One of the challenges we face when joining a community for the first time is how to get around quickly and transition from being a newbie to becoming one amongst the pack.
Sometime ago, I was intimidated to come forward the LeoFinance community so I stayed a spectator, observing and reading quietly for a while until I took the courage to comment on one of the articles I've read and the author and others were quite engaging. That made an impression on me so I continued and then finally wrote my first post.
Thinking about that personal experience, I believe some too might find it challenging especially on how to start, grow and get the momentum to thrive around the LeoVerse. So today, I want to share a few tips learnt along the way that might be helpful to anyone new.
On Starting:
Where to go when you just came around?
The easiest, most fun and less-overwhelming place would be the Threads (https://leofinance.io/threads). It's the microblogging page within the LeoVerse. Any topic is welcome there (except plagiarized of course). Go say hello or good morning and add the tag #gmfrens (this is one that is making waves on the threads these days).
Or just write about anything you wish. Perhaps ask questions or add a photo of your cat or something. The key is to start and then learn from there.
While there, engage with others. Don't be too serious, be fun! First impression lasts they say so you want to show the best of you. But don't overthink nor overdo it, just be you.
Another page to go is the Daily Crypto Market Live Blog (DCMLB) or what we often refer to as LMT. It is one of the pages where some lions go to and talk about the market and other stuff. It used to be buzzing but when threads came out, the numbers of people who interact with each other dropped. But it is still a great place to check out.
Find contents around the community that suit your preferences, follow the authors and engage with them on their posts. Don't just follow anyone thinking they would follow you back. You want to see in your feeds the contents you enjoy and would want to read and learn from.
Engage, engage, engage. That's probably the best way to get noticed. It's sort of how we say "hello, I'm here!"
On Growing and Thriving:
As you get settled, you don't want to just stop there. You want to grow and thrive with others and cement your own foothold too. I'm also trying to do that and here's to share some of the things that I believe will help us in that regard:
Check out LeoGlossary especially if you are a crypto noob (like me). It's the most accessible reference or learning center here about crypto, investing, finance and other related terms.
Create quality contents relevant to the LeoFinance community. It doesn't have to be perfect but show that you are making an effort in your contents. Reply and engage with those who leave comments on your post. These are organic ways to gain following or audience.
Be mindful of your post formatting. Your article might be good but it won't do much if it looks messy at first glance. Remember, there are a lot of content creators here and you want your post to stand out.
Use properly-sourced images. Don't just grab from anyone. Better yet, learn to create your own. Canva is one of the most used app in creating lead photos.
Never ever plagiarize. Once you do, you will suffer the consequences for a long while.
Link in a few LeoGlossary keywords on your posts. They are additional enhancements to your content and you're also helping in the optimization of contents.
Check out the community pages too. There might be something you can contribute to them.
Explore and learn more about LeoFinance, its projects on and off-chain.
Get involved in the initiatives in the community. There are contests that you can participate where apart from learning, you may gain friends whom you can create long-term relationships with. I recommend following leogrowth and hodlcommunity. They are constantly initiating contests that encourage us to do research and on the process, we learn and discover more.
Stake your rewards and grow your Leo Power. This is where you show that you are here for the long-term and are committed to grow.
Participate in the Leo Power Up Day (LPUD) which happens every 15th of the month. As your Leo Power increases, your influence does too. Set goals and continually work towards them.
Just as we have rankings in terms of Hive Power, we also have the LeoFinance Pride Ranking based on our staked LEO (LP). You can read more information about this here.
Learn, Learn Learn. There is so much to learn from around here. We don't want to get stuck so we have to learn and evolve with time if we are to thrive. We need to find ways that work best for us and then keep right at them. Don't be shy to ask questions too because it's one method of learning.
Keep showing up. Even when your posts don't get interactions and upvotes, do not lose hope. Just keep on banging the door with your engagements and good contents. Keep making your presence felt.
Finally, never beg for upvotes and followers. Just keep doing your best and they will come, naturally. And of course, don't forget to have fun. Life would be so dull if we are too engrossed about things and missing out on enjoyment.
To sum it up, the key is to start, then build relationships, create valuable contents, think long-term and keep growing.
DISCLAIMER: These are based on personal experience and observations so they are not set in stone. As you stay put, you will discover more and you will be able to find what works well for you.
Screenshots from within LeoFinance. Lead image created on Canva. 300922/20:00ph