I'm gonna go out and say that the comment section is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of Steemit. It doesn't matter what you post, how good your pictures are, or how great of a writer you are if you don't engage with others. This is a social media and if you want to harness all it's potential, you have to be active in the comment sections, both your own and others.
I already knew that but last two weeks proved it even further. I was in Thailand on a holiday and even though I posted every day, I wasn't very active otherwise, and it shows. The amount of upvotes was somewhat the same as always, but my comment section has pretty much died over the last two weeks, and it sucks! I can only blame myself for that.
I actually got a comment from @futuremind, giving me a little feedback on the subject. My first response was to get mad and ignore him, but of course he was right and I knew it.
Of course I couldn't be as active as I would be back at home (where I have no life) because then I would have missed a lot of real life experiences and that is not good either. I'm still new at this as a full time Steemian, and working hard on trying to find a good balance between work and play. I need to live enough on the real life to have things to photograph and talk about, and on the other hand I need to spend time socialising in here.
It is my job to make sure you feel included on my blog and in my travels. It is my job to engage with my audience, not just post a pretty picture, take rewards and disappear. For some people, it might work for a while, but it's not sustainable in the long run. And I intend to be in this for a long long time.
I'm going to spend the better part of the coming week being really active on Steemit, trying to make up for the time I was away. I've missed so much and I want to get back on my routine of posting and commenting.
Along with the comments, I think Steem.chat is the second most important part of Steemit, when wanting to connect with new people and to stay in touch with older friends. It is a great place to hang out when you find a group of likeminded people and you can basically find internet friends from all over the world at any time of the day or night. I do warn you, it is highly addictive! Shout out to my friends at Dzone<3
Plz ignore this comment
I will get triggered if you reply
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I tried my hardest but but but....
it's so BIG!!
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thats what she said
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hahahaha :) :D follow me and upvote please :) help me get started too! i will follow all of you now!
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Hehe! What a great reply 😂 You are awesome!
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Hey @eveuncovered. I feel honored to have made an impact with your Steemit experience, even if my comment did rub you the wrong way at first. I'm even more honored to get a mention from you!
If people are completely leaving your comment feed because you have a real life besides steemit, and they failed to even give you a chance to get back to them, or explain your lack of involvement during your time in Thailand, then their probably assholes with no life.
It's no easy task to find the balance between work and play. Today for example, I have nothing to do, and I no longer celebrate St. Patrick's day, so I was going to steemit up all day, but a friend invited me to dinner, and now I'm just kind of stressing because I would rather be working on my next blog. (it's about subliminal messages).
I'm still trying to find that balance too. You're not alone! I think you're doing a fantastic job. I have not tried steem.chat perhaps tonight I will try it for the first time. I didn't even know about it!
I'll talk to you later friend. Thanks for all that you do here.
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No problem, I felt like I wanted to mention you because we exchanged words about the subject I was already going to write something about. Your critique was very civilised and a good example how one can point out something without being rude.
I think we'll never find the perfect balance that would work all the time, you kind of have to go with the flow. Like when there is a lot of action, you have to be ON, but then again there are more silent times and you can be more chill about this.
Thanks for pushing me, and letting me explain myself :)
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Indeed , you're welcome 😊
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Nice photos, upvoted and followed.
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Thank you for your support, means the world to me.
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It's an interesting topic. At the end if the day it's a voluntary site with voluntary input. You're not under any obligation to post or comment, just like nobody is under any obligation to like, resteem or support your posts. People do it anyway because you post good content and honestly from what I've seen you do seem to interact well with people who leave comments. I know we've certainly conversed back and forth a few times and you've supported a few of my posts. I guess it has to be a balance and people should understand that. With the level of following and amount of comments you get on here nobody could expect you to respond to everyone. I say keep doing exactly as you have been. You're doing a great job as far as I can see.
