You're not alone and I'm not either
The good news: that post might not have paid much (if any) STEEM or SBD, but it's on the blockchain and someday people might find value in it. Our efforts resonate beyond the post-payout because what goes on the blockchain, stays on the blockchain. You're not alone, simply undiscovered and that's something you can change.
It's a reality for many great creators here, but I want to share some of my personal thoughts with you to see if I can help. That in return motivates me. We both win. Fair enough? Read on if you wish. This likely won't be a short read because I've been harboring...
I know it can be difficult to sustain growth on this platform, but it's not always impossible. It does require time, so that's a valuable commodity itself. Some people are able to post from work, so they get paid regardless. Others have all day to spend online if they choose.
Sometimes we need to apply more effort and other times we simply need a break. We require time to refill our creative well. One of my first posts here was an article called Your Brain Has an Appetite - Starve It & Feed It which I thought was a more condensed version of a previous post (neither of which got many reads), but that didn't stop me from writing when I had some time. Sometimes I put way too much effort into my posts, but I can't help myself.
Take a look at this list of all my posts, thanks to a nifty tool called SteemDB.com, another work of @jesta.
Just remember taking that break will often come at a cost.
Missing a beat on social media can be devastating for users with a large following. You've probably noticed some people apologizing for absence, sometimes that duration is 1 or 2 days! That's how serious it is. It has to be like clockwork if you want to remain relevant. Face it, people have choices and only so much time - it's inevitable that some things will go unnoticed. That's just how life is in the age we live. Only the NSA can parse & process that kind of massive data flow! 📡
Whatever you do just don't quit.
I like to write and I like when people read what I write. See, you're not alone! I also love engaging with readers and the discussions that are born from those interactions. There's incredible inspiration to be drawn from by engaging your readers
Sometimes it just seems hard to get people to engage with my content, but then I must remind myself that nobody is really seeing it. 😆 We all miss a ton of stuff in the feed. It's not that difficult to engage with a meaningful comment or thought that is relevant to the post, but I see a desperate need for quality comments here on Steemit. "Great stuff" is as good as nothing at all when the post is 5,000 words..LOL Come on!
I had a post that I wrote that was estimated 40+ minute read and I had comments within 5 minutes saying "good read" - HA! Gimme a break! Nobody can read 25 pages of text and view the custom media that fast AND comment. I will drain my voting power on quality comments whenever I see them and I've done it plenty of times in my 4 months here.
Genuine readership should be rewarded and here's a tool for that! I generally upvote all quality comments I read, whether on my posts or on others. I think it is important to support users that generate conversation and engage with the content they are reading. It motivates the author to continue sharing and that ultimately benefits us all.
FIND YOUR SUPPORTERS WITH THIS TOOL BY @jesta :
Steemstats.com
Also See Who Follows or Unfollows You AND See Who Others Follow, by @shaunmza:
Steem Followers
The struggle is real...
We've all struggled with the 'what do I write now' dilemma and if not, then you're one of the few (or just another plagiarist on here, stealing content from the web and copy/pasting your heart out).
No need for anyone to do that. We're creative by nature, but even the most creative minds need rest. Sure, you can post every day and you might think it's quality - and because it gets autovoted without being read, you assume it was good content.
But... If that were even remotely the case, this platform would have a lot fewer shit-posts than it does. That discourages me and many others I'm sure. It doesn't deter me from using the platform, but it does keep me from investing in the platform.
If this pool gets cleaned up a bit, I think more people would want to swim with us. It's pretty much up to all of us to keep this from becoming a bucket of fish turds and carcasses.
People want to be here, but what good does it do to automate a process that is and always was intended to be organic? What good is voting when it's automated?
Why remove the human element of a purely voluntary human action? I'll entertain answers below because I'm highly curious. I know I'm firing some brain cells out there now.
