Among creatives, and more specifically photographers and visual artists, we have seen a meteoric rise in platforms on which our work can be shared and consumed, all unprecedented just a short 15 years ago. More people have taken up careers as photographers and have benefited massively from platforms like Facebook and Instagram to gain recognition and more work from brands.
But as time goes by and more people sign up to Instagram, there seems to be a need for another outlet with a totally switched up value system, such as Steemit! Where else on the web can your photographs earn, not because people are buying them (which is still fine by the way) but because they do something as simple as liking. I have been here for a little over 24 hours now, and my goodness, we are in for quite the ride as photographers!
So, I wrote down 5 thought I had about why I am so stoked about Steemit, and I hope once you see them you can share my sentiments as well! Lets get to it.
1. This community values quality over quantity
When Facebook, and by extension Instagram eliminating the chronological feed, the were probably trying to send a message to users that they were all about curating one's feed with the best most engaged with content. That did not bode well with people, but since they had already hit their critical mass, any mass account deletion was not as significant. I think people who care about how their feeds look and the information they consume, will be pretty meticulous about who they follow, and the times these people post. I didn't and still don't like the new format. Now enter Steemit. From what I can tell thus far, people have a plethora of options when picking how they want their feeds to look, and for photographers, especially on a platform that encourages high MEANINGFUL engagement to earn, it is easy to see how very soon everyone will troop to Steem to ensure the most value for their intellectual property is realized. Post a compelling photo with an equally compelling story, and you are made!
2. Engagement is through the roof!
Steemers, as I will refer to us from now henceforth, make a genuine and real effort to engage with your content here. Fully fleshed out comments, and real feedback, are invaluable for a typical photographer, as it helps us improve where we are weak, and learn how people respond to visual cues.
##3. Ability to upload hi-res images with no size or dimensional constraints
Although Instagram has tried in the recent past to rectify this, it is still rather disappointing when I take a stellar snap, then I have to crop out some of the best parts for it to fit, especially whenever I do environmental portraits. There is no restriction that I have encountered here, and this coupled with the aforementioned benefits of Steemit, we can truly flex our muscles and show our photographs the way they were meant to be displayed.
4. Probably the best yet, your work can actually earn you money with relatively minimal effort!
And all the people seeing it need to do is to upvote your post, and your bank account will be healthy. Of course within reason, your work has to be great, but this prospect got me so excited, and I have ALOT to share! Many photographers I know struggle with finding a way to monetize their art, but Steemit seems to be filling this gap.
5. But, all this requires hard work, and this platform will cultivate that
I don't think you can buy followers on Steemit, the rules of the blockchain I believe prevent this from happening. So if you want all the good that comes with being a part of this community, you must work hard to keep your content as appealing and engaging as possible. Like I said in my first post, this is an opportunity for me to get better at writing, and I hope that my art will be a valuable addition to this community. This is a good ideal to strive towards, don't you think?
Happy Steeming!
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