it may not be as easy as you think. Read on...

So you want to be a STEEM Witness?

First things first, check out this recent post by @privex. It should help you get a bit of an understanding of what is required with running a Witness server, and remove some misconceptions regarding the "get rich quick" idea of being a Witness.

Okay. You haven't been deterred and still want to be a STEEM Witness... time for the Witness intent post

When you broadcast your Witness to the network, you should include a URL to your Witness intent post. Here is the link to my Witness intent post. The intent post should contain your background, experience, goals, and why you should be voted as a Witness.

Now you have a running Witness server .. what else?

Well, if you followed the guides linked, you should also be maintaining a price feed (at minimum), and a seed node if you can. I am actually currently in the process of setting up my own seed node because it adds great value to the STEEM network and helps decentralize things.

Each of these servers (witness + seed) cost money. You need to make the determination on your own if you will be able to break even or earn profit with your setup. Some people are better at campaigning and more active than others, and those people usually get votes faster. If you stick with it and work hard, eventually your contributions will be noticed by the community and the support will come in.

Keep your Witness votes updated

Aside from just getting votes for yourself, as a Witness you are expected to set an example of good Witness voting habits. Because of this, I created a website that makes it easy for users to input their name and get some important statistics about the Witnesses they are voting for. On top of this, I have a script that will release the information about the disabled witnesses in the top 100, along with their top 20 voters by weight. Today's edition