Don't Make an Intro Post Yet
You never get a second chance to make a first impression so don't do it until you are ready. To get ready:
Browse topics that interest you. I like garden, homesteading, survival, etc. but also take a look at introduceyourself.
Trending is the top articles but hot are the up and comers and you can find some nuggets in new but it can be overwhelming.
Start upvoting articles you like and thoughtful comments you like. Your voting power gets depleted as you use it since. hardfork 19 (HF19) but don't worry about that just yet or ever. I feel the reward is the upvote but others disagree.
Learn markdown. You can use it in posts and comments.
Start commenting. Make thoughtful comments and never spam or beg for followers or upvotes in somebody elses post and in general keep it positive. You can use emojis 😀 copy+paste from this great list made by @blueorgy https://steemit.com/emojis/@blueorgy/steemit-emojis-master-list-2
Check out your wallet and other user's wallets (it's public). You can see replies and settings from this page as well
Resteem articles you like
Avoid mistakes early on by reading this recent great post by @alcibiades https://steemit.com/steemit/@alcibiades/8-mistakes-i-see-beginners-make-on-steemit I've probably made several in this post alone 😃
After a few days at least or a couple of weeks make that intro post and be sure to add a picture to it and all posts!
- Choose full power for you payout option. If money is what you're after, then you can power down later and go for 50/50 50% power / 50% pay but for now you need to build your power and influence in the community
Whales, Dolphins, Minnows oh my!
A whale can make or break your day (or steem life if they want) by simply clicking upvote (UV) or flagging you (DV). There is no set threshold for reaching this status but when they UV your post or comment, you will know it because your payout just jumped significantly.
🐳 Whales, just like the animal, can be a good friend to have but do not piss them off. They can literally ruin you on Steemit. You will find examples of this if you look around.
@papa-pepper is one of my favorite whales. He did an 18 part video series to help beginners but for now watch his short summary video here
🐬 A dolphin is even more unclear but I see this as probably being the best time on steemit because you can just swim along and have fun without having the responsibilities of a whale and the desperation of a minnow. Your vote matters but steemit is probably not a job for you.
🐟 Minnows see the potential of the platform and are eager to get involved. That eagerness can come across as desperation. You are a minnow if you have just started, unless you are a youtuber or other superstar embrace it and chill. It's a marathon not a sprint although I have seen people skyrocket if they do it the right way and if they work hard.
One last link is this exhaustive list of all the cool tools available to you http://steemtools.com/ use them and full steem ahead