Today is my 31st day as a Steemian! Learning this new platform and all it offers has definitely been a fun, exciting, sometimes overwhelming journey. It's unlike any social website I've been a part of before. It has also taught me a lot about cryptocurrency and the blockchain.
In my first month here on Steemit, I have gained 231 followers and have written 730 posts (that includes comments). My reputation level has grown to 46, which I am very proud of!
For beginners looking at a 25 rep level with very few followers, this kind of growth may seem impossible. So, I'd like to share a few ways you can boost your profile here on Steemit.
10 Tips for Beginners to Crush it on Steemit!
1) Publish a post every day.
Publish at least one new post every single day. You only have 7 days to get paid for the upvotes and comments on your posts, so you want to keep fresh content available for engagement. Make a list of topics you can write about on Steemit, so you never have issues coming up with new posts.
Need more help publishing every day? Read about the 10 Places to Find Steemit Post Ideas.
2) Make your posts look good.
Steemit uses Markdown, a simplified text editing platform that helps make your posts easy to read. Similar to HTML, you can use commands in Markdown to bold or italicize certain words. You can also create subheadings that are different sizes throughout your posts.
Make sure that you learn Markdown commands in order to format your posts for easy reading. I used this handy Markdown Cheatsheet until I could remember all the different commands.
Also, proofread your posts for spelling and grammar errors. Use images that support the points of your posts to break up large chunks of text and make the content easier to digest. Separators, like my purple light bulb line in this post, also help to break up points and make everything easier to review.
3) Leave LOTS of comments.
Being engaged is VITAL here on Steemit. You not only earn for leaving comments, but you can also drive more traffic to your profile and blog by being active on other posts on the platform. Make sure your comments are well thought out and add to the conversation of the post. Never just drop a spammy "good post" remark in an effort to get more eyes on your own content.
Also, make sure you read my Beginner's Guide to Commenting on Steemit!
4) Don't be spammy!
This tip goes along with the second one, but I felt it needed it's own number of the list -- because this is a big issue here on Steemit. Do not spam other users comment section by begging for views, upvotes, comments, or resteems. This includes anything similar to "Great post. Come upvote me." or dropping a link in your comment that is unrelated to the post you are commenting on, just to gain views or engagement.
Use the other tips in this article to increase your rep and followers without being a spammer!
5) Participate in contests and challenges.
Many Steemians run regular contests and challenges on their profiles. By becoming active in these different events, you can make new friends and expose your content to some established members here. Follow the rules of each contest you decide to enter, and who knows, you may also win some extra SBD for your efforts!
6) Use the right tags.
One of the ways people will find your content is by searching tags on the Steemit platform. Make sure you are tagging your posts properly!! The first tag cannot be changed, as it will be the main category in which the post will show. You are allowed four additional tags after the main one, so use them wisely. Look at the trending tags on the home page if you'd like to write a piece that has the chance to gain popularity.
7) Mention previous posts in your footer.
You may have noticed that many people have the same information at the end of each post they publish. This is called the footer of the post. Here, you can mention communities you are involved in, share links to outside websites you run, or put your profile link so others can easily visit other posts on your blog.
One of the most effective ways to get more upvotes and comments is by placing links to previous posts in your footers. You will want to change up this list with every new post you publish, listing only the most recent posts that are still eligible to earn money for the upvotes they collect.
8) Get active in communities.
One of the best ways to meet other Steemians and get the support you are seeking for your posts is through communities. Most of these have been set up by other members, and the conversation for them is done on Discord - a chat app that lets you connect with other users. My favorite Discord servers for beginners include:
Make sure you right click and open each link in a new tab, so you don't lose your place on this helpful Steemit post!
ALSO, ALL MOMS HERE ON STEEMIT ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN MY VERY OWN COMMUNITY, STEEMmamas!!!
9) Use GINAbot to find content you want to engage with
With new posts being published 24/7 on Steemit, you probably don't have wide to wade through the noise to find topics that interest you. When you follow someone, their posts will start to show up in your feed. However, so does every resteem each of your followers make. An easier way to stay on top of the users and tags you enjoy most, use GINAbot!
You can sign up for GINAbot within the Minnow Power discord (mentioned in the list in tip 7 above). This free tool allows you to set up alerts for your favorite users and tags. You will then be alerted within Discord when one of these followers makes a new post - or when someone posts using the tags you have set up.
Not only is this an excellent way to continue supporting your favorite users, but with the tag alerts, you can find new people that write what you enjoy every day!
10) Use your earnings to power up your STEEM Power.
New members have been running into bandwidth issues a lot lately. When you start to get bandwidth errors, you can't upvote, comment, or publish a new post for a few hours. Growing your Steem Power (SP) is the best way to avoid the problems with bandwidth. As you are paid SBD for your posts, convert it to STEEM using 
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