As a @Minnowmentor, one of the things that's been coming up in the last week or so has been a discussion with some of my mentees about how to get people to upvote and engage with you, so I'm going to talk about a bit of advice I've been giving out recently.

Unless you are already a multi-millionaire Steemit whale, with a wallet the size of Donald Trumps ego, it's probably likely that when you make a post, you like the idea of getting a bit of attention and some upvotes.

But then, so is everyone else. If you're not @jeffberwick, or @jerrybanfield, or @sweetsssj or one of the other big hitters with an almost messianic following, how on earth do you get people to follow you?

So here's a thought for you. Think back to the days when you were on facebook (yes I know doesn't it seem like such a long time ago now!)

Back then you were just another punter. Similar to here. Your friends would read your posts, your auntie Jean would comment on that picture of you about to demolish that burger which gave you Angina.

And every now and again, your feed would pop up something that was actually really interesting, even though you knew it was a sponsored post. But you couldn't help yourself could you? No.

• Because you really need to know how Chunk (the truffle shuffle guy from Goonies) is now knocking the women dead with his incredible good looks and suave sophisticated panache.

• Because you are desperate to know what crypto @dan larimer is putting all his portfolio into this year (hint, it probably starts with an E and ends with an OS).

• Because you are desperate to get to drive a supercar for free or go to the MOBO awards with Halle Berry as a date.

• Because my friends, you got clickbaited. And you know it.

Yep, You fell for it again and again and again.

And clickbait is one of those things that happens over and over again...Why? Because it bloody well works.

And would you like to know WHY it works? Ok, here's the answer, and it's going in BIG assed letters.

IT WORKS BECAUSE THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS ALWAYS YES

Of course you do. You're saying YES to yourself inside.

Yep, I want the money, the upvotes, the car, the night with that fit celebrity. Of course I want to be rich, healthier, live longer etc etc...

And the clickbaiters know this. So they drop psychological bombshells on you constantly...to get you to agree with the statement they make in the first place.

It doesn't matter if your blog is the best piece of writing on the planet. It makes absolutely fuck all difference if nobody actually reads it in the first place!

Because when you're looking at a hundred different stories, and choosing the one to read and comment on, you're going to choose the one that psychologically fulfils an immediate need.

But clickbait is basically shit right? Yes. It is basically shit. It's a shitty shitty thing to do. But you can use the same principle without being a shit to encourage people to read your posts.

Here it is folks...the bombshell: The key to getting upvoted isn't just in your content. It's in your title too.

Because your title is so important, it just cannot be ignored. If your title is as boring as a day in with Norma Major, then you're probably not going to connect with people well.

Your title has to jump out. It has to grab by the balls. It has to be a peacock and show its feathers off. And is has to do it with less characters that a tweet on twatter.

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So how can this work for you as a Steemer?

Well, it's not rocket science. If you're a strugging minnow, putting out your best work, only to find nobody ever viewed it, let alone upvoted or commented on it, it can be pretty disheartening.

But put something out there which actually gets people going "yep...i'll have some of that" and internally nodding before they even read the post, well you're onto a winner right?

You can frame just about everything in this way. The more subtle you are, the better, but this could give you a fighting chance of having someone stopping and clicking, then reading and upvoting, as opposed to them just scrolling right past you.

So this is tip number one: Use titles that don't just grab attention, they get the reader agreeing with it right from the outset. And make them part of your own persona. If you like to write comically, be funny in them. If you are dead serious about something, drop the bombshell.

I'm not saying this is going to attract whales every time, but slowly slowly, it will help build your following, which is the way to make Steemit work for you.

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Next time, I'll talk about the biggest mistake I see posters making when they are trying to get a new idea or concept across!

With steemy-love to you all.

The @anarcotech

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@anarcotech is the project coordinator for the @minnowmentor project, and an active member of #promo-steem and #promo-uk, as well as local @promo-huddersfield Ambassador. He likes to write in the third person and thinks it makes him look big.