I'm going to write a series of things I've learned here... as I learn them. I will keep them short and to the point to not waste too much of anyone's time. They are obviously meant for the new people because frankly they (like me) probably jumped in and have to learn on the fly. (Note: this is the 4th in the series, if you want to see the others go to the bottom of this post for the links)

-If you have any questions about what I discuss, ask them in the comment section below

-If you like this and think your followers would like to learn from it, RESTEEM it. (note: you don't get paid to resteem something, you just help to spread around a message that you like)

-If you have another topic you would like me to cover next, then also reply that request in the comment section

I asked today what my fellow newbies wanted discussed, so C it is:

How To Get More Followers To Increase Exposure

First, Why People Will NOT Follow You

I normally keep the negative arguments out of my explanations, but many newbies here get confused by the endless begging that happens when new people don't understand how it works. But I will make an exception with this article, because I want everyone to understand what also DOES NOT WORK. I'm putting it first, because I understand some people never read the whole post to the end. ;)

Don't Beg And Don't Even Ask

The people that beg for followers don't understand that the real steemer will NOT follow them when asked to do so. In fact, many steemers will mute you so that they never see you again. This is a big no-no if you want to grow a true base for growth.

In fact, you shouldn't even mention that someone should follow you. They will do so on their own, if you fit in the 4 categories listed below. Asking for a following demonstrates a lack of confidence in yourself, which if you do it right will never be an issue.

Don't Copy And Paste Replies

People can tell if you are being "real" and "sincere" or not. It is very very easy. So don't copy and paste a reply and expect a true steemer to believe your message. It only takes a bit longer to actually think of a unique comment that addresses the person's post, so do it right and don't take the copy and paste short-cut (that really doesn't work)

Why People Will Follow You

First, before we go into the "how", lets first discuss the "why". In other words, why should someone want to follow you?

To answer that question, you can break people's motives for following down to 4 different "groupings"

4 Reasons People Will Follow You

1. You have lots of artistic talent, are famous, or a leader in your field
2. You are a motivator, teacher, mentor, or leader of people
3. You are an influencer and a power player
4. You are a friend, cohort, or simply someone with personal connections to them

Now take the time to really read this list so that you understand which category(s) you will fall into. It is VERY important that you understand this, so that you can tailor your strategy and practices to succeed.

I repeat this point because it is the single most important factor in determining whether you have success based on your efforts. You must be honest with yourself and choose the path where you will be most effective.

Each category can be mastered by everyone, but understanding what your target follower market is will help you to maximize your time and energies.

Attracting Followers Based On Category

In the following section I will give some tips based on what particular category(s) you fit in. Keep in mind, you can grow your audience by expanding on the platform in the other ways. For instance, if you are a "talent" and your work will naturally attract followers, you can still attempt to be a leader/motivator/teacher and grow your follower base from people outside your area of expertise. In addition, everyone can be in the 4th category because all it requires is a personality and some time to make new friends.

1. You have lots of artistic talent, are famous, or a leader in your field

Tip #1: Obviously creating quality content that demonstrates your ability is very important

Tip #2: Engage all you commenters diligently and honestly to make them feel "welcome" to approach you

Tip #3: Find other people in your area of expertise and start commenting on their works. Note: the reason for this is so that you will get more exposure to the crowd you are seeking to attract. In other words, the followers of similar artists can become followers of yours if they see you exist and have quality insights.

Tip #4 Expand yourself by entering one of the other 3 categories. Note: the most common would be jumping to the fourth category and making new friends. Some artists tend to be a little shy (not all of course), so if this is you then jump into the making friends section because people will definitely follow you if you have made them a friend.

2. You are a motivator, teacher, mentor, or leader of people

Tip #1: If you are a motivater, then motivate with your comments. A teacher, then teach. A mentor, then mentor. And a leader, then lead.

Tip #2: Find your "followers" by following them FIRST. Note: I try to follow everyone that I think is on the site so I follow EVERYONE FIRST once I know they exist. I don't ask, I don't beg, I just follow FIRST. (If you are reading this, the odds are that I have already followed you, so check and you will get an idea what i mean) ;)

You will be surprised at how many people will follow their own followers. I believe the number is around 1 out of 7 to 10. So simply by you following them, they will be encouraged enough to follow you back.

I do this in 2 different ways. One way is going to the #introducemyself section and click on some of the new introductory posts. Then I add both the new person and the people that welcomed them in the comment section. (Note: this also serves as a way to make a good impression on the new person if you take the time to be sincere and welcome them properly. Don't copy and past either, take the time to individualize your comment)

The second way is going to posts with lots of comments in them, you can find them in the "trending" or "hot" feeds and clicking on the higher commented on post. (Note: shown below the two feeds and the category your in and the number of comments).

