Steemit as compared to other platforms will soon be described as a disruption in terms of social media. The number of users keep increasing daily, and it is really encouraging that since it onset in 2016 it has had a large number of account created; from 4th to 10 according to @penguinpablo Weekly Stats Report, 11,053 has been created. This is huge for a platform which is barely three years having a massive turn out. Whereas more effort has been put in promoting steemit everywhere across the globe, I think more effort should also be focused on how to keep members to stay for the community.
There can be about millions of people here as we all know statistically but there can only be just few staying active for the community, do you think that will be helpful?. Many will not find it as interesting and promising as others see it and will leave. I felt I should write this post to point out why many newbies will leave steemit and will not stay for the community all with the aim of ensuring how best we can help deal with the situation so the platform can still thrive in the many years to come.
Newbies Hardly Get a Good Start Up
The first message you see on the steemit welcome page is to "come for the rewards stay for the community". Everyone who has joined steemit is very much aware of this message. To a great extent we were all excited to only join steemit with monetary incentive or motive in mind. You make a post because you are looking out for a monetary reward in return.
Newbies who have such motive become discourage after a while when their first and second and probably their subsequent post fetch them nothing. I think the same way steemit offers free steem at 0.500 to newbies the same way there should be communities to support newbies, minnowsupport and minnowpond in this regard is really helping but if there could be more solely dedicated to support minnows I believe it will not just help newbies but rather it help sustain the system. Newbies after seeing what goes on in the trending and hot page begin to wonder how they can make it to that level when even their twentieth post still fetch $0.5., $0.10 and 0.13.
I started my journey on steemit when I had it in mind that success always takes time and so I felt I should concentrate more on gaining influence over time, I know that takes time but not every new user will see it that way. Honestly, starting afresh on Steemit demands an untiring effort and that's what mostly discourages many newbies.
Can there be special reward by steemit board for whales who have been doing good work supporting newbies like how witnesses are rewarded? I don't know if there is any, it will motivate whales to support newbies more and to do more. Few good guys that I know like @hr1 @ackza @tytran @jerrybanfield @dragonslayer109 @starkerz @futurethinker have really been supportive to minnows.
Nobody just take delight in what you do as a new user unless he sees the need to just help. If there can be rewards schemes for promoters, curators who support minnows then steemit will soar in the many years to come.
Newbies Often Find the Platform No User Friendly
Many newbies easily get lost in their interaction on steemit platform. This is a platform which requires users to post and not just to post but to post good content. Newbies has to know more about online tools like the markdowns before a post can be made. This is unlike many other social media sites I have come across, they are so easy to go by and one doesn't need to struggle before posting. You have to learn more and be abreast with the steemit platform before you can find your way through.
When I began I had to learn more by myself to know more about what goes on here on steemit and I don't think everyone will do same. If even they can learn all by themselves some things a better grasp when there is an individual to explain all the details. I would like to suggest that, as part of promoting steemit more time should be dedicated by all promoters to educate newbies before bringing them on board. Educating people about steemit is more important than just telling them to join. It is useless having millions of users here who can hardly find their way on steemit. In this regard Steemit Ghana spearheaded by @tj4real @richforever @anaman @mcsamm have created a group to provide help to newbies in our team so they will know more about steemit. If we cannot help newbies to know more about steemit before they join then promoting it will just be a complete waste of time because we are likely to have inactive users.
Newbies Sometimes See the Platform As Stringent and Not Fun.
We talk of Facebook as having billions of people and the number keeps increasing daily and its all inculcated in the fact that it provides users fun. Steemit will go a long way and will eventually surpass all but more has to be done here for users to stay actively for the community. On steemit you come across many rules and restrictions unlike other social medias, you need to know . One has to state all sources ,references, choose tags well in order not to be caught by cheetah, steemitcleaners, originalworks. This I think is what maintains its credibility but then sometimes it is like an impediment and it hardly allow new users the freedom to interact.
On other media platforms you easily find friends just by their pictures or name and even their address but here on steemit you hardly see the real people you are dealing with, different user names or ID is all you see. Majority of steemit users focuses more on what they will gain than anything. Those who have been here for long will perhaps stay but what about those who don't find the site fascinating.
I believe there should be more contest dedicate solely for newbies focusing on this ideology"win win" everybody is a winner just to encourage newbies to stay for the community. I have come across many contest on steemit but I love what @surpassinggoogle is doing. With his untalented contest he encourages everyone to join:
He told me recently to partake in one of his contest, this is what he said:
Join and participate as well Collins. Please read my last post. "No losers". You can check it here
I joined the contest and frankly it was very rewarding, he himself voted for everyone who joined the contest and I believe joining his contest actually brought the best in me, I really wrote out my heart, among of my post I will admit it is the best, here is a link to the post which was dedicated to my mum
I Know of more of such contest and i think there should be more meant for newbies to create more fun so that as people earn something they also enjoy being part of the community.
I would like to hear from you too, let's support Steemit and make it great
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