Jumping into a new forum can be a bit intimidating, especially in an environment like Steemit where everything is in a state of flux as the platform develops around us. Here are a few tips that should help you navigate the hordes of people and find your niche.

Step 1: Find some People to Follow!

The best first step is to start reading what other members have written, and upvote what you like. Follow a few writers whose work you like the most. Finding some people to connect with up front helps you build a better overall connection with the community at large. Reading what others have written also helps you understand what well-formatted posts should generally look like, too. Comment on the things you like and start chatting with other people about what they have written. Nothing puts the "social" in "social network" like starting a conversation.

The people you follow will show up in your home feed whenever they post something new, so you can keep track of the people whose work has caught your interest before. You can also click on the promoted feed to see what people have chosen to pay to feature. It's likely to include quality content from established members who have a track record of Steemit participation. If there's an interesting subject in the Tags and Topics list, click and take a look. The tags listed are the most popular tags used in recent posts, so it can help you find a lot of material. This can be a fast way to find people who share a common interest.

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Step 2: Introduce Yourself!

Write a post with a short description of your interests. Include a selfie, a picture of an art project you're working on, links to a blog you follow, links you your profile on outside social networks you use, a verse of original poetry, or whatever else you feel comfortable sharing with the community. Keep it fairly short, but use it to tell people what you will be bringing to the community.

Be sure to use the tag #introduceyourself, and add up to 4 other tags relevant to what you mention about your interests and activities. This will help other people find you.

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Step 3: Write Something Interesting!

Write a story. Share something you learned. Link to an article you found, and describe in your own words what you like about it. Upload some photos to an image host website like Photobucket or SteemImg and embed them in a post. Whatever you do that might interest others in following you should be a priority.

You don't need to focus on one subject. Many successful Steemians write on a range of subjects, and you shouldn't feel a need to pigeonhole yourself as a one-topic blogger.

The only way to get good at blogging is to practice, so post regularly. Even though the upcoming update is likely to remove the post limit, I wouldn't advise posting more than 2 or 3 times per day. Once per day is fine. Don't burn yourself out by trying to flood the internet with your work.

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Step 4: Resteem Something Interesting!

If you find a post that really interests you, resteem it! This helps build the community by bringing exposure to interesting topics.

Avoid over-using this function though, and try not to resteem more than you write yourself. When other people look at your account and see nothing but dozens of resteemed posts, they probably won't follow you or interact with what you have written.

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Step 5: Check Out the FAQ and Other Steemit Resources!

The FAQ page is a great starting point to learn more about the Steemit ecosystem. It's a complicated idea, and there's a lot to learn about how it works. There's also a Steem wiki and superb Beginner's Guide to Steemit by @thecryptofiend that should help you better understand the technicalities of the system.

Don't forget about the official Steemit chat if you want to ask the community specific questions. Browse the channels and find all kinds of other goodies there, too!

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Step 6: Don't Worry About the Money!

Especially if you're new to the world of cryptocurrencies, don't obsess over the rewards and the differences between Steem, Steem Power, and Steem Dollars. If you're here to get rich quick, you will be disappointed. If you're here to interact with the community, create original content, and connect with interesting people, you'll find success slowly but surely.

I'm sure you'll want to get a basic understanding of the Steem-conomy anyway, so here's another great post by @thecryptofiend detailing the basics of how the different categories work and interact.

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