S17-W6 || User Engagement and Retention on Steem

Edited using Pixellab App

INTRODUCTION

What do call a community where everyone is actively engaging and participating? Exactly, a healthy one as it brings about positivity and oneness. Therefore, our topic this week is to investigate how users like me and you stay connected and active on the Steem platform to help create a vibrant and thriving community. Without further ado, I will be providing my research based on the questions asked below.

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

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Demographics are basic information about a group of people, and this basic information may include items like age, gender, location, occupation, etc. that help us understand the people and how they go about their business.

Therefore, when we talk about the demographics of Steem's most active users, it is all about getting to know the different kinds of people who use Steem often. Therefore, it is about understanding who these active users are, their age, where they are using Steem, what they like to do on Steem and other things like that which help us know the kind of people using Steem, their likes and dislikes.

But then, the demographics of Steem’s most active users can be difficult to determine accurately as users can be anonymous on the platform with no particular means to determine their age, gender, or location accurately as this information is not even visible on their profile. Talk more about knowing the accurate number of users from a certain location or their age category, or maybe there is a means and I just haven't researched enough.

However, from my research, I have observed that most Steemit users come from countries with less developed or still improving economies such as Venezuela, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia etc because Steem provides the opportunity for users to earn Steem rewards which they can exchange for their fiat currencies and potentially improve their financial situations.

However, there is also the presence of cryptocurrency enthusiasts like the big whales, blockchain developers, and bloggers on the platform because the platform would not be complete without these groups of people.

To this vain, I took the time to investigate the most user-engaging contest on the platform, the engagement contest and I looked at the last result statistics released by two communities (Recreative STEEM and Incredible India) in their first 3 weeks of engagement of the season 17 and it's presented below.

Recreative Steem	Incredible India
S17 - W1 Statistics	S17 - W1 Statistics
S17 - W2 Statistics	S17 - W2 Statistics
S17 - W3 Statistics	S17 - W3 Statistics

From the above screenshots and statistics, we can verify that most Steemit users are from the countries I mentioned earlier, even as the type of contest determines the user's participation. As we could see in the first week that the participation on Recreative Steem was way less than the rest, probably because it was a contest on Art and Do It Yourself (DIY).

from results posted in the recreative Steem and Incredible India communities, it is safe to say the Venezuelans love to engage and use the platform more as they top the highest number of participants in every challenge and every week. To confirm this statistics, I took the time to look at the Steem Geographical Distribution of Accounts in the last 7 days, which is presented below.

screenshot taken from Google Trends

The screenshot above shows the location were Steemit was most popular during the last 7 days, with values calculated on a scale from 0 to 100, where a location with 100 is said to be most popular as a fraction of total searches in that location.

However, this percentage is mostly rated according to the total population of the region and the size of the region. But then, it also shows that the regions which I've mentioned and also gotten from the engagement statistics are proved to be true in almost identical order.

How do these demographics affect user engagement on Steem?

Well, when we understand the different types of people who use the platform most, we can use this information to make the platform more interesting and engaging for the users.

For example, if we know that a lot of users are youths who are interested in cryptocurrency, then we can create features and content that are appealing to them. It is like giving the people what they like and making them more excited to be a part of Steemit. And again, strategies such as contests, giveaways, and rewards, can be designed to entice this group of users.

This is exactly the idea behind the engagement challenges, i.e., more and more users tend to participate in the engagement challenges compared to the ordinary community or individual contests because they are most likely to be curated by the big curators on the engagement challenges.

By knowing who the users are and what they like, Steemit can come up with strategies to keep them engaged and coming back for more just like the engagement challenges where different communities and users apply to host and participate respectively.

Therefore, demographics provide important insights into the behaviour and preferences of Steemit users, allowing Steemit team and content creators to target their content and engagement strategies effectively. Hence, understanding Steem users' demographics is important for developing engagement strategies that are relatable and can improve engagement on the platform.

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

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It is considered quite difficult to pinpoint the most effective way of driving user engagement on the Steem platform, but then one thing I know motivates every user, myself included is being appreciated and rewarded for our contribution.

