SEC S17-W6 || User Engagement and Retention on Steem

I post in this community when I feel I have something to say on the topic and the final week of competition of Season 17 of the Steemit Engagement Challenge organized by the SteemitCrypto Academy has something that definitely has something where I can express my views.

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What are the demographics of Steem’s most active users, and how do these demographics influence user engagement strategies?

  
As far as my opinion goes, I feel all demographics are equally important, but we can't deny the importance of Africa, Asia, and Latin America on top. If we talk about Steemit, the importance of social media engagement cannot be underestimated. The key to success lies in publicity, and we are doing that by using various social media platforms.

I have engaged with my followers on social media during the pay-per-view era, making them interested in joining different websites I used to work for. I had Facebook pages for this particular purpose, but I left them all back in 2013 once Google changed its earning algorithm. However, Steemit is different and has nothing to do with Google, so if we work in a planned way, we can take massive advantage of social media.

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No doubt sharing on social media provides many benefits to any website, but the sharing should be done properly, and we should know how to do that to boost the user database for Steemit.

In the end, social media engagement brings users, and as we all know, the larger our user database, the higher the earnings. So let's share strategically and target the users through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

But let's first create specific pages with useful information about Steemit where our targeted users land rather than landing on users' content. To attract users, it is important to create pages to make them interested in investing in and contributing to the content.

I prefer to respond to all my comments, even if I make a short comment at times. Engaging with my friends is important, as it works like a backlink. At most times, it adds value to my content and makes me think as it teaches me something new.

Engaging is not limited to bringing value to my content but it also brings more users to my content, and if they give a vote, it increases the value of my content as well.

I feel this site focuses only on intro posts to expect a new user, which mars the chances of expanding its user database, in turn negating the vital role the existing users play in sharing their posts. It seems like a complete waste of time. Tell me how many new users my tweets have brought to this platform.

What specific strategies have been most effective in driving user engagement on the Steem platform, and how have these strategies evolved over time?

  
I have been using Twitter since the beginning of 2010 and find it engaging with my followers on social media, and I have had a significant impact on my promotional work by converting them into views/referrals. However, I feel investing my time in promotional work with my audience on Steemit is not fruitful because I am merely wasting my time, as there is no increase in views since random visitors have no say of their own unless they are registered members of this site.

What are the main challenges Steem faces in maintaining and growing its user base, particularly in comparison to other blockchain-based social platforms?

  
There is no doubt that social media engagement plays a vital role in strengthening the database and increasing it by many folds, but only when you have a specific plan.

I would like to beg for your excuse in advance, as I see no role in our present system of sharing posts on social media unless we accommodate the visitors rather than discourage them. Our share should bring them to a specific page that explains to them the benefits of joining this platform and not as a mere visitor who reads a few lines and goes back.

I feel the site has no proper greeters that guide the new users properly and make them feel important. To be frank, we do not have many professionals who know how to guide a new user to become a permanent resident of this site. Maybe, we are treating them like middle school students, but they come here in search of an advanced academy.

If you ask me, I will name @oleh as one of the best for this job.

Then we shall have to expand the role of the crypto academy as a greeter team rather than merely keeping it limited to talking about cryptocurrencies and technical terms. After all, a wider user database is the key to the success of any website, be it an ordinary money-making site or a blockchain-based site. After all, the saying "more the merrier" is not popular for nothing.

What are the main challenges Steem faces in maintaining and growing its user base, particularly in comparison to other blockchain-based social platforms?

  
I am not aware of other blockchains and what they do to attract users because this is my first crypto or blockchain site. But our strategy should be when our visitors engage with our posts or reach out to a specific page that provides them with an opportunity to get to know us. That page might respond to their questions and make them interested in joining Steemit.

How effective are the reward mechanisms and economic incentives on Steem in encouraging long-term engagement and retention among users?

  
The reward mechanisms on Steemit need sea changes. At present, it looks centric on specific users, which is a highly demotivating factor for the majority of users. Let's face it, if you distribute the majority of rewards between 5% of users and 95% see it happening with their eyes wide open, you stand no chance.

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I guess the not-so-old system for starting the contest was rewarded with a team specially designated, which was helpful for Steemit. They used to run contests and give away prizes, which helped a number of new users. Let's bring it back.

Contests have the power to boost Steemit's engagement as they motivate moderators during the off-challenge season. You see, the communities that don't win the SEC season get too few posts.

We need to guide the communities to follow them properly rather than read them what suits them. After all, the communities are part of the Steemit platform and are obliged to follow the rules or, if not, use their own funds and rules without expecting support from the main reward pool.

What new technologies or tools could Steem integrate to enhance user engagement and retention on the platform? And what potential improvements can be made to increase active participation on Steem, particularly from new or inactive users?

  
I guess we have enough of them to give us the results in real-time, so we can use them as we are using them now. However, what we need is a clear guideline for all and sundry.

Let's make it known in detail to all, including new and inactive users, that they have a bright future if they follow the rules. Let's convey it to them in a more transparent, diversified manner that covers all users, whether at a higher or lower level.

Unless a user's content feels important, you can't expect them to stay. What you get in turn is fake accounts, cheaters, and scammers. We don't want them on this platform, and there is no denying that we have plenty of them pocketing a fair chunk of Steem that could have gone to hard-working Steemians.

We should develop a system that cleans out all dormant users or those found engaging in inappropriate activities, which unfortunately are being looked at, and what is more disappointing is that in place of punishing them, the powers take no action whatsoever.

We have a red flag button on every page. Now, can anyone tell me when was the last time you got any response from that for your complaint?

I will end my humble effort at this point by extending an invitation to my knowledgeable friends @waqarahmadshah, @oleh, @josevas217, and @suboohi.