Dear Hivers,
If there was a book on blogging mistakes, I would be picked as an example. That’s because — in the history of blogging — I have made every single mistake possible. It took me 8 years to fix most of them.
And when it comes to Hive? The platform is similar to blogging with a dash of social-ness. Therefore, on Hive, the rules of blogging are applied. The mistakes of blogging are applied.
This is why I have created this newbie-friendly guide to share some of the most important fatal mistakes — and why every user should avoid them.
These are 11 mistakes collected through experience, observation, and analysis. First, you can go through each one of them. Then see the mistakes you are relate with. And finally, stop repeating these mistakes.
Let’s start:
Mistake #1: Living in your own world
One of the most common mistake:
Moment you enter Hive, you don’t look around. Instead, you create a boundary — and you don’t go outside of this imaginary boundary.
As mentioned in my earlier post, you fall in love with yourself — your notifications — and your wallet. This doesn’t work because you are focused on you. And the platform doesn’t operate this way.
So get outside of your profile. Of your own world. And inside others. After all, Hive is a social community-based platform.
Mistake #2: [Mindset] What’s my personal gain?
This is a mindset mistake.
Just take a step back and think about other platforms.
Platforms where you have your friends and relatives. Like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. On these platforms, you will see people posting for no reason to be controlled by centralized companies. We are numbers to them. Products to them.
So for the first time ever, Hive is fighting this battle by offering a non-centralised, censorship-free, incentive-based platform.
Which is why Hive is filled with developers creating proposals, new projects, interfaces, and lots of quality initiatives are in the pipeline.
The moment you start seeing this, you begin to realise there is a collective effort to create something new. So convert your personal gains into collective growth.
Mistake #3: Emptying wallet before filling it up
Are you excited to receive your payout? Great. I am excited too. Rewards are a fantastic incentive.
But if you sell everything, and your Hive tokens are back to 0, then you may want to reconsider your strategy. You are creating a short-term painful situation.
Because, at the time of writing, Hive is barely 50 days old. We just got started. That is why I have personally never sold a SINGLE Hive yet. All this simply means: we are too young right now.
So accumulate as much as possible — rather than cashing out and starting small once again.
Mistake #4: Thinking short-term (and not long-term)
Watch some of the top authors here who are consistently active. Watch their articles. Observe their discipline. And you will get a clue — that long-term works better than short-term.
Whatever your motive is, with time, you will know that Hive is not a get-rich-quick platform. It is not designed that way. You can’t expect miracles in a day. In a week. Or in a month.
Staying here for a longer time will switch your thinking and make you familiar with the platform and its mission.
Mistake #5: Zero content effort
There are two kinds of publishers here. One who really puts a lot of effort. And the other who doesn’t.
And if you know anyone who simply writes rubbish, rewrites content, and does it all in a language only they understand? Then it really is a question of integrity here.
We can deal with bad punctuations and sentence structure. But we cannot deal with bad behaviour. This, coupled with meaningless content, not only drifts you away from the community but is also a waste of time.
Solution: You can avoid this mistake by writing quality content — content that ignites conversations, adds value, and leaves you fulfilled.
Mistake #6: Begging for votes (without building a honest connection)
Pushed bad content and you still want votes? Worst of all, you go around and start begging for votes from people you don't know?
You have simply committed the daddy of mistakes.
Solution: First, build a honest connection. Be around. Find like-minded people to follow. And then, if you feel like asking, share the link.
Here’s how I do it: I have personally approached people only when I know my content is good. And I don’t tell them to VOTE the post. Ever. I simply ask them to check it out — I nudge them.
Mistake #7: Not proofreading your content
There’s a misconception that buried content is never read. People read it even after months — and years. That is why it is important to proofread your content before and after publishing your content.
It not only serves the platform but also improves your attention to details — which can be instrumental in other parts of your life.
Mistake #8: Thinking engagement is for idiots
- Why bother commenting?
- What’s the use?
- I don’t know what to say?
If you have any of these questions, then switch to Facebook or any other social media platform — where people comment and engage for no reason. Here, at least, you get to meet intellectual people with a like-minded mission.
Plus, engaging upgrades your conversations skills. It simply says that you are able to hold the conversation — not just online but also in life, isn’t it?
And if you don’t know what to say? Then check out this article:
- The 9 do's and don'ts of engagement!
- Also check out the #POSH initiative - [link]
Mistake #9: Writing for the heck of it (controversial topics, too)
To give you an example: I noticed a lot of Justin Sun and Steem posts here. Some people want to continue this war — so they can get all the attention. Such attention is short-lived.
Do not merely design controversies to attract attention. The community can see through it (that is why most of these topics are not trending anymore).
If you still want to continue, write an original piece backed up with logic and evidence.
Mistake #10: [Mindset] Comparing yourself to others
Another mindset mistake. If you are here to compare yourself with others or even get jealous of someone’s success? Then it is time to recalibrate your thinking.
Kim chase, an actress, once said:
“Life is not really a competition. It is about helping and inspiring others so we can reach our full potential.”
Meaning: You have to drop your comparison. Not work alone. But together. (It, again, comes back to "collective" growth).
Mistake #11: [Mindset] “I don’t know these people”
Someone recently told me: These people on Hive are not my brothers and sisters.
It’s true — they are not.
But you have to open up your boundaries and watch it from the other side. Because, you see, behind every display pic is a real person. This post you are reading? I am writing. My name is Sid. I am real.
Think of the entire Hive experience as walking into a seminar. You have the opportunity to meet as many people as possible. And the entry here is literally free.
So even if you don’t know people, you now have the opportunity to connect with hundreds of them — and explore this exciting journey together. How cool is that?
One more mistake: You are not true to yourself
“Authenticity over everything else” — that’s a popular quote telling you to be true to yourself. Be genuine. And be really you without destroying your values.
On Hive, this also means removing any ulterior motive — and operating with a positive attitude that not only drives you but also the people around you closer to their goals.
What fun when we climb up the ladder together, isn’t it?
Woohoo!
Wasn’t this a refreshing list?
We started with the basics — that Hive is a social platform — and then moved onto 11 fatal mistakes that raises eyebrows and destroys your reputation.
In fact, these mistakes just doesn’t impact the platform. It truly impacts your personal life. Therefore the goal is to minimise these mistakes as much as possible.
Moment you do that, you are making adjustments to your life — you are saying YES to success. To happiness. And to a fulfilling life.
Now that you have glanced through these mistakes, I would love to hear from you.
Can you drop a comment below to share your thoughts? Maybe share a common mistake you recently saw? Something that new users can avoid? Or something that new users should know? Whatever it is, please share. I would love to know!
Cheers,
Sid
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