Looking at the increasing number of steemit users in the community, I can't help but notice the increasing number of minnows. You can see a wide number of users asking for upvotes in the community, minnows earning as low as $0.001 or even none at all. As you may have seen, the number of Steemit users are increasing exponentially. With this comes again the cycle of emotional turmoil that each minnow has to get through in steemit.
Status Quo for Minnows
Low Payouts
To all the minnows reading this. I know how you feel. The community is incentivized. You see people in the trending section earning $800 or more. Your friends have higher payouts than you do. And you begin to ask yourself, "Why am I not earning as much as they do? Did I do something wrong?". This can leave a big hole on your ego. You start and question your capabilites and your worth. You become overly critical with your actions. Or worse, you pack up your bags and leave Steemit.
Not being upvoted when asked for it
"Please upvote my post". I cannot recall the number of times I have used this phrase on the groupchats. When I ask for an upvote from others, there are only two possible reactions: either they do it and they do not. And looking back at the experiences I had, most of the time, a simple plea for their precious click cannot be earn by mere request. As a minnow, this is a hard experience. We become angry at the thought of not receiving rewards from those we have generously upvoted on, and we demand the same from them. We think how unfair it is to give to others when we don't get what we want in turn.
Not getting enough attention
Most of the time, we post our blogs and expect to get rewards as high as the sky; only to be dismayed by the lack of attention it gets. Much more, it just kills our pride to see not a single comment or reaction from people in the community. "Do I even exist here?" You are left frustrated, drained out and wanting to shut the door from any interaction. You may even feel the need to stay anonymous, delete your account and just move on with your life in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, or any socially media platfrom where your posts are given the attention you so long for.
What can we do about it
Now, the problems I mentioned are very real. They are at most, the cornerstone of what it is to be a minnow. As the name implies, we rely on the whales (curators, witnesses and fellow authors) to give us a bite of those SBD's. It is important to note that each one of us will go through the same experience here in Steemit. To those who feel this way, High Five!. You are surely not alone. Though it may seem like the end of the world for your success in Steemit, much like in real life, takes time and effort to achieve. In my month here in the community, here are my insights on how to ease yourself from the burden of being a lowly minnow:
Focusing on your content
"Join the Community that pays you to post quality content". Before we signed up to Steemit, we were greeted with that website banner. Signing up, we agreed to its terms and use. This alone is the sole focus of Steemit: "Quality Content"!
Your content makes you valuable. If you look at the financially successful people in Steemit, you will begin to notice a similiarity: "You see consistent and quality posts that have an impact on the community". This is what the people on this platform want. They want to see you develop your personal brand! The arduous task is just part of the process. Focusing on being consistent with your blog, ensuring that they are of great content gives you an upper hand over other users.
And while this does not guarantee you a spot in the trending section, at least you know you did your best. A lot of curation accounts and community curators need these people right now. You could be one of them if you take some tim to improve on your posts. Hold on there, you will get there in time.
Supporting each other
This is extremely vital. I am and advocate of being vocal with your thoughts. In psychology, when you do not process on your thoughts, these become repressed emotions. This means that these thoughts will haunt you in the near future. Now when you see a great post, roll that cursor over and hit that upvote button! Secondary to making quality content, you are also given the job to curate on quality posts. Resteem. Leave a thoughtful remark. Give constructive criticism of their work. In this way, they can improve on their work. How wonderful would it be to see someone succeed from your advice.
Remember: Emphasis again on the word quality. While upvote for upvote sounds like a stable way to earn, this should not be tolerated. It's good to receive upvotes, but the question is, "Are you willing to give your limited number of upvotes for a person who you do not see fit for it?"
We can look at this in the context of mendicancy - when we give to the street children. No matter how many times we do it, our coins will never alleviate their suffering forever. This brings us the the idea of helping each other. Not through upvote for upvote but by ensuring that he understands how the platform works, commits to improving his content, and building relations in the community so he can maximize on the profits here.
Understand how the platform works
It pays to realize that the community is not like the average social media site. Yes, you can post photos of yourself, or how your day went. But unless you have whale followers, you need to have a deeper understanding of the community.
Terry, @surpassinggoogle always says "Everyone has something to offer". And I want to build on that idea.
If we want to stay in Steemit, maybe it is about time that we start to think about our followers. Maybe we need to see them as our audience and we need to give them a good show.
A lot of accounts always have something they can give back. Some make good content, others give rewards through contests. Point is: You follow them because of what they have to offer. Maybe if we try to put ourselves in that perspective, it will make a big difference. When you commit to the platform, you commit to your followers and you commit to making quality content for them.
Expect less
This may be the greatest lesson for today haha. I hope we can cultivate a culture in Steemit where we learn to have fun in what we do. I'm starting to cut back on looking at my daily rewards. It is just toxic and furthers my anxieties. I will work towards my goal without the heightened expectation for rewards. Just sit back and make good content, socialize with others and hope for the best lol. (Atleast for now)
Minnows are Friends. Let us Feed Each Other
Do consider supporting me if you find potential in my blog. Comment. Resteem
