We all know that HIVE isn't exactly the friendliest for brand new users. The multitude of front ends, the different resources HIVE users need to manage, how curation returns work, etc etc etc. There are plenty of useful guides out there that explain all the nuances of Resource Credits, Hive Power, Hive backed dollars, Vote Mana, and everything else.
One of the most useful helping guides I found when I first started on HIVE was this one by @ryzeonline. I've linked to it before and I am sure I will again because it really does a great job to help onboarding new Hivers and get them up to speed with some of that vital information they need to be successful and start creating content.
@ryzeonline/hive-a-complete-beginners-guide-with-fun-doodles-pt-1
My purpose with this post isn't to go over all of that stuff again in a different way. It's to help with the other part of being successful in building your account here- knowing how to build your HP even when your vote isn't worth enough to get a curation return.
Even now with over 2000 HIVE powered up my 100% upvote is worth just a few penny's so curation returns still aren't much to speak of in HIVE. So how does a new account build theirs up to begin earning from curation? Obviously Author Payouts for posts and comments are the most useful. But not every user of HIVE is able to publish content that will earn enough rewards to feel worthwhile regularly. I know I still don't earn consistently with every post and that can be frustrating when a user is starting out... especially if they know they made good content that just didn't get noticed. How else to go about it then?
Without further ado and in no particular order here is a list of tools, features, and tips that I wish someone had told me about from the very beginning.
Dustsweeper!
@dustsweeper
This handy dandy little account protects your vote value and content from being wasted and generating no return. It will upvote content that you have voted on to ensure that it passes the dreaded "dust threshold" and your vote isn't wasted. This is especially useful when your vote isn't worth enough to cross the dust threshold even with a 100% vote. Check out their blog for exactly how it works. Basically you send them some Hive or delegate to them and it will vote on things that you've voted on but haven't passed the dust threshold by day 5.
SBI/HBI
This one is right there in the Peakd wallet. Unless you do some research though or someone tells you how it works you'll never know what the heck it is. Check out the post and blogs here:
@steembasicincome/hive-sbi
@steembasicincome
Its basically a sponsorship program. You send the account some HIVE with ANOTHER USER's name in the memo and that gets you and the other user set up with occasional votes from the SBI/HBI program for life. No really FOR LIFE. There's some clever math going on behind the scenes that means you wont get a vote on every post you make, but I regularly get votes from one of the SBI accounts on my posts.
Delegation returns
There are plenty of accounts you can delegate your HP to in order to earn a daily return in HIVE or other tokens. This seems counter intuitive- isn't the point to power your account up dibbler, not send my painstakingly hoarded HP to other accounts? I hear you asking the question. YES that is of course the point. BUT. My measly 2000 HP barely crosses the dust threshold by itself. Some of these accounts are gonna send you Hive or other tokens EVERY DAY for doing nothing. Don't count it out as a way to build up your own HP and remember that the HP you delegate continues to grow at the rate set by the witnesses anyway. You can always call it back later! I'm delegating to 4 or 5 different accounts that pay out daily!
Alternate tokens
Curation returns for some of the Hive Engine tokens are much higher than with HIVE. Don't be afraid to stake your earnings in these tokens and start making your vote earn you more than just HIVE! I'm not gonna go into details because it works differently for every token. Less than 1000 POB powered up has made my POB vote worth around 0.8 POB by itself... just sayin'
Income tokens
Tokens that reward you in more of that token or other tokens just for holding them or staking them. Get some. For real.
ARCHON, DHEDGE, COM, BRO, INDEX, etc etc etc there are plenty more of them.
It all adds up. DHEDGE, BRO and ARCHON even give you more of themselves which means you get a little bit more return every day, constantly compounding. It might not seem like you're earning much from them at first but they just keep doing it every day.. just like delegating to other accounts described above.
Competitions
Get involved in some competitions. They are all over HIVE. Not only will they inspire you to get posts up which helps get you author rewards- you can win things! Often delegations or other goodies that will help speed up your account building endeavors! People love winners- you'll have a bunch of HIVE groupies in no time!
Curation trails
Remember that dust threshold? Well if you are following a curation trail with your vote it's not gonna matter anymore because other people will be on that trail too. This way you'll start getting teeny bits of curation rewards regularly, and put the stake you have in those other tokens to good use as well! Don't overdo it though or you wont have the vote mana to manually upvote! I use https://hive.vote/ to choose which trails to follow!
Engagement
Talk to people in the comments! Get in Discord channels! I've made more connections and learned more in comments and Discord chats by far than from just reading posts! I've probably earned more because of it too... Just from making those connections- people are more interested in reading and supporting your content if you're responsive and engaged. You'll get tips and tricks, help understanding the blockchain, be able to see and link to post promotion channels. All of which is good for you as you build up your account. Hivers love engagement.
Play the Games
Seriously. Have you SEEN Splinterlands lately? Blockchain games are taking off and good fun to boot! If you are trying to build an account and you aren't playing a few of the games here on HIVE you're missing out on some real opportunities. If I had been on Splinterlands in my first week instead of two months later... Damn
To some of the old hands here on HIVE this list probably seems pointless- and it's probably very incomplete! If you've got something I missed in mind drop it in the comments! I'd love to know what I can do better!
Still, I wish someone had told me to buy DHEDGE or BRO with my first Hive Engine purchase. And I wish that in my first couple of months I had been delegating my first few hundred HP out rather than sitting on it with it doing basically nothing. I wish I had entered more competitions sooner! And of course... SPLINTERLANDS. I was lucky to stumble into POB and PIZZA so early. Without that I wouldn't know half of this stuff!
With luck this post will help a few new users get a quicker jump start than I did!