There is no bigger motivation than seeing the stamps of the big curators on our content, but then how do we grow this motivation both from the users, curators and community perspective? We can do that by;

Consistent Posting:

Writing and publishing quality content regularly was and still is one of the most important ways to drive engagement on Steem. Over time, users have developed better strategies for writing engaging content that not only informs but also entertains and educates the reader.

Community Building:

Engaging with other users by commenting on their posts, upvoting and re-steeming their content, and generally being an active member of the Steem community is a great way to build a loyal following and establish a sense of community. Over time, users have developed better ways to engage with each other, from organizing meetups and events to using video and other multimedia to enhance the experience.

Using Tags Effectively:

Steemit allows users to tag their content with relevant keywords. This makes it easier for other users to find and engage with that content. Over time, users have learned how to use tags more effectively, learning which keywords to use to reach specific audiences and how to assign multiple tags to a post to increase its visibility.

Participating in Contests:

Hosting and participating in contests has always been a great way to drive user engagement on Steem from the early days of the academy till the engagement challenges of today. Contests can help to inspire users to create and share more content, and they help build a sense of community. Over time, users have developed better strategies for creating effective contests, using social media like X (former Twitter) and other channels to promote them, and offering better rewards and incentives.

Offering Rewards and Incentives:

Offering rewards and other incentives for engaging with content is a great way to drive user engagement on Steemit. This is the very reason people engage in contests and the engagement challenges hoping to win it all or at least get a good Upvote for their hard work.

However, the overall key to driving user engagement on Steem is to be an active and engaged member of the community. This means creating quality content, engaging with other users, and offering rewards and incentives for engagement. Over time, these strategies have evolved and improved, helping to build a vibrant and engaged community on Steem.

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

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I have been on this platform for 3 years now, and judging by experience I would say some of the main challenges Steem faces in maintaining and growing its user base include;

Competition:

Steem faces tough competition from other platforms like Hive and EOS as these platforms offer similar features and benefits, therefore Steem needs to work hard to stand out and attract new users besides competition in business is intended to bring about growth.

Scalability:

As more users join Steem, the platform needs to handle the increasing number of users and transactions without slowing down or crashing as we've come to experience some times back when users could not access the Steemit platform for some days due to downtime.

User retention:

Steem needs to keep its existing users engaged and happy so they continue using the platform while also enticing newcomers. In all, I think this is the biggest as it can be challenging because people's interests and preferences can change over time, we have also seen this as users complain of not being supported enough, to which I understand not everyone always gets what they hoped for, but this can also be discouraging even to the more seasoned users. Therefore, Steem needs to keep offering new and exciting things to keep users interested.

User experience:

This is mostly tired to the Newcomers, as even the few I have introduced myself complain of the user experience and stopped after 4-6 weeks of creating their accounts, although some of them see the old user account and see it as a means of making quick money and when it does go as they expect, the fade away. But then, the Steemit team can ensure that using the platform is easy and enjoyable for everyone by making it user-friendly for everyone.

External factors:

Steem can be affected by things outside of its control, like regulations and market conditions with market volatility a major concern to some, however, this is the nature of the cryptocurrency world. In the last few years, it has come to my notice that few users engage on this platform when the price of STEEM is low and rewards are being distributed in SP and Steem alone, but when the price increases and users are rewarded with SBD, most inactive users finds their way back to the platform because it brings more rewards.

High Expectations:

Everyone indeed contributes to the growth of the Steemit platform by engaging with one another and creating content, however, certain users tend to feel that they are entitled to big and better rewards but it is not coming to them. This way they either resort to inappropriate means like the use of bots and AI or worse start targeting people they feel are getting this reward but it isn't worth it. In the end, if their expectations are not forthcoming, they lose motivation to continue as they feel left behind.

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

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On Steem, users get to earn compensation for their contributions to the platform, where these contributions can be in the form of creating content, commenting, or voting on posts and the more valuable their contributions are, the higher the rewards they can earn. This encourages users to continue producing high-quality content and engaging with others, as they can see the monetary value of their efforts.

Therefore, the reward system on Steem is designed to encourage users to stay active and engaged on the platform because when users receive rewards, it gives them a sense of recognition and accomplishment, which motivates them to continue participating, just receiving praise and appreciation for something they have done well.