Appreciate the Hustle
I recently crossed paths with @paps, a writer that knows that the 'hustle' is key. @paps reached out to me and asked if I would kindly read a post -so I did and I thought it was great! That interaction reminded me that those who hustle will succeed. It's something many of us forget (myself included). Ironically enough, the next article I read by @paps was Dealing With Writer's Block
I think we all struggle with our own self-imposed limitations and are far too critical of ourselves.
Many artists and creators do not see their work as valuable and that has a lot to do with their own self-worth and how they value themselves. Some, including myself, struggle with depression and anxiety and art is the outlet, the release. It is a healing practice to create something.
Steemit allows us a way to express ourselves and we should appreciate that by using it to better the world. Don't get caught up in the mindset that because your post earns a miserable amount that that's what you're worth. You are blessed with the opportunity to show the world extensions of yourself and you are of great value because of that.
Don't let the $ value alter your sense of your self-worth or your content. Never compare yourself to others on this platform - you're not them and they're not you. Just be tough, work hard and don't quit
Sharing our skills and knowledge with each other is a powerful bond that will resonate far into the future.
That's Life and This is too
When I came here, everyone said to focus on quality, but in my experience, that's hit or miss. It's like a slot machine, really. You either get lucky or not. Don't let that be your measure for your self-worth. It's not and never will be. Just because a post gets a payout does not mean it is well earned or even deserved - it's just timing, luck, and all in who you know.
Just like in real life when people get paid absurd wages to work 3 hours and play golf the rest of the afternoon, while hard laborers are digging trenches and doing excruciating work for barely livable wages - that's reality, however unfortunate it may be. Don't beat yourself to death over it.
Just identify your weaknesses and try to improve upon them. The people making a bunch of money and golfing half the day aren't working less, they are just working smarter. Be smart about how you spend your money, but more importantly - your time. That's life.
You might feel the same way. You might feel like I'm just bitching and moaning. That's the beauty of opinions, we all have 'em. The reason I'm writing this post is that I am noticing a decline in quality content from quality users and some that have stopped posting entirely. Why is that? Check your own followers to see if you notice any similar results. Let me know below.
Here's My "Inactive Followers" • check out this tool called Dead Followers, by @mynameisbrian
I know life gets busy and waits for nobody, but damn..
Are more people losing interest in posting? I'd imagine it is possible they see what I see; the same bunch of users owning every category, they're everywhere and omnipotent. Just my opinion, but that is discouraging many and rightfully so. I highly doubt I'm the only one that sees the intensely skewed value table and know exactly what I'm referring to.
There are many opinions as to why this is so, but it is so. I have spoken to countless people in chat that share this same 'view' and find it discouraging. I can't offer any solution to this issue, so I'll refrain from whining any further.
I wish there were more hours in a day and more days in a week
I haven't been able to write much recently, but that's because I'm home with toddlers all day and working when I should be sleeping like a regular human. I'm mentally exhausted and unable to free up enough time to generate quality content - I'd rather not post anything at all if that's the case.
If more people did that I suppose less undervalued content would be buried in the "sauce". I have seen accounts posting literally dozens and even hundreds of posts per day and self-voting them all with accounts they control. That's got to stop because it damages the community. No one needs 200 steemit accounts, that's just ridiculous. It pisses me off to see nonsense like that getting rewards of any kind.
I wish I had more time to enjoy this platform, but I also wish people would focus on making it more enjoyable.
I post a lot less, but that does NOT mean I'm quitting.
It doesn't mean that I must be shunned from the community or that I'm leaving Steemit.
I have put money into this platform and I'm currently powering back out for now. I will keep the amount I've earned powered up and from that point on, I will aim to grow my account solely by posting and commenting as my time allows. I'm willing to gamble that, but not money that I can actively trade with (lately it's been well worth it!).
When I do post, after taking a break, it feels like I'm a ghost and I know precisely why that is. Much of the fault is my own.
Why?
