Writing isn't new to me. I've been doing it for years, have made a few bucks off it and enjoy an engaging style. So I am pretty excited about Steemit. After lurking for a bit, I wrote out my intro, Another Joe Jumps on the Steem Boat. Actually, I was pretty happy with it.
So, what happened? It kinda bombed. I mean, I got some readers who voted for it, but it just didn't get any traction to make a real dent. So I ended up with just under half a buck. FWIW, I had looked over as many #introduceyourself advice articles I could find. That's why I highlight the things I do below.
What went wrong? Seriously. I thought I did all the right things. Oh, it's missing a personal picture and my last name. Other than that, it seems to have ticked the boxes. And it wasn't forced or canned. I was able to do so pretty intuitively. For example:
Format: I used header titles and short paragraphs so it's pretty easy to read.
Tone/Attitude: It's engaging, I think, with a little bit of humor mixed in. Maybe too little? Maybe too much? It was upbeat, encouraging, etc.
Images: Yeah, got some of those. Nothing exciting, but they fit the flow nicely. And I even centered them!
Asset to Steemit: Well, I shared some of what I've done and that I'd be writing about the same. Seems relevant.
Open: It was somewhat self-deprecating, but no overly so. I certainly didn't try to oversell myself. I'm just me, so I tried to convey that.
But then I got my grade back, and -
Now, I know some folks have a following before they land here. So they get some really amazing intro scores, even when they don't really bother to say much more than, "Hi, I'm here now". It's understandable, and I'm happy for them. But I want to know if there's really a good intro that makes it, or if it's just hit and miss? Does a whale need to come along, or a curator or however that stuff works?
I'm also not posting this to get more votes on my intro. As I saw it spiraling into obscurity, I waited until the last second to even start writing this.
I am not complaining. Really, I just want to offer value and enjoy the ride here with friends, new and old.
So, what do you think? What could I have done better? What did I miss?
Rockin' on!
Another Joe
The things that have proven most valuable to me, and seem to be what people miss who's posts should do much better than they do, are timing and promotions.
I've found that posts tend to do better the earlier in the morning I post them, and weekends have proven quite fruitful as well. I don't actually use it myself, but apparently you can check the site http://www.catchawhale.com to see if there are whales active too.
Whenever I put up a post, I share it from my FB page, my personal FB, to a bunch of FB groups, in the #minnowsunite chat, and anywhere else I can to get more people to see it. Anywhere outside of the Steemit community is especially good, as it will draw more people to the site, as well as your post.
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Also, I loved your introduction; upvoted it and followed you :-)
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Thanks! I appreciate the feedback and encouragement. I thought I had a good intro too, so was a little baffled. I guess maybe it went unnoticed? I did promote it to various groups and pages. But I posted it in the US evening, which may not have been a brilliant idea. :)
So, do I edit and repost? I mean, I can't say it again or that mean ol' bot will crush it. Or do I just let it go and move on?
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I would just let it lie as it is, just be sure to hyperlink to it in your next few posts so people who didn't see it can go back and check it out
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I'm new, but apparently it is not good to edit your posts. I say, just go for it, again & again, if writing makes you happy.
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I have read all your posts but apparently I missed this one. And I'm glad I read it now, because I love your writing-skill and your subjects.
Don't give up on your treat, because more people will come to Steem and like your blog. I was following you already and I'll keep doing that :-)
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Thanks @awakening. This is very encouraging.
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I think a big part of the successful posts have been:
A. One or more whales
B. Already having a following elsewhere that you are able to migrate on to Steem.it so you have a built in audience of fans
C. Both A and B combined.
I don't see anything to indicate that you'd have a huge payday without these.
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Yeah, seems like when a whale hits it, you get a nice jump and others see it. I think mine flew under the radar.
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