate people. Those who do chose to engage might get frustrated or even angry.
I'm sure you get that A LOT :D
But you are right, though...I, for my part, don't feel the need to have scary ideas, I'm still one to think that a lot of common sense ideas are not yet as mainstream as they should be. I try to talk about those.
Also, my debate skills are lacking and I don't enjoy confrontations. Yet, the more you know and the more you believe something, the easier it gets to defend your point.
Still, if you get angry over ideas, you might have already lost :D
You know the saying;
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win"-Mahatma Gandhi
it takes practice. I made almost all my friends through fighting at some point. I consider it healthy for any relationship really.
Rarely get angry. I am not nihilist to give too much crap about things.
hear hear! now that i think about it, fighting with someone does earn you some trust. like look: i used to think you're full of shit!
There you go. Now you are getting it! :D
gloating looks bad on anyone :))
this like looks pretty decent
I'm in agreement. Following.
thank you
Congratulations @kyriacos!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:
I seem to be hitting the top 10 more and more lately. Thank you @arcange.
@kyriacos, I just love how a comment can sometimes uplift someone who is down, can help someone in need, or can add something new to a conversation. Very often there is something you can add to the conversation, since we all have our own perspectives and ways of looking at things. I am glad this post can help so many newbies, even some older people like myself. Thank you!
Indeed a comment can mean the world to someone. Glad you stepped by sgnsteems !
Hey great article. i love the community here and how many here try to mentor new users to the platform. Thanks for the info and keep posting!
Steemit is my home. I was once in your position. This is what families do. Steem on
And commenting is the best part, i still can't believe we get paid for doing what we like to do :)
exactly
Greatly agree that / with
Commenting gains value and also adds value in adding input to posted thoughts and ideas. I have always done more with commenting than posting.
awesome. it is important for us older members to give a good example. keep it up virtualgrowth!
Yes it is. As an Eagle Scout it is part of my duty. And simply a duty of life that I find is of great value.
right on. :)
Love this post. Not so much for the monetary view but I've always had a strong interest in multiple perspectives on any given subject. Since I found Steemit, like you, the amount of interaction on the intellectual level has made me grow more fond of this community. Similar to coming home after a long trip. The comments are where I find most of the value. Like you said, I can speak more openly without the ignorant backlash of those that can be, all too easily, found on Facebook. People can disagree and still have a civilized conversation without their main focus being "just to be right." Posts like these continue to affirm that observation.
I am glad you enjoyed the post. Couldn't agree more.
I deleted my Facebook account a month ago and have not looked back. There's always drama, cliques, 'look what my puppy/child/significant other did' posts and a pervasive 'look at me' kind of attitude that permeates the entire site. I even began to resent following some family members on there!
So far, as a newly arrived steemian of 5 days, my experience here is completely the opposite. The community is fantastically helpful and sharing. Advice freely given in posts like this one @kyriacos give not only strategies for bettering one's standing on steemit but provide hope that with enough dedication a steady income might be achieved.
Thank you for this post
wow. I think we should do a scrapbook of people who left facebook. glad to have you @gmuxx !
I relate to this post so well because I've gained way more from commenting on other's post than any amount of money posting. I figured out early on it's the relationships that matter early on, and it's more important to get your followers and reputation up, before you start seeing monetary success on this platform.
I also have found this unstoppable urge to gain knowledge because I figure everything I learned can monetized, whether it be in steem, followers, or reputation. This platform has also helped me grasp a better understanding whatever I happened to be researching at the time way faster, because my goal is to always post quality material. After reading your post I feel like i'm on the right path, and can't wait to see my investments take off!
Great. Glad to see you in such spirits
Lovely post, its so true, commenting is truly investing, but more importantly its a sign of caring.
it is. part of it is.
Interesting post. Your comments resonate with me as I've spent a long time posting and interacting on facebook only to see that platform move further in a direction that is contrary to my own values & interests. I'm intrigued to see how transitioning to this platform & community works out.
glad you liked it. hope to keep you around then.
You are not mentioning the crucial difference - Facebook has the pages and stuff for posting the media content. Individuals use it for family binding, finding relationships, keeping up with the friends and watching those awkard ads all day long, oh, don't forget the Face-Insta egoboosting combo drug. On the other hand Steemit is a community similliar in some way to Reddit or imgur, in which writers and content creators are contributing to the wellbeing of the community spirit with quality posts with a difference that we are actually getting paid with a cryptocurrency depending on the quality, popularity or overall creator prestige we own.
