I want you to imagine for a moment that we don't begin as minnows but as eggs. And inside that eggshell is a creature that can be anything.
When you first create your Steemit account, you probably have some idea of what you want to write about. After all, your account is simply a reflection of you and your interests. Each one of us will have a different role in this animal kingdom. Some will eat, and some will be eaten, and from that moment you step out of your egg, it's up to you to survive.
As with any biosphere, all living organisms must go through various stages in their life cycles in order to prosper in the moment and plan for the future.
Growing
As a member on Steemit, the first goal is to grow. This is done by gaining followers and producing content to fill the blog portion of your profile. Some may find value in posting under the welcome, introduce, introduceyourself, or introducemyself tag, letting everyone become aware of their presence. Others may want to slide under the radar until they are more sure about their place in this world.
Imagine that some Steemit members belong to species that are more caring of their young. These are the members that have the help of friends early on. They receive the luxury of guidance. Some instead receive help from people around them in the form of small or large boosts from those that are already established. Others begin their journeys without any aid whatsoever and like spiders hatching in a meadow flee and disperse to wherever their whims take them.
If the moment occurs that you are kicked out of the proverbial nest, you will be left to fend for yourself. In this case, observe what others are doing and what they have done. What is working for others may work for you as well.
No matter what situation marks your start, you must still survive. Each piece of food you get (a comment, a like, or a follower) should be accepted with gratitude because this will be what keeps you going. Returning the favor is up to you, but remember that karma exists in the animal kingdom.
Hunting
When food is scarce, you must learn to hunt for it yourself. Comment other people's posts. Create good discussions, and you may earn yourself a new follower or a like or two. Come up with new ideas for posts, branch out if you need to, or try something new entirely. If something's not working, you need to adapt and change your approach. If you don't, you won't survive for long.
Note: Hunting does not mean writing “Nice post, check out mine. [LINK]” on someone's post. Imagine telling a wolf that was eating a beaver it had caught that you would like to join the wolf for dinner after already taking a bite. In this scenario, you are encroaching upon someone else's territory with the intent to take what they earned (the people came for that person's post, not yours).
When it comes to hunting, there may sometimes be the desire to do anything you can to get a mere morsel, but remember that being respectful plays a role here. You never know when your unsavory actions may lead to a bear attack.
Mating
Just like some animals do, you may desire to stand out. This is especially important when really trying to lock in a mate. By this I mean a loyal follower, one that will stand by you through thick and thin, resteem your content, and reply to many of the new posts you make. But in order to find mates, you have to be appealing and stand out from the crowd. What do you offer that others don't? If you have something worthwhile to say and you do it in a unique fashion, others may flock to you. Remember that an individual that doesn't find mates won't be able to pass on genes (your content is your legacy that you want to share for years to come).
Mating is not one-sided. When you find a mate that is willing to give you what you want, do the same for them.
Procreating
Once you've finally found success in all the other aspects of life here, you get to reap the rewards. This comes in the form of your beloved Steem (sbd) offspring. Continue to hunt and mate, and you will introduce thousands of offspring to the world.
Your first few offspring will likely be the most adored by you. You will greet them with awe and cherish them. In time, you will have so much offspring that you won't know what to do with them.
There are two options:
You may decide to nurture them (keep your Steem on your account and allow the worth to rise).
Or you may set them off into the wild (turn them into USD or another form of currency and spend them in any way you see fit).
No one will judge you for how you treat your offspring. You earned it.
Other Survival Notes
What to do when you're wounded:
These are the moments when you get discouraged because things aren't going the way you planned or when someone's comment crushes your ego. Find a way to heal your sores quickly. Don't scratch at them, and don't let them fester. The worst thing you can do is spread the bacteria to another part of your body (you don't want to let negative thoughts get out of hand).
When you go hungry:
This is when you're not getting the amount of likes, comments, or followers you want. You will need to exert energy but just enough to get by. Post but be cautious about where you put your time, so you don't get burnt out. Once you're back to better health, you can run at full speed again, but take it easy in the meantime.
Always mark your territory:
Make a name for yourself in whatever niche or subject matter you like the most. Once your name is recognizable, people will choose your content over other's.
In this animal kingdom, some may band together. But each person's survival is an individual effort.
Think about what species you are, and make the most of it.
It's survival of the fittest here.
If you quit, you die.