Building An Audience on Steem
So how can your rack up views and upvotes on Steem? First, when it comes to publishing online, you have to accept the fact that it can be hit or miss. This is especially true if you haven’t already built up a large following. There’s no surefire formula that I know of to ensure that every article is going to be a smashing success.
However, there are some things you can do to increase your likelihood of success. Steem is basically a large collection of smaller communities, or more accurately, streams. Overall, the layout is somewhat similar to Reddit and there are various “tags and topics”. In order to attract views and upvotes you have to get to know these topics and the types of readers found in each mini-community.
By and large, the topics are self explanatory. “Libertarian”, “Anarchy”, the general “politics” tag, which seems to have a progressive left lean. “Life”, “food”, “art”, and “health”, are some other popular topics. When you’re selecting your topics both consider your own interests, and also take some time to review past articles that were successful and the overall vibe of the community. By studying past articles, you can see what works. By getting to know the individual community, you’ll have a better idea of how to appeal to and reach out to readers.
In my experience (and research), two types of articles tend to enjoy the most success. Shorter commentaries on current, breaking events, and longer form intellectual pieces that really dig into a topic or issue, and are generally more “ever green”. To be clear, however, you shouldn’t take this as a hard rule, but as more of a general reflection of one writer. You should do your own research and be willing to experiment as you may uncover your own insights.
If you go the commentary route, you’re going to stand the highest chance of success if you’re the first one to analyze an issue. The analysis has to be substantive and should make a point or argument. If you just repeat what Reuters is writing on an issue, you won’t be offering as unique of content, and thus may not get as many upvotes even if you get reads.
With longer form topics you really need to focus on adding value to readers. Write something controversial, or consider an issue from a different lens. Another option is to offer some really stellar and in-depth research. Many of the articles that get to the top of Steemit are longer form, and more in-depth. These critical analysis pieces are both engaging, and offer readers a lot of value.
As for topics, you have to pursue your own interests. The great thing about Steem is that there are so many different topics, and so many readers interested in these different topics that you can almost certainly find the right topics to write on. Dieting, personal reflection, creative fiction, politics, there are many different options.
What’s important is carving out your own niche, and pursuing your passions. Also, spend time trying to create catchy, simple titles that draw readers in. And don’t forget to upload high quality pics. To be honest, Steem is a bit of a hassle when it comes to uploading photos, so some try to skip this step. Big mistake. The extra minute or two you spend uploading a pic can go a long way towards drawing in readers.
Beyond that? Be consistent. Focus on quality. Comment on other people’s posts, and follow them. In turn, they might follow you. Being active in the community will help you build your own name and help you build an audience. Over time, an extensive number of followers will make it easier for you to repeat success.