I've made 181 posts on Steemit, and my wallet is worth about $4k. Below is a list of all my posts that earned more than $5, in descending order. Scroll to the bottom to see what conclusions I've drawn from this information:
$28.89 - 145 votes
Introduction to cryptocurrency and Steemit for minnows
$27.91 - 271 votes
Plot break down of "Avengers Assemble" S01E05: Blood Feud
$24.05 - 208 votes
What's it like to be a twin?
$23.00 - 16 votes
The Cosmic Perspective (Why it's wrong to hurt people)
$22.94 - 11 votes
Everyone is a little racist (and what we should do about it)
$21.14 - 164 votes
Advice on life
$20.53 - 223 votes
Why I like strip clubs
$20.04 - 148 votes
Breakdown of the plot to "Back to the Future"
$18.60 - 28 votes
You might be depressed because the system sucks, not because you suck
$18.23 - 169 votes
Tales From The Wise Sloth: The Time I Got HIV
$17.60 - 199 votes
Plot break down of "Good Will Hunting"
$15.76 - 12 votes
The fundamental problem with the economy
$11.56 - 193 votes
(Comic) This Was Your Life: The Modern Artist
$10.80 - 206 views
Why do I write The Wise Sloth blog?
$10.66 - 18 votes
The Island of Mana (A metaphorical comic about the history of Pacific cultures)
$10.16 - 24 votes
What it's like to be poor
$9.00 - 25 votes
My theory on why Fox News acts so biased and evil
$8.79 - 12 votes
Enlightenment through logic
$8.41 - 31 votes
My advice to the younger generation
$8.13 - 11 votes
4 reasons why American soldiers are as much victims as they are heroes
$8.09 - 31 votes
My quest to find enlightenment
$7.99 - 31 votes
Signs you're old but not necessarily mature
$7.96 - 42 votes
Things I wish people would invent
$7.77 - 9 votes
Why men should wear nice underwear
$7.75 - 9 votes
Tips on Conversation: Part 2
$7.70 - 25 votes
How pop culture warps our perception of reality
$7.68 - 7 votes
Tips on Conversation: Part 1
$7.66 - 18 votes
Signs you're mature but not necessarily old
$7.70 - 11 votes
A short summary of the Bible
$7.26 - 21 votes
(Comic) Occupy LOL Street: A Brave New Village
$7.20 - 13 votes
Does substance abuse make you a better writer?
$7.02 - 9 votes
Should reason be legally recognized as a religion?
$6.87 - 19 votes
(Comic) Occupy LOL Street: The Butterfly Effect
$6.80 - 14 votes
[The Game of Life](The Game of Life)
$6.48 - 46 votes
Tales From The Wise Sloth: The Time I Got Shot
$5.46 - 34 votes
(Comic) An Old Man From Jersey Explains: Philosophy
$5.38 - 33 votes
(Comic) An Old Man From Jersey Explains: Is Man Inherently Good or Evil?
$5.32 - 62 votes
Reasons to be kind outside of religion
$5.10 - 51 votes
How military basic training brainwashes recruits
$5.02 - 13 - votes
It's time to stop oppressing the academically dis-inclined
$0.00 - 16 votes
(NSFW) How to go down on a girl
$0.00 - 25 votes
My quest to find the meaning of life
$0.00 - 24 votes
My one point solution to the world's problems
$0.10 - 38 votes
My quest to build a perpetual motion machine
$1.43 - 247 votes
Highway to the Thunderdome (A comic about music piracy)
$1.21 - 153 votes
Cost/benefit analysis of internet trolling
Conclusions
You'll get paid the most money by writing about Steemit, but never say anything bad about it. Even making constructive criticisms will result in a lower payout than unconditional praise.
You only need about 15 votes to make over $5.
Networking is more important than content. You don't have to worry about people finding your posts on their own if you recruit your audience yourself.
Tell people what they want to hear. If you challenge them, do it in a way that still paints them as a hero.
Tug on people's heart strings with relatable human interest stories.
Be as fun and light-hearted as possible. When you talk about serious information, do it in the most fun, light-hearted way possible.
The quicker and easier your post is to read, the more likely people will get to the end and upvote it.
The more useful your information is, the more people will pay for it... as long as your post is quick, easy and fun to read.
My Steemit wallet is currently worth about $4k, but most of my posts have earned less than $1, and none of my posts have earned more than $30. With persistence, you can nickle and dime your way to riches.
Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don't, but the more persistently you post, the luckier you get.