Additionally, on the economic aspect, users get an incentive structure that allows us to earn Steem which can be converted into our different fiat currencies or used within the Steem ecosystem. Hence, by earning Steem, users have a tangible benefit for their contributions, which further encourages them to stay involved.

These reward mechanisms and economic incentives create positivity among users as users who receive rewards and earn Steem are more likely to continue engaging with the platform, creating more content, and interacting with others which in turn helps to build a vibrant and active community on Steem.

In addition, Steem's economic incentives also encourage long-term engagement and retention among users as the platform's reputation system allows users to build a positive reputation and increase their voting power over time, which can lead to greater rewards and influence on the platform encouraging users to continue participating and contributing over the long-term, as they can see the benefits of their efforts increasing over time.

Another important aspect of Steem's reward system is that it encourages a culture of community support and collaboration as various users can vote for posts they believe are high-quality, which not only rewards the content creator but also helps to surface the best content on the platform and rewards even the user who has upvoted the post.

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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?

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Like I said earlier, the one big motivation that helps to keep users engaged and attracted to this platform remains the level of support they receive, however, certain tools and technologies can be put in place to at least make the platform lively and keep users keep coming back for me, this may include;

Enhanced User Interface:

Steem can improve on its interface to make it more user-friendly, visually appealing, and easy to navigate as most newcomers complain of difficulties in knowing the basic commands used in markdowns. Therefore with an improved user interface, users can easily go about their various activities and have a pleasant experience while using the platform.

Gamification Elements:

Steem can improve its engagement and user return by incorporating gamification elements like badges, achievements, and leaderboards into user or community profiles to make the platform more interactive and fun. Although we already have elements like that, such as the club Dolphin where users earn rewards and recognition for achieving this, however, it misses out on that game element where the user's profile carries such a badge for this achievement.

Personalization Features:

Having personalization features which allow users to customize their Steem experience according to their preferences, such as personalized feeds, recommended content based on interests, or customizable profiles to make the platform tailored to each user's needs can enhance their engagement.

By integrating these technologies and tools, Steem can create a more engaging and attractive experience for its users, making them want to stay active and connected on the platform.

what potential improvements can be made to increase active participation on Steem, particularly from new or inactive users?

Some potential improvements that can increase active participation on Steem from new or inactive users include;

Simplifying the user interface:

Making the Steem interface more user-friendly can encourage new or inactive users to participate more in the platform. For example, the team could simplify the registration process, I know they have done that by making the registration of new users free but then I have had situations where I found it difficult to register new users as either OTP is not been sent or something else.

The Steemit team can also provide better tutorials, and create a more intuitive user interface that makes it easy for users to understand how to create content, engage with other users, and earn rewards as they do with the achievement tasks, however, most new users do not complete these achievement tasks, rather they just do the introduction and that's all. Thereby lacking the ideas of content etiquettes, markdown applications etc.

Therefore, the team can also help by keeping these achievement tasks updated to modern requirements, such as updating the content etiquette and other necessary knowledge they need to enjoy their Steem experience while also encouraging them to complete all achievement tasks.

Improving content discovery:

Improving the content discovery on Steem can help users find posts that interest them and increase the time they spend on the platform. For instance, Steem could incorporate algorithms that recommend posts based on users' interests, likes, and comments.

Encouraging community building:

Creating a sense of community on Steem can entice new and inactive users to participate more. Steem could introduce more social features to enable users to connect with other users, join groups, and collaborate on projects.

Promoting content diversity:

Encouraging content diversity can help attract new and inactive users with different interests such as encouraging content creators to post about a broader range of topics, rewarding users for commenting on or sharing diverse posts, or creating challenges that encourage users to create content on diverse topics as we've seen with the engagement challenges.

Increasing transparency:

Providing more transparency about how Steem works can increase users' understanding and trust in the platform. The Steemit team could publish more information about how it allocates its rewards, how its curation system works, and how it addresses spam or other issues to keep users updated.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our engagement and active participation are very important to the success of the Steem community because as we actively participate by sharing our passions and interacting with one another, we can create a lively and supportive community for ourselves and also help keep the community running.

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I wish to invite @starrchris, @ngoenyi, and @ruthjoe.

Thank You for your Time

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NOTE: Always have a smile on your face, as you are never fully dressed without one.