I think if anyone should know this better it would be me since I am a full-time steemian. Well, that was not the case yesterday. So please permit me to throw more light on this issue.
So when one gets a job they are supposed to provide some sort of service which enables their organization to achieve its major goal, which is to make a profit. Now relate this to steem. You are an employee of steem (not steemit/stinc or ned) and your primary task is to add value to the platform with your service(s), which in the long run should add value (profit) to you in terms of rewards.
Now, for you to make a profit you need to provide a service that is in demand and not just any service. Take, for example, a desert scenario. The most valuable product/service you can offer someone stuck in a desert would be water or a camel for their journey. Giving someone who is stranded in the desert money could be unreasonable because it is not useful in this scenario. So basically, the service must match the demand.
What valuable service are you offering steem?
Are you a poet like myself? Do you know anyone who consumes poetry? Are they willing to consume your poetry? And are they willing to pay(upvote) for your service/talent? And how does this benefit your employer, steem? You cannot post whatever you like without considering whether people value this said thing and expect to earn. Chances are you will earn close to nothing, well except you're part of a supportive community or you can afford a bidbot. This is how things work here.
So as someone who takes their job serious you need to be flexible, especially on a platform like ours. I started off as a poet/writer but hardly will you find poems and short stories on my page. Yes, I do write them occasionally but I do understand that there is little or no demand for such content here. Those kinds of posts might earn me a few points outside the steem ecosystem, that's why whenever I make such posts I endeavor to share them on other social platforms I use. It won't earn me money, but I enjoy making such posts and the positive feedback I get when I make such posts. In fact, I was in the process of writing one before my siblings returned home and now I have abandoned it till tomorrow when I have the house all to myself. Notwithstanding I need to keep my steem job, and the only way to do that is to make my boss, steem, happy. So you get the picture. It is not about providing a service, people must want to consume it as well. There must be a demand for it.
To be honest, I get frustrated when I get low payouts on quality post people don't care about. However, I will still make those type of posts regardless and still tailor my content to the demands of this platform, and this is how I balance things.
If steem is a job for you then you need to take it seriously. If you see yourself as an employee or a stakeholder on steem then you must put in time and effort in making sure that you don't only profit but also sustain your business/stake and improve on your existing service, knowing fully well that you are fighting for a scarce resource(rewards). Or you can simply just have fun on the platform, that works too.
Nothing is given freely. Even those annoying posts on the trending page paid for their spot. So think and strategize on how to better the services you can provide your boss, steem. Be the best employee steem can get and you will not only get promoted, but you will also get rewarded.
©nonsowrites