Thank you @ freedomnation for your insight. Indeed, I didn't delve into that part in particular.
"Good content, yet, hard to discover. I do venture quite often the "new page" to find these rare jewels but this is not an easy task. If you do happen to stumble on one though, you will get a small intellectual boner and really start engaging even if its not your thing."
This section made my day!
Great artikel btw!
Steem over, Steem out!
ha
Superb article. The cumulative effect is something I keep coming back to recently, especially with despairing newbies, who may not realize that getting maybe 10-20 cents on their first posts is actually a great start.
indeed. that's what i am trying to explain some times to them
Great perspective and very well written copy @kyricos!
This made me giggle because it's spot on. Thanks for sharing, upvoted & followed!thank you :)
I like your little line divider. It's simple and cute. :)
Always enjoy pragmatic truth. Sincerity and altruistic objectives always have their own reward, but Steemit may be one of the most financially rewarding social media platforms for time investments.
beautifully put
The Internet is taken from wall street back to the people. It was inevitable and necessary. Great times ahead :)
You betcha
You're right the ticking button has become a way to suck our time without any financial payoff, this sounds unfair because only they get the profits.
Yeap, with Steemit we give power back to the users.
Consider making these edits to your post:
'rare' not 'rear'
'pun' not 'pawn'
I am an ESL teacher. I cannot help it. ;) Please vote up to support my spelling correction efforts.
Done. Thank you for the advice. Always welcomed. I do this a lot and for some reason I don't notice. I want to say sheep and type ship. :)
@leprechaun You could follow @steemiteducation or if you have things you write about teaching post them there :)
Wow, I must say you are very insightful! I learned a lot from this post and I will definitely try and leave meaningful comments on every post I read.
Thank you. Glad you liked it
Wow, this was a very thoughtful and encouraging post. Steemit really is a nice place to be! :-)
the best are yet to come my friend.
Glad I'm following you then! You know, living in this crazy world as it is today, I must admit that I was sceptical about Steemit at first. But I am finding such lovely and encouraging people here. It is really refreshing!
I appreciate this article. "Intellectual Dividends" - I love that phrase. We have something to offer and it is knowledge. We just have the privilege of earning some financial dividends as well.
Of course. Capital is on a free flow
Great post. I just joined this month. I do see you can make something just commenting. Of course I don't make that much, but even seeing $0.01 is exciting for me to see. I figure that if I make a little here and a there it can add up and in 10 years if Steemit really takes off it might add up to a lot. So right now I will keep commenting not for the money, but for the experience to share thoughts that may even be valuable to some. Also the compound interest is the icing on the cake.
I used to make that when I first joined. Don't worry, if you are persistent and follow the replying curation strategy eventually it will pay off
I would post more if I knew it wouldn't be a repeat of content.
There is always a new angle of approach for just about anything.
I used to not think too much about posting on facebook and whereever but Steemit has genuinely made me think in a different way. Greedy companies taking huuge profits, there is no excuse for that. This gives power back to people and proves it can be done!
Steem to the people!!
exactly
Great info. Learning so much on how to be an active Steemian. Thank you
my pleasure
It all boils down to the fact that everyone is also a bit of tired of all those established social media. This Steemit platform feels like something new and exciting!
Indeed. So invite your friends over!
great....resteem and upvote for you.....
Great. Thank you
u always get my support...buddy...
thank you. much appreciated
r u welcome...buddy...thanks for your upvote as well....cheers...
I just wish posts/comments were never "locked" so when people rediscover our interactions months or years later and upvote, it would become a sort of residual passive income generator lol. But i understand it's not possible (whale sp abuse prevention) , whatever
I was thinking the same thing the other day. I think it could be possible if they are unlocked at some point and rather provide a different kind of reward. who knows?
Steemitians...Im super excited to be a part of this community...
we should build our community..lets follow each other...you follow me & I'll follow you...be in touch...super fun....what say guyssss ....!!!!!!!!!! yaaaayyyyyyyy...come on................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for your insights. I am relatively new, and I am willing to remain consistent for a month and see where I end up. I feel like I've already made some decent progress, so I am already fairly satisfied.
The progress is not linear. it varies greatly. i think it takes 6 months at least to see real difference
Awesome post! I already feel the strength of the team work on this platform. I'm here to help as well! Follow me @andykillian
Great content. Please continue inspiring everyone. :)
will do. thank you :)
I like this line in the post very much and it also fits very good
"in a year from now you will still be Zuckerberg's zombie."
:)