A proper example can be a powerful thing!
For this week's #minnowsmatter Monday, I'll be doing a special feature to spotlight one minnow who I believe is doing it right! Good examples can be a great thing to check out, so in case you're not familiar with @janton, I'll share a bit about him and why I think he's a minnow to model!
WHY @JANTON?
@Janton only joined our community back in February of this year. In that time, he's made almost 7000 posts and comments and gained almost 400 followers. His total account value of almost $200 USD may not be all that impressive, but it's more than most people will EVER make on Facebook, Twitter, etc, plus, it took a lot of effort to reach that amount. Also, @janton recently just hit a 51 reputation! Now that you know a bit about that statistics associated with the @janton account, please allow me to share why I chose this stellar minnow to spotlight.
INTERACTION
In my mind, this is what really makes @janton stick out. I notice his comments on a lot of posts as I navigate my way through steemit, and his comments are even real, consisting of more than just "Nice post," or "Follow me." For minnows, real comments are great "advertisement." They are a little glimpse of who you are that can not only be encountered by the author of the post, but anyone who happens to stop by.
Since the upvotes given out by minnows do not amount to much, the best thing that a lot of you can give other steemians is real, honest, encouraging comments. Time and time again I've checked minnows out based upon their comments alone, and a lot of them weren't even on my posts!
REAL INTERACTION
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Yes, the last section was "INTERACTION" and this one is "REAL INTERACTION," and trust me, there is a difference. You see, for the most part, we all interact pretty well with others. However, there is another layer of interacting that few steemians seem to be really good at, and @janton is one of them. Allow me to share some info that should get you wondering.
If I look at three of the recent posts made by @janton, we encounter an anomaly that is rare. Here is the "hard data" on those three posts, which I'll explain momentarily.
POST 1 - $2.70 Potential Payout - 41 Upvotes --- 53 Comments
POST 2 - $0.96 Potential Payout - 31 Upvotes --- 69 Comments
POST 3 - $1.76 Potential Payout - 41 Upvotes --- 94 Comments
You may notice that frequently @janton will have way more comments on a post than upvotes. This is not because more people want to reply to his posts than upvote them, but rather it is because @janton will make real replies to his comments, which can eventually lead to a lot of interaction. Time and time again steemians get engaged in real interactions and discussions with @janton, and personally I am blessed just to see it happen.
You see, @janton is building real friendships and relationships with others, and he's endearing himself to others. Stuff like this can really make you stick out around here.
IMPACTING OTHERS
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You may think that tiny minnows can't really impact others very much, but you'd be surprised. Just like this post, where @papa-pepper (another steemian) mentions @janton and basically promotes him and gives him "free advertising," such things have happened before. I am in no way the first to take notice of @janton or to speak his name in front of others. Check out these recent quotes from other steemians:
Here is another example of a great steemian who is creating awesome content and generating tons of engagement. He has actually been #1 on the Curation and Engagement Leagues list for 5 weeks in a row. He typically writes content with a western theme, and his comments are always thoughtful and engaging.
In one of his latest posts is Queen of the Cowtowns - Dodge City, he does an amazing job of relating his love for the old west and history. Mingling great photos and a bit of humor in so you don’t realize you are actually learning something about history and @janton at the same time. His posts are always a joy to read and remind me of my childhood summers I spent with my grandparents in Texas. - As posted by @coinsandchains
Have you met this guy?? He is everywhere, so there’s a good chance you have. But, if somehow you haven’t, you should really meet him! This friendly Texan loves to chat and has a great sense of humor! He doesn’t just go around making general comments. You know he has read your post and wants to engage in conversation.
According to the post, in the last seven days this guy has made 1,085 comments and has received 890 comments on his posts. That is crazy! - As posted by @hebrewhousewife
Influence, good or bad, LOL; would have to be @janton, because we talk a lot. :) I have fun taking to him, he is a Mess! We end up in some weird places sometimes, but it is a good time! And he comments; a LOT, LOL! Good people, BUT don't tell him I said so.... As commented by @smithlabs in response to a post authored by @coinsandchains
You see, as @smithlabs will agree with, @janton is a real comment maker and a minnow who sticks out in our community. This is one reason I wanted to share his good example with all of you.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
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As far as content goes, @janton keeps things a bit varied. It always seems to be thought-provoking and if he shares something from elsewhere, he's good at citing sources and adding his own thoughts to non-original material. He's a Texan and perhaps even a "redneck," but we love him anyway.
As the GIF above suggests, if you've got some extra upvotes to unload, consider throwing a few over at @janton to encourage him and show some appreciation for all his hard work. Tell him that "Papa" sent you, LOL!