Once you go to the post then simply follow both the author and every one of the commenters so that you have a new person that you are potentially connected to. It is very easy to do so, just click on the name and click the follow button. (see below)

Obviously you should only add people from categories that you feel you will have a connection to. For instance, I don't speak Chinese, so I wouldn't spend a lot of time adding from a Chinese feed. So pick your areas of interests, find the trending or hot posts and start adding new followers to your list.

p.s. For the record I love Chinese people, I have met many over the years and have many friends (I just don't speak the language) ;)

Tip #3: Get involved by helping others to understand when you see they don't. Take the time to make comments on their comments in a respectful and helpful way. People that don't understand something, don't know they don't understand it, so helping them improve their experience will tend to make someone follow you back.

Tip #4: Explain what knowledge you have in the form of your blog. Use real examples with good explanations and if possible screenshots or pictures to illustrate your point. This is more effective after you have gained followers from the other 3 ways.

3. You are an influencer and a power player

Tip #1: If you are one, you probably don't need any tips. But if you strive to be one, then you must have 1 of 2 things (or both): 1) a reputation and/or 2)STEEM POWER. (see pic)

You can buy, lease, or earn STEEM POWER (Hint: future post over the next few days). But you must earn your Reputation (see link to yesterday's post) https://steemit.com/steemit/@davemccoy/steemit-things-i-ve-learned-in-my-first-9-days-3

I'm not going to give any more tips on this one because it is the least likely method for a steemer to follow. Once you get to the level that you can be in this category, you will either know what you are doing or will contact someone who can help you use your power. I obviously would want to be one of these people one day, but I have much to learn and certainly can't purport to give you any more tips than this simple one.

4. You are a friend, cohort, or simply someone with personal connections to them (Note: This category is my favorite because it helps me meet people too.) :)

Tip #1: Engage, engage, engage. Meet people by engaging in the comment section of any post you find interest in. If a person has interest in a subject, topic, or artwork, then you have something in common with them, so strike up a dialogue. You can be funny, you can be respectful, you can be whatever your personality is. But the main thing is to carry out conversations engaging them first, if they respond then keep it going until you feel like you've truly made a friend.

Tip #2: Always check your replies and see who is talking to you so that you can talk to them back. (see below)

I check my "replies" first and reply to everyone before I do anything else. It is the way you communicate and can make an impression on people that you are talking to, but it is also the way you communicate to everyone else that reads the comment you make. You will be shocked at how many times I have gotten upvotes (and a few pennies) just by making a sincere reply from someone OTHER than the person I was talking to. In other words, remember that there are many people out there that are "lurkers", they like to read and they pay attention, but they don't necessarily comment. If you say something nice, or something profound, or something that helps, you might just find some money as well as a new follower that you didn't even know.

Tip #3: Have fun with your comments. Laugh, empathize, respect, notice something unique, joke; these are all things you can do. Just loosen up and be yourself. People like other people (when they are real and sincere).

Tip #4: Don't comment to make money, comment to make friends. If you are in this category (which is 90% of all of us), then you need to remember the purpose of a successful social platform is to connect people in ways that they enjoy. To do this successfully, people need to know other people and they also need to be friends with people that they like. So don't be in a hurry to get millions of dollars, they will come in time if you work hard enough and do the right things.

Summation

This post has gone too long and I will cut it off here. I am a believer that most people only consume information in small bits at one time. There are more tips and topics that I can maybe follow up with (if you ask for more) as far as gaining more followers, but this should give everyone a good start into making progress in growing their follower base.

This is just another tip of something I have learned in my first 11 days. I have many more things I've learned and if people seem to find it interesting, then I will continue to prepare more of these tips that I find. It is up to you in the community to let me know if it is useful.

I want to point out that I am by no means an expert and I am just offering my humble advice based on what I have learned. If any more experienced users have more to add, I welcome them to do so and help everyone out!

Thanks for reading and I hope I can help a few people along the way :)

Prior Posts on Steemit Things I've Learned In My First Days

#1 Voting Power And How It Works

https://steemit.com/steemit/@davemccoy/steemit-things-i-ve-learned-in-my-first-7-days-1

#2 Resteeming And Its Purpose

https://steemit.com/steemit/@davemccoy/steemit-things-i-ve-learned-in-my-first-8-days-2

#3 How Can I Increase My Reputation

https://steemit.com/steemit/@davemccoy/steemit-things-i-ve-learned-in-my-first-9-days-3