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Definitely it isn't something I'd have to do, put I I make my living in here and 1. I enjoy it and 2. I think it shows a certain level of respect towards other people when you interact with them. I haven't felt very motivated in posting when my comment section is only full of spam :(
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That's the thing, a lot of comments on here are spam. It's clear a lot of people don't read or take any interest in post they just throw up generic comments in the hope of getting an upvote. I even get that on the small level I'm on so I can only imagine what you get. I've seen you respond plenty to genuine comments so you're already doing a fine job as far as I can see. You know this stuff better than I do, guess all I'm trying to say is don't feel pressured into spending all your time responding to every single comment. Nobody could expect that of you.
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Oh don't worry, I won't use much of my time for the spam, only my flags are used for those 😇
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I'll drink to that.
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You just wanted an excuse to drink! 😈😈
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Haha come on, an Irish guy, on March 17th. It was always going to happen 😄
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Ah, that's right!
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Every other year I give up alcohol for Lent. This is the hardest day to abstain : (
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It all depends on what kind of person you want to be seen as, or be. There are many users who don't interact at all, just post as an excuse to circular or self-vote. There are people who allow rampant self-voting for relatively big money of junk comments in their threads, because they're established people who upvote themselves and no one else and no one in the thread is really trying to talk to anyone, but rather just find a convenient place to hide the self-voting. Then there are people who interact with others like normal humans, and there are a select few authors who are very generous with voting users who reply in an intelligent fashion.
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I really want to be one of those people you described as "normal humans" and giver of generous upvotes in the comments, the generous part I need to work on by acquiring more Steem Power :D But I do love upvoting good and funny comments on my posts :)
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Do you use the web version for steemit chat?
Is there any way to use an app or the mobile version?
Chats is far easier on mobile than web.
As for comments! Aaarrghh.. On social media, generally, there is a lot of gems and awesome bombs that is sliced into the comment section.
I have gotten clients through comments, I have gotten volunteers to my organization through comments. I have gotten invitations to speak at a conference through comments.
It is powerful. The better we learn to use that space in strategic ways, the better.
Thank for sharing this @eveuncovered
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I prefer the web version, it sucks on mobile or on the app, it's almost impossible to use with the lag.
I think it's much easier to "make it" if you truly engage with people on the comments, and not just try to make really nice posts.
Thank you for your comment :)
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Oh, thanks for your prompt response.
In your steemit experience so far, do you feel it is better to stay consistent engaging other people's content, than creating your own content?
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Hmm, that is a hard one. The content I make takes a lot of time, so I I have to prioritise that, but it might be different for someone else. It's a constant balancing act.
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This is my first read post.
And i want say that: This is my best!
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It only goes worse from here 😈
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I was considering this subject earlier today Love. As a new user I not only understand the need and benefit of interacting with my audience - but I also really enjoy it. And then I actually thought about you @eveuncovered - how will I be able to keep up if I am ever "noticed" and become as successful on here as you are? I will have to set a work schedule to dedicate "X" amount of time everyday just interacting with my beloved followers. I understand that it could become overwhelming, but as a newbie "minnow" what a wonderful problem it would be 😘 I am sure you know of @ginabot - but if you don't I would highly recommended using her free services to be notified of interactions you want to keep on top of. One idea of a way to utilize @ginabot is that you can develop a list of VIP followers and get notifications when they comment - that way your most faithful will never feel forgotten - just a thought. Keep it up love and best of wishes to you and yours 😘
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Awww, how sweet of you to think of me! :) It does take some work to comment back to most people, but I enjoy it, very much. I don't need to use any additional services, I'm online almost all the time and it's not like I get hundreds of comments every day :'D
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Oh honey - I hope it didn't come across like I was trying to promote something.... It is just a bot on here that has helped me a lot. I can have my computer on and be in a different room, a notification comes through and I hear it - so I can stay very engaged without the need of having my eyes glued to the screen. I still have dishes and stuff to do 😂 - thank you for keeping us all entertained with your beautiful posts 😘
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The people can wait while I do the dishes, it's a rare event anyways 😂
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Hehe 😂 Thanks for the laugh love 😘
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Commenting is definitely vital to steemit.