Consistency is key in social media growth and I know that. Problem is that I have no real choice - my family will always come first and all else second. But YOU might have the time to commit to find great success here. In order to realize success on any social platform, one must be consistent and remain relevant.
To be everywhere all at the same time - the reason you see some power-users earning such high sums for posts = more people know they exist! You must put yourself out there to be found.
Engage Like-Minded People
You must interact with people and in order to grow a large network, you cannot be afraid to reach out to anyone and everyone who will give you a second of their time. I know exactly how this is done and have helped many companies develop strategies for social media and campaigns. I simply do not have enough time in the day to focus on that right now.
I have done this in the past and establish very large followings, but my priorities shifted. I'm full-time daddy daycare and a natural born hustler - I do what pays me the most for my time. Like you, my time is limited. I wish I could focus much more time in writing and content creation here, but that could always change in the future; my kids will be in school in the blink of an eye. If I were to find my posts generating more than my current business, then I'd be foolish not to shift my attention to writing more on here. I've got a family to feed, so I do what pays the bills.
Would I love to make a living from writing and curating from Steemit? Sure! Who wouldn't?!
But remember it takes a little luck/timing, consistency, and networking - and a whole lot of applied effort, persistence, and some serious hustle. And by hustle, I do not mean pump out 5 crap-posts a day and hope for the best. You have to challenge yourself to push beyond your personal boundaries and really try to make meaningful connections.
Be Genuine Because Otherwise, You Stand Out (and not in a good way)
If you are struggling to gain readers on Steemit, try to reach out to more people and let them know you exist! If only more people could see your work, they might like it!
Don't be a ghost like me!! It's only going to discourage you. Be smart and do what I should be doing and reach out to the community more - comment and chat with people! I'll admit I have been slacking there, but I do frequently find awesome people in chat • Find Me on Steemit.Chat Here. I make graphics for people, most times at random, just to break the ice and introduce myself to my fellow creatives here on Steemit. I think a little generosity goes a long way.
I know that it would take a great deal more effort to really generate an income from this platform, but that's not at all why I'm here.
I'm here because I was invited by a great friend, @finnian, a fellow creative & true #libertyprofessional. If not for him, I would probably never have known about Steemit. It's not like I hear about it in my social circles - I'm now the one introducing it to them. I was not at all missing social media during my hiatus, but I missed being able to connect with other creative people and the derivatives of doing so.
It's a powerful thing to have a lot of creative people surrounding you. I'm a firm believer in the Surround yourself with people smarter than yourself philosophy. It pushes us to learn and at high-speed. We're more often to find success when we surround ourselves with successful people. And the opposite is obvious, I think.
Honestly, I need to exist on this platform because I have abandoned many other social platforms in the past. My abandoned Pinterest page still gets 91k monthly views and I haven't been active in a long time. I had 15k followers on G+ when I abandoned it when I found out my son was to be born and would require invasive surgery. I ditched FB and joined G+, ditched that once my son was born, and have been a social vagabond ever since. Then, I had another kid! I haven't done much on any social media since my children were born, nearly 4 years ago. If not for my friend, @finnian inviting me, I'm not sure I'd be on any of them. I'm anti-FB, but I'm otherwise all over the inter-web.
I love Steemit because it's an outlet to create - a blank canvas waiting for us to spill unto it.
I will not cease to create, so I might as well create here. If I stopped creating art and music I'd probably implode.
It's my passion, my medicine, and my inner-fire. It's a compelling force within me and I must satiate the intense hunger to create. It's a real wake up call when your work has a dollar value attached. It can be discouraging if that is the measure that you hold yourself to; a number of upvotes or the sum you get for a single post are not the metrics that matter. It must never be. One cannot possibly create their best work when the objective is money.
To create your masterpiece, you must first be willing create your best work and then destroy it. You cannot approach creation with fear of failure and as if your best work cannot be recreated. If you can do it once you can do it again.
Liberty-Minded? Drop by Liberty Professionals Chat! Click Below
