Okay, everyone, I am relatively new, and, still learning how to navigate this wonderful Steemit platform. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you will be a bit more enlightened by the tips I have learned, from trial and error, and the generosity of fellow Steemians.
EVERY ORIGINAL POST STAYS INTERACTIVE FOR ONLY SEVEN DAYS.
This means you have a total of seven days to monitor replies and comment to responses of interest. You are encouraged to up-vote the responses that offer insight or add depth to the original post, providing you have Steem Power…more on that later.
The more interactivity your original post brings, the greater potential for up-votes. And, the more up-votes provide an opportunity for a stronger payout. The weight of each vote determines the value of the payout.
STEEM POWER DETERMINES THE VALUE OF A VOTE.
If you click on the Wallet tab, next to Settings, you will see Steem, Steem Power, and Steem Dollars.
Steem Power is the crème de la creme. Steem Power is what separates the whales from the dolphins, minnows, and planktons. If you are new, and have the initial ranking number assigned to newbie Steemians, welcome to the wonderful world of planktons. This means you have extremely minuscule voting power, if any.
Citing something interesting I recently learned from reading James’ blog post:
AS A PLANKTON DON’T WASTE YOUR STEEM POWER!!!
Treat Steem Power as the precious cryptocurrency it is. Research seems to bear out, that expert Steemians recommend leaving the up-voting to whales. I stand in agreement with this; because as a newcomer, I have up-voted posts, and the dollar value of the person’s post did not change one copper cent. This showed me that while the author received ‘x’ number of votes, only those adding monetary gains, had any impact at the time of payout.
As an example, I have received, and, yes, even naively offered, several zero-valued up-votes. Unfortunately, because of a lack of Steem Power, the votes served as little more than much-welcomed encouragement. This is good; however, growing Steemian bank accounts, and adding to the value of the Steemian stock is what this business is primarily about.
As fun as blogging and interacting can be, one must not lose sight that Steemit is indeed a business; and, a viable opportunity to increase your wealth. So, as the experts wisely recommend, let’s leave the up-voting to the more established players for a time, and focus our efforts on building Steem Power. As a newbie, big-brands excluded, you are probably not really banking any substantial earnings at the start; pretty much adding pennies to the pot, one might say.
Of course, over time these pennies add up; but initially putting your coins into Steem Power will build your earnings far greater in the long run; and that’s what successful investors do, keep their eye on the far-distant future. Powering down to claim 35 cents, doesn’t make financial sense. Also, leaving it as Steem Dollar, gaining zero interest, makes very little sense. Of course, I am not a financial adviser by any stretch of the imagination, so use your own judgment.
The way the platform is set up, the designers knew that Investment 101 for most bloggers might be minimal. So, by default, they set things up in a way, that no matter how much you earn, 50% is available for converting to cash, and the other 50% is put into your Steem Power account. Again, this prevents Steemians from putting all the eggs in one basket, while providing an opportunity to invest in a stock that shows promise of going the way of Bitcoin and Faceboook.
Is this a get-rich quick opportunity? For 99.9%, no; but, tell me in life what authentic things really are? The planktons who have grown into whales will tell you that well-created posts, consistent posting, interacting with the Steemian community, and a few other tips mentioned in James’ post (link below), is what blesses one to become a Steemit-success story; a plankton to whale-story, if you will allow.
To reiterate, as a newcomer earning pennies, which are roosting in the dollar account, gaining zero interest, convert this to Steem Power, instead. Yes, this does involve risk, in spite of a guaranteed payout no matter the uptick or decline in value.
REMEMBER, STEEM POWER REPRESENTS STOCK SHARES.
If you’ve researched the Steem stock, you know, as with any stock, it can be very volatile. Here’s a great link for studying its ups and downs since inception:
https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/steem/
If you buy Steem Power, you are giving the money you earn, an opportunity to grow, as the value of the stock grows. Of course, growth is the hope of any investor. However, the excitement of actively investing is the fact that it may decrease in value, at any given moment. There are times when Steem will soar. There are times when it may tank a little, or dramatically; but, like cream it continues to rise back to the top.
As a new investor, there will be times when the hills and valleys appear as a roller-coaster ride. This is where the faith element comes into play and, holding on to your hat for the highs and lows is crucial. Unfortunately, the dips in value are where the faint of heart, and the-take-the-ball-home, thus, hindering play for everyone else becomes a ‘downer’. (Pun intended.) When people panic and cash in prematurely, this weakens the Steem-On movement (another pun intended).
But, let’s wrap:
Seven days and any monies earned are paid out.
Consistency, interaction, and quality posts reflect keys to success.
Success is measured by SteemPower rankings of elite whale status, followed by dolphins, minnows, and planktons.
If you are new, and earning pennies, dump your earnings into SteemPower where it will have the best chance to grow much more than leaving in the dollar pot at zero growth.
Of course, these are just my suggestions, based on research and the advice of whales who have a proven track record. On that note, here’s the link to the blog that gave the most helpful guidance:
https://steemit.com/steem/@trevonjb/my-7-secrets-to-earning-big-as-a-steemit-newbie
Since the payout occurred last year, this is the only way I could think to give support, and help recognize the work of this blogger. Based on his current ranking, I presume he’s a whale; and, currently at a place where he works to increase his status, while offering up-votes to those in the lower rankings with deserving work.
I hope this helps. Be sure to click the link above and take a few minutes to read the original post by 
Peace!
