RE: Why You Aren't on the Trending Page

I'm actually more disappointed when my post doesn't get many views because it means people didn't even see my post. I'd like to think that people read it and liked it, but I can handle if they read it and didn't like it. However if they didn't see it at all, after a lot of hard work - that kind of bites and makes me think that Steemit doesn't get a lot of eyeballs.

But... when you do hit it big, for whatever reason (my highest grossing post was about 100 STEEM for me) you can certainly feel the love. It's addictive.

I think I'm particularly bad about posting at the wrong time of day. I'll often come home and start working on a post that isn't finished until late and posting during the night in US time isn't optimal. Except if you're posting something political that Europeans might like (if you know what I mean). Having a decent stash of STEEM that lets your self-upvote yourself even a few dimes worth can really get your post noticed, as of course will the lucky random upvote from a whale or even mini-whale.

These days most of my posts can earn a buck or two if I'm lucky. However, that is way more than I ever made from my own blog with Google Ads on it. I'd be lucky to make $100 a year there.

Of course, the other way to make more $ on Steemit is to be a celebrity somewhere else like YouTube and show up here bringing a fan base with you. Or be a hot girl (or pretend to be one) who can post lots of photos of their exciting life. That is sure to get lots of dudes following, commenting, and upvoting.

Two main points here - it's easy for posts to get lost on Steemit and if they are lost for more than an hour they will probably never "make it". Steemit has some UI problems that exacerbate that problem and as best I can tell no plans to make it better. Secondly there is an awful lot of low quality high-gloss content here that drowns out the quality stuff. Until they add communities, basically like sub-reddits, that will continue to be a problem.

Like you, I probably post at the wrong time of the day but being located in the far East, I have not much choice. If I make 2.00 on a post (which is actually about $8usd) I'm okay with that. Commenting is far more lucrative than hitting a lick on one post, when you consider time invested. I personally see nothing wrong with upvoting yourself and I do it regularly, but I do share the love. You can always set up a facebook page promoting your blog. Over time, you will whittle down your "follow" list so you can devote the time needed to those you enjoy the most. Oh, and checkout SteemThat.com if you would like a better UI experience and more exposure, but remember, it also is still in beta. Hang in there, you will look back in a year and say WOW!