Disclaimer: All recommendations are based on my personal experiences (yours might differ)
1. " Whoring out " is not a way to make money. Have some self-respect!
Some people start their first post by introducing themselves. If you are a celebrity or already have a following then you will probably do great and you will be rewarded accordingly.
But most people aren't famous and cannot attract attention through telling a great story, so they decide to go a different route.
If you feel you have to post semi-nude pictures in order to attract a male following you probably won't last long here. There is always this one person that's more attractive and people will move on quickly.
Besides, the Internet and blockchain technology don't forget anything!
Do you really want your future employer or spouse to find your racy pictures?
2. No pictures of your cute little baby.
I know, I know, you just became the parent of your first child and you want to inform the whole world about it. I get it. Of course you have the sweetest child. So adorable!
But think about it for a second. Do you really want strangers to download the pictures and risk having them misused in an inappropriate way?
I know I wouldn't. Besides, you are the parent and should act responsibly.
Do you think your child would appreciate finding pictures of themselves in a few years on the Internet? These pictures will also always be connected to whatever you posted!
So don't ruin you child's future!
3. Don't post too many personal details.
You might think the more you reveal about yourself the more money you will make. Well, it might be true for some, but certainly isn't true for most. Be professional about it.
Everybody has access to the things you post! Everybody. Think about it.
Often it is not worth it. Humans can be mean. They will use anything they can find to get back at you.
Yes, most people are nice, but all it takes is this one person that could become a stalker. You could end up with a bad experience.
So be forewarned. There are bad people out there!
4. Don't abuse your power to flag others!
It has happened to me. I know what it feels like. Especially when you are new and only have a bots following.
You try to get people's attention. You are provocative. And then, bam! You check your profile and your already small reputation is even lower. You wonder, what the hell just happened? Well, you got flagged.
Someone didn't like a thing you said. Often it is not your entire post that made them get back at you. It might just be a word or a sentence that triggered them. You check the votes. And there he or she is. You think, these bastards. What did I do? Why me? I don't deserve this! I feel your pain. Now you get upset and check their profile.
Aha, their Steem Power is quite high. No wonder that the few cents you had received are all gone. You are pissed. It took you some effort to make that post and now this one person ruined it!
(This is an issue and needs fixing. Some people have already addressed this problem. If you have a new account you often have to start a new one, otherwise it's too much pain to regain your reputation.)
So don't abuse your power just because you can. This platform should be used for posting quality content which should get rewarded.
Ps: Retaliation doesn't work either. I'm guilty of it myself. I feel bad about it. Problem is, I was so low on Steem Power that I couldn't even unflag a post. Maybe it is a bug?
Addendum
Sometimes it feels unfair when you see how many upvotes someone receives for postings that you believe is worthless rubbish. You might be right about it. But nevertheless you have to admit that people voted for it and I accept that they made that choice.
You start thinking well I just post some low quality content, lie about myself and invent some made-up story to get a following, which hopefully is seen by the same people who will upvote my post too.
I came to the conclusion that I can't do it. Not because I don't want to, rather I don't know how. I know someone will think I am full of myself and that my posts are worthless shit. You might be right. If that's what you honestly think then be true to yourself, as I am to myself.
Have some self-respect and don't lower your standards.
Thanks for reading through this.