14 Months Ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away...
When I first got started on Steem in May 2016, steemit.com was a completely different thing. At the beginning we couldn't follow or mute someone, we didn't have a feed, the curation algorithm was completely different and the rewards were...juicy to say the least.
Why? Well...imagine a giant jackpot being given everyday and only a 1000 writers to compete for it. It was glorious, I have to admit. Some people may complain about that fact but that's not going to help them climb to the top. Complainers never get anywhere...winners find a way and get to work.
In fact, in June 2016, not a single article has had payout yet because we would only get our first payout on July 4th. Only those who had faith and took massive action got to reap the reward of their hard work. I even presented steemit to someone I knew back then and they simply given up after 2 posts because they didn't believe it could be real.
There is something about being the right person, at the right time and the right place.
If I Was a Minnow Today on Steemit I Would...
That is the question I am going to answer for you guys. I see in the comment section that a lot of you are brand new, some of you are overwhelmed, some of you are confused about what to do and some of you may even get discouraged because your posts didn't make money yet.
I understand that. If it was as simple as Facebook or Twitter, this thing would probably have millions of users by now and that means that you are still a early bird...and the early bird gets the worm!
You have much to gain by investing your time and energy to understand the game we are playing here. STEEM as a currency could easily be worth $10 overnight...making you much more money that you've ever made by any other means. But it requires a bit of L.U.C.K (Labor Under Correct Knowledge.)
Step 1: Understand the Game
The basics of steemit are simple. People write posts and comments. People upvote and flag content. That shouldn't be too complicated for someone who used social media or blogging in the past.
You don't need to go in depth of how the curation reward or author reward function but a basic understanding will go a long way. A good place to start is https://steemit.com/welcome - If you get overwhelmed by the amount of information, please read my remedy for information overload here.
But more important than to understand the technical dynamics, it's the social dynamics that will make or break you.
Understanding the social dynamics
Much like reddit, steemit has etiquettes. There are certain things that are a big no no and that will get you in trouble. It's especially true because money is involved...and when people recognize a cheater or someone who looks like a cheater, it's doesn't take long before that person is flagged out of existence.
THE DO NOT DO LIST
- Never beg for upvotes
- NEVER BEG FOR UPVOTES
- NEVER BEG FOR...you've got the message.
- Do not copy and steal other people's content (from within or outside steemit.com)
- Do not create duplicate comments...it makes you look like a bot
Step 2: Get Busy Commenting
The "New" section of steemit.com is crowded. There are thousands of articles in there every day and it's difficult for us big holders with big upvotes to find the needle in the hay stack. Fortunately, the curation reward changed and made that process more feasible but still, most of us don't have 4hours a day to read articles to find the 5 or 10 articles that are worth our time.
Commenting is an easy way to get traction, make friends/followers and rewards.
When I upvote at 10%, it sends about ~$1.57 USD to someone who comment on my blog. If someone write a well formatted, thoughful and engaging comment, I will sometimes upvote up to 50%...which mean between ~$10 and $15 USD.
I'm not the only one who does that. More and more big author/holders are doing the same thing to incentivize participation on their blog. @jerrybanfield is one of them.
Once you are over 1000 SteemPower, you can start thinking about curation and rewarding the people who write comments on your post and it will help you get more upvotes over time.
Step 3: Consider Investing in SteemPower
I understand that it is not a possibility for all but if you can, it's the best place I could ever think to put one's money. This is not investment advice, only my personal opinion. But I was talking to my bank yesterday and he tried to sell me on a saving account with a return of 1.90% APR. I laugh silently because I didn't want to be rude.
Apart from capital appreciation which is a strong possibility in the years ahead for STEEM. The ability to upvote yourself allow you to make a good return as well as helping you climb into the "HOT" section much easier. From there, other people will start noticing you and start following you.
Conclusion
Well this isn't a real conclusion because I will go into much more detail of the plan of action I would take if I was a minnow. I hope you've enjoyed this article. Please let me know if you want more of them like it.