This is a social media platform, and what society can exist without communication?.
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Yeah, and posting is a pretty one-sided conversation.
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Yes it is.
One can't make friends by musing alone to himself.
Starting the right conversation on steemit, can lead to a friendship that will take you to greater heights on this platform.
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People crave interaction on the premise they get something out of it. Steemit rewards catchy, polite and souless comments unfortunately.
But i am still new here, so we'll see.
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You are clearly not familiar with my comment section yet ;) we have quite a lot fun in here sometimes! :)
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If someone has taken the time to write a comment then they deserve a response. Even if it's a "thank you" or some kind of acknowledgement. If someone said something to you in real life you wouldn't just stare blankly at them and then turn away.
You have kind of set yourself up in this post at least to reply to everyone that comments though :D
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That is a very good point Kieran! :) Though, I'd still ignore the spammers, even in real life ;)
God, I hope this doesn't become trending, I'd die under all the comments 😂😅
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Set a day limit. I think if a comment is on a post that's at least 3 days old, it's understandable to ignore. If you have more recent posts to worry about. I can get upwards of 100 unique comments on my Instagram posts. I make an effort to reply to all that come in within a 24 hour period and then only reply to "thoughtful comments" or questions. It can just be too time consuming otherwise.
Spammers are like people on the street trying to hand out flyers, just keep walking and don't make eye contact :P
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I don't believe in rules like that, I could end up missing a really good comment. Do people comment on Instagram!? I don't really use it at all because the engaging in there is very one sided, that is one thing where Steemit has the upper hand.
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It's not a hard and fast rule. But if I see a comment "nice shot" on a post from 4 days ago and I have newer posts with more in depth comments, I don't feel so bad about not replying.
The engagement on Steemit is definitely better than on Instagram
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You shouldn't feel pressured to comment, like it's a job or something. Just take it easy and chip in when you've got some spare time!
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But that's the thing, THIS IS MY JOB, I'm a full time Steemian :D
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So tru so many people neglect or undervalue the importance of the comments section on here. I make an effort to reply to everyone who comments on my posts. Its a matter of courtesy for one - if they have spent the time to comment on your blog the least you can do is to reply. And it can also start up some really cool and interesting conversations.
And yeah im into steem.chat now and its good fun!
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I think the most fun I ever have in here happens in the comments and rarely has even anything to do about the post itself :D
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Agreed
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You are right.
The trend will be mini communities created around a topic or based on a geography location or similar interests.
It is addictive, at least as I experience on "old" social media platforms.
Thanks for your post.
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Ugh, I disagree about the location part, we don't wanna see each other in real life, that would be horrible ;)
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The beauty of freedom is that nobody will tell you what to do :-))
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You are wrong, everyone will tell you what they think you should do, but it is your freedom to choose who to listen to, or make up your own mind.
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Nice advice but i think steemit still have some little upgrade to make that interesting
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Totally agree, you have to engage with your followers and commenters, but there are a lot of people of which you can't really give a good comment back. When they say "Great post" ... all I say is thank you, cause what else is there to say :) But indeed when someone takes the effort to give a good comment, I will upvote and answer... That's just how it works :) But indeed if you are not able to spend a lot of time for a short time, people have to read some of the earlier posts before they say things like that you are not engaging... Have a great day !!
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Never mind the spammers, I don't waste my time on them, only flag them if I feel like it. But I love when I get some good conversations going on, like in this post, this is just perfect!
Have a great day/evening/night too and thank for taking the time to stop by :)
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I’m going to tell you to become more active even though you’re actively engaging on most posts.
Then say I’m on your posts all of the time.
Translation: Talk to me please. I’m desperate af.
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If the rumours are true, I want you to do all the talking😈
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Let’s kill that dream.
They aren’t true.
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I wanna live in my wonderful imaginary world a little longer!
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Aka. The only way to get a girl to talk to you
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Yes, I can reply to this post. Leaving comments on some of your more 'uncovered posts makes my wife of 48 years a bit peeved. Just kidding. I'm big on commenting. I can converse on a wide range of subjects whether I know anything about them or not : ) I only post 2-3 times a week, but bang out comments 2-3 hours a day. I type slow though so...
