You may or may not like this post but I'm going to tell you exactly what you need to hear when it comes to getting your Steemit posts ranked at the top of the Steemit newsfeed. Like a stern, angry father I'm going to lay it all on the line for you here with hopes that I can help you overcome your biggest obstacle in the world of Steemit YOURSELF.
How do I know this?
Well, I've been fortunate enough to at least rank of my few posts at the top, not most of them but a FEW. I've also wrote plenty that hardly received any traction whatsoever...I considered these posts my very BEST stuff and nobody saw them they were total fails.
So what gives?
Well, I'll be honest with you, other than the fact that I'm from Hawaii and have some cool photos I don't have a lot going for me. I don't have a celebrity like following that I brought over here from some other platform, I don't have an edgy writing style that will make you think I'm cool, and I definitely don't have a pair double d's to stamp the Steemit logo on.
Besides, I'm a little boobs guy so these big boobied posts never receive a like from this guy :)
Anyways, let's not get lost in the brains vs. boobs war that's been taking place here on Steemit. In order to survive in this world we need both, let's just leave it at that.
So why are your best posts not ranking the way you want them to?
Well the short answer is...
You're Trying TOO Hard...
Yep, you heard that right. You're trying too hard. Instead of pumping out original, quality content infused with your own unique signature of passion you're too busy trying to keep up with the Steemit Jones's or win approval from a bunch of people who could care less about you.
Look, you can't try to produce value for someone, you can't try to make people like you, trying in and of itself implies failure so stop trying so fucking hard to please everyone and instead focus on what gets your blood pumping, what gets you excited and how it can benefit this community and write about THAT.
Secondly, stop trying to cater to the Whales, dolphins, or whatever fish you think you have to impress in order to be successful in this game. Truthfully, those are nice things to know but not as nice as you getting off your ass and just expressing who you really are to the world in a powerful and authentic way.
I say this because it's all too easy easy to get lost in the Steemit Sauce or stuck in analysis paralysis trying to craft the perfect Steemit post just hoping someday you'll be rolling in Steem Power like Makeup girl but NEWSFLASH you're not and neither will she for very long.
Here's why...
First of all, IF getting your posts ranked in the Steemit trending newsfeed is your only strategy you're playing a short-term game at best. The more people especially celebrities, for example I just noticed a post from New York Times Best-Selling author 
Not just because they are celebrities but they have FOLLOWERS as well, and I bet by Neil making that simple photo post on Instagram today he brought quite a few people over here, and that means LESS room in the trending feed for YOU.
And I'm not speaking theoretically here, this is wisdom you're receiving from direct experience of being at the forefront of many emerging trends on the internet.
The cycle goes like this...
In the beginning things are blown wide open, the money comes fast & easy, the results are staggering, and the excitement levels are through the roof and achieving massive levels of success is not difficult. Then we enter into the growth phase, things slow down a bit, more rules and regulations are applied (yes even here!), there's still easy money on the table for a while but eventually even that dries up.
Then as we move into mass adoption and Steemit becomes a regular thing for the world and less valuable content is harder to sell, ultimately it's the people that bring premium value to the marketplace that rule it. That and celebrities who were already successful start posting here and let's be honest with ourselves, you can't compete with them.
So, if you're in this for the long haul and would really like to create a successful experience both financially and socially my advice to you would be to give up trying to become Steemit's next big thing now and instead focus on how you can use your skills, your passions, and your knowledge, to cater to the audiences that are not already on Steemit and bring them here.
What about the Whales?
Forget about the Whales for now and focus on YOU. Focus on what you've got, what you're good at, and how you can translate that into a valuable post or series of posts here on Steemit.
Trust me, the days of getting your post ranked easily on Steemit will soon disappear and if getting seen in the newsfeed is your only strategy you're in for a rude awakening because things are about to CHANGE.
My advice to anyone reading this post as before is if you want to be successful in the long-run is to start bringing people here NOW.
There's BILLIONS of people out there who have never heard of this site before. Lots of niche audiences, dog lovers, car enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, photographers, pokemon players, travel junkies, etc. Start sharing your posts with them, post links to your most valuable content in Facebook groups that speak directly to that audience.
This is not rocket science by any means. Anyone can do this, there is an audience out there waiting for you and the reality is they are probably not on Steemit.
So it's time to go fishing, not for Whales but for Whale food...Plankton! Aka the people that have never heard about this platform before. And guess what? Once the whales see you doing this they're going to start liking your posts because they can SEE that you are bringing them food.
My point is that instead of trying to feed them with your single brilliant post, bring them some lunch and watch what happens. You just might be surprised!
Oh, and by the way if you'd like to watch over my shoulder in the coming weeks as I employ this strategy myself feel free to follow me here as I'm going to be bringing lots of new people to Steemit in creative ways you may have never thought about before.
Aloha,
Jayson
p.s. I wrote this post out of sheer frustration with myself and yes I was "trying too hard". Now that I realize what I was doing hopefully I'll never do it again, that lesson I, in-turn created value out of to share with you. I hope you get it like I did so you too can be successful in all your endeavors!