Just had an interesting chat discussion on the Steemit Chat with a new user on Steemit that asked for help, so I tried to give some pointers and suggestions as well as information about what to do and what to expect. Some of the questions however got me thinking what new users currently think about Steemit and what their idea about the platform is, so I'll be posting some of them and my answers just to give you an idea. I won't review the username of the user however, though I'm sure that there are actually many new people coming to Steemit that are very similar and have the same perception about the platform... and that is a problem.
User: hey, can u help me?
ME: maybe...User: i have good posts but i am not getting popularity
ME: hahahah, tell me about it...User: yup, only 1 post lol ^^, 2 introductions
ME: well, your account is just a day old... unless you are some kind of celebrity there is no instant boost of popularity on steemitUser: but many people are getting many hits on their first post
ME: well, it depends on the posts, sometimes it is just pure luck...
User: idk what to post
ME: post about things you like, what you do, what are your hobbies...User: u give me a subject
...
User: give me a topic to post, i am so lazy
ME: I told you what to write aboutUser: what?
ME: post about things you like, what you do, what are your hobbies... things like that...
User: hey bro suggest me a topic
ME: told you two times what to write about... don't try to write about something just because you think that it might become popular...
I have intentionally cut some parts of the conversation where discussing other things such as is copy/pasting allowed, the need for citing sources, voting power and whales etc. I wanted to focus on what new users coming to Steemit apparently seem to expect - get popular with their first post on the first day and that is usually not going to happen. Getting lucky with not even a decent post is still possible, but not very likely... but even if you get lucky it will be scoring a Whale vote, so some reward and not likely you will become popular. So want to be a popular writer on Steemit (and get rewards), but don't know what to write about... asking for a specific topic instead of general ideas and saying you are being lazy... that does not go well with wanting to be popular on Steemit. Unless of course you are already popular and just came to Steemit bringing your fame and followers along that is... even if you are lazy it will still work ;)
If you have a question or want to add something, then please leave a comment below.
Did you like what you have just read? Check my other posts on steemit @cryptos
This guy seems like a late teen, early 20-something, grown with a mobile in his hand, cutting corners in life and waiting for instant gratification.
Bored to write "you" and replaces it with "u". Same for "idk", etc. And then says "give me a topic to post, i am so lazy".
I'd say he has bigger issues in front of him than how to succeed in steemit (which may be entirely unsuitable for him).
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The important question is how many people like that is Steemit attracting and what happens after they come here...
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Well the concept is to contribute content. If one starts by being "lazy", so lazy that they don't even want to think of something to write, then I think their future is pretty predictable.
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I suspect a majority of new sign ups are people like that (Steemit - it's the new gold rush!) and those people probably get discouraged quickly and don't stick around. But some of them will stay and start making valuable contributions. I think it's good to provide as much education for new users as possible, so that they can quickly decide if it's worth the effort or not. If expectations are kept realistic then there will be less frustration later on for all concerned.
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As a new Steemer yeah, you need to post frequently. I wouldn't even be afraid to blow past the 4 post limit. Who cares if earning potential is lost, your not making money at that point. What you want is to maintain a spot on the "NEW" feed somewhat close to the top so you can be seen by new potential followers. The best that a newbie can do to get new followers is to interact positively with posts they like (I.E. upvote and comment). Frequently, that will result in new followers more often than posting in the beginning.
Just some of my ideas on the topic.
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Thanks for the tips!
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The 4 posts limit is really limiting, but that does not mean you should just go posting 20-30 posts a day with total crap contents inside either... :)
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You're absolutely right I missed that caveat. "Crap" won't get followers. Experienced and passionate bloggers are going to have a lot to say to a new audience. I think most of them will be able to maintain their personal standard for the work they post.
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It's unsurprising a lot of new users feel like this, so many people are used to consuming content not creating it. it can be pretty overwhelming especially when you see people posting about their world travels etc and you spend your days working n wall-mart and wiping the kid's snotty noses.
You can always direct them to @sykochica 's steemprentic room in chat, and If they are just stuck for ideas I started an Idea-bank to help those who don't know what to write about or just have writer's block..it's been kind of hectic here so haven't updated it in a while will have to issue 3 out soon.
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Writer's block is one thing, but not knowing what to write about... and you just started writing. That is why I recommend to start with something that you do every day, or a hobby or something that you are well familiar with and it will be easy to write about. Not everyone is an experienced writer, but writing about things you know and like is the best thing to start with... that is unless of course you are only after the rewards and want to write popular content to get popular... :)
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:)
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Those chat snippets are hilarious! Clearly that guy is not very prepared, but it was good of you to offer him some advice. My advice for newbies (and keep in mind I was one only a bit more than a month ago) would be something like this: rather than just jumping into Steemit and starting to write whatever comes to mind, I think it's important to have a plan which consists of both a roadmap for your posts and a schedule for how often you want to post.
I was a lurker for a couple weeks before even writing my introduction post. I wanted time to get a feel for the platform and how other people started out. I also spent time thinking of ideas and writing them down in my phone's Notes app. Now I've got several weeks worth of posts planned out, so I don't really have to think much about what to write, it's just a matter of following my plan and writing it. And along the way probably more ideas will come to me naturally.
Regarding posting frequency, I know I can't compete with full time bloggers. I'm busy enough with my job and family that posting everyday is impossible. But I know I can write one decent-sized, good quality post per week, so that's what I'll do and stick to it. I think instead of focusing on posting frequency, it's more important to be consistent. So I'll get my new post-of-the-week out every weekend like clockwork and maintain that pace for a few months, then evaluate where I'm at.
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good info
thx for sharing
hope they all keep steemin! :)
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