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Haha, you are not the first one to say something like that 😅 I’m sorry most of my posts are not wife-friendly. I’m glad you used some of your precious commenting time on stopping by my post🤗
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Thank you for the reply, ma'am!
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Great post!
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I wish I had better and more meaningful comments. But here I go anyway!
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I always like your comments, a good mix of english and made up finnish words 😁
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They're not made up, en cooki sanoja lennosta! xD
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nice one eve keep it un covered at all times ;) ;)
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I will, both figuratively and literally ;)
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wow Eve , what self reflection . Well done
people are different and the way they comment and vote will very . I don't know if its what right or wrong it depends on your followers and who you are, I'll assume
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Would you keep making comments to someone that never responds? I sure ass hell wouldn't.
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No I would not and I would not follow them either. I have seen large accounts who never respond to a single comment on every one of their posts . Multiple post over time . and yet , thousand of followers who never get a response waiting for the next post to respond to to get no response .
lol
to each his own
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I always try to give the benefit of the doubt and Steemit is great because you can easily check a persons history on activity and see how they normally engage with others.
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It can be quite annoying when I make a thoughtful comment or ask a question in a post especially when the poster invites interaction and then I hear nothing. I enjoy your posts because you do interact, even with your witty one liners.
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That sure is annoying, I never want to make my followers feel like I don't have time for them. We are here as a community, the conversation needs to go both ways :)
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I don't think is totally wrong. It all depends on the user schedule and work life. Some use steemit as a secondary means of livelihood while they still keep their primary job.
A full time steemian will always respond and interact with its users. Some may reply just a few. Thanks for bringing this topic up.
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I know many full time steemians who hardly ever respond to their comments. And I think that it is rude to just post and only wait for the rewards, not care about comments, but that is only my opinion. I did this along my full time job for 6 months every day, and still found time to comment, I think that was one of the reasons I'm doing so good in here.
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This is so true. IMO you generally do a GREAT job engaging. That is part of your appeal! These are great tips, but also true your last paragraph. Our potential here is maximized via engagement, but some don’t or won’t and that’s okay too. That’s the Beauty of decentralization...no panel/authority here dictating requirements to play this game. Just a community and feedback.
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Thank you, it is something I really like doing and want to improve on also. I wouldn't have gotten this far if I just posted nudes and never talked to anyone.
Even when the engagement is by no means mandatory, I always wonder why people choose to support authors who clearly don't give a shit about other people.
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Yeah, a lot of people suck at comments in all sorts of different ways. They are important, but if you started calling them out, you'd be doing it for a long ass time. It's just important for people to occasionally do posts like this, so we all know to keep working on it.
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What do you mean "out"? Mention them here? As you say, it is a matter of choice without any moral element to it. Mentioning these users would be counterproductive as it would only increase their visibility if you're contemplating on doing it to somehow cast them in a negative light. Their followers are already familiar with their lack of engaging the audience.
High SP or otherwise very successful posters who get a very large number of comments have little need to upvote other user's comments in their comment sections. But most users would be wise to upvote the comments they receive particularly if they wish to grow their readership. But that, too, is each user's own business.
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at the end of the day I am most concerned about my own opinion. So if I have something to say and it is entertaining to me I will just say it. others might find it funny, boring, clever or rude. that matters little as long as I am happy with myself. That being said responce is always nice. My time and attention are some of the best gifts I can give. But those are also some of the most valueble gifts I can get. and I do appreciate them.
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You make good points, but I think even if you think you were funny, if you get a bad reaction, it might affect your mood a little.
You know I always try to respond to you, unless I think you step out of the line 😈
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In normal comments that would have very minimum effect or none at all. Being too negative about my art could possibly ruin my mood. But that is only because I invest much more of myself into my art than into any comment.
In this world everything that is worth something can be discovered/ achieved/ created only by occasionally stepping out of the line. :P
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