So I've been seeing a lot of newcomers here on Steemit.
Like most platforms, they reek of newbie. I am not trying to be harsh, but newbie bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers or whatever social media-er newcomers mostly get it wrong from the start.
And especially for Steemit, the idea of "post or curate any content and make money" has aggravated that fact. They start posting random shit and think it's good enough.
Here's some quick tips for you to START creating content with some standards:
1) Don't post a single video or picture and call it a day
Just because a video or picture has tons of shares or millions of views doesn't mean it makes your post a popular one.
You're not going to get the same amount of popularity. I've seen a lot posts with a single video or picture with a one-liner comment like "Haha check this out." That's boring.
What you should do instead: Write your opinion or insight on it. Share a story about how the video or picture played a role in your life.
Or you can talk about something that most people would have missed out on, like "Did you notice at the 0:45 mark of the video there's something at the corner?"
2) Start your post strong with a story, not the definition
You know how some speeches at graduation ceremonies start with "Webster's dictionary defines success as..."
BORING!
Nobody wants a trite definition. You aren't here on Steemit to give a lecture! You're here to share a story!
What you should do instead: Don't write ABOUT something. Share a STORY. Start off strong with something personal.
Would you rather read something with the above introduction or "I nearly died when I went to South Africa and got kidnapped by pirates. This is my story on picking myself up."
See the difference?
3) Give the solution via instructional steps
I personally try not to give advice via numbered steps or instructions anymore because I think it's very cliched and common today.
However, they still work and provide for good readability.
Many newbies share a story or write some random shit and then leave it as that. You need to take it a step further.
What you should do instead: Give your solutions, just like how my post here has five steps to it.
You want to make the steps INSTANT and ACTIONABLE. You want the reader to think, "I am going to try this shit out right now!"
Do you see how the reader has a takeaway then?
4) Often times, less is better
No, just because you write a lot or have many stories to share doesn't mean that it makes for a good post.
A very universal rule of thumb in writing is that less is better. You need to cut, cut, cut, cut and cut.
What you should do: This may take some time to master this subtle skill. So keep writing and keep reading so you can see what I mean.
Here's an analogy to mull over: When you go to a museum and see two shiny, precious gems, you think they look brilliant.
However, if you take away one gem, the remaining one becomes the BRIGHTEST.
You want your story to shine in its fullest glory. Any other unnecessary details would only make it shine less bright.
If you think you have another great story to add, don't worry, it means it's meant for another post altogether.
5) Push yourself to be afraid
Because being afraid is the right cue that you're getting out of your comfort zone.
People like to talk or write about the comfort zone, but when it comes to feeling the actual fear, they cower down and move backwards.
You need to push yourself. BLEED in your writing and stop playing safe.
If you play safe, then you're like 99% of the world. If you're just another face in the crowd, then you will never stand out. If you don't stand out, you will never succeed. (Go back to the first point. So many people are already sharing the same popular video. Why would others care you shared the same shit then?)
And trust me, have faith in yourself. It's very common advice today to simply emulate and follow someone (you think) is successful. To a certain extent, you can copy and learn from them.
But after a while, you need to step out of their shadow and forge your own path.
So have faith in yourself. Be personal in your writing and content. Say it, write it and do it because it's from your very core, not because others are doing it or because you want to follow a trend.
Have faith yo!
Hope this helps!