Here's what I learned about success on Steemit from a man selling a bunch of sticks!
While travelling through the Ottawa region of Canada last August I was fascinated by the man that was selling sticks at the market. He was doing a rather brisk business and it dawned on me that there were many parallels between what he was doing and what we need to do to succeed on Steemit!
Here Are Some of The Things That I Both Asked Him About And Observed
Things The Stick Man Told Me
1.) Where did you get all of these sticks?
"As I'm out taking my dog for a walk by the river or hiking through some woods I see them laying around and I pick up the ones that look interesting and see what I can do with them"
Lesson for us:
I hear comments from many would be Steemers such as "How do I know what to write about" or "where can I get material for my blog?" Simple, as you're going about life pick up the things that look interesting and see what you can do with them!
2.) What do you do to the sticks in order to sell them?
"I try and keep it simple. I clean them up, do just a little sanding and then put on a few coats of French Polish. I let the natural beauty of the sticks show through. The key is in finding interesting sticks and then I take them home and work on them a bit at a time. You should see my garage, it's FULL of sticks."
Lesson for us:
Interesting things are everywhere. When you see something cool, exciting, different, beautiful or strange embrace it. Take pictures and as soon as you can, jot down a few ideas. I write ideas on my cell phone, my ipad and on a notebook that I keep near the kitchen table. This way I've always got a "garage full of sticks" to work on! I can always go back to them later on to sand them and put some finish on them.
Things I Observed Examining The Stick Man
1.) In real estate it's location, location, location. On Steem it's presentation, presentation, presentation.
Did you notice that the stick man didn't just take a bunch of sticks and pile them on the ground? The stick man knows that in oder to sell sticks he's got to make them look as good as possible. After all, they're just sticks! One thing he did was build a nice stand to display them on.
Lesson for us:
Look at the image above. These are sticks that I found interesting, picked up and worked on a little. They're not ready to sell yet though. They're not quite finished and they're not well displayed!
Look at the above picture again. All I've done is taken the same sticks and put them against a nicer and more interesting background. Now I might even begin to have some confidence that with a little work I could eventually sell them!
Work on your blog presentation. Things such as spacing, titles and photos are VERY important! You may have a beautiful stick but it's got to be displayed well!
2.) Branding and details matter
The stick man knew a lot about detailing and finishing touches. Take a close look and you'll notice the stick man's attention to detail and branding.
Do you see the chamfer at the top of the stick? How about the chamfer on the hole that he drilled or the nice leather strap? What about the price tag? Can you see that not only is it made from a cross-cut slice through the stick but the price is also burned onto it? I've never seen another price tag like that! Have you?
Lesson for us:
Once you've got your article ready, work on the details. Instead of using the same word over and over search for a synonym to replace it. Proof read your article. Mistakes can detract.
I look at the price tag as a type of a logo for the stick man. It makes him different, unique. Can you create a logo for your blog? If not can someone do it for you or can you buy one? For example I purchased my "Old Dog" logo for $20.00 and I believe that it was money well spent.
A Final Lesson From The Stick Man
The stick man went to the market everyday. He didn't always sell a lot but he interacted with the people that passed his stands and he was friendly with them. "If they don't buy today, maybe they'll buy tomorrow" he must have reasoned.
Lesson for us:
To make your blog work you've got to work at it. Interact with other Steemers, comment on their posts and as much as possible be positive and friendly! You might not get up votes today but maybe tomorrow!
And Finally, Most Importantly, Remember to STICK With it!
I hope that you enjoyed this story about "What I Learned About Steemit From a Man Who Sells Sticks!"
Until next time,
Remember, I reward the best comment(s) on each of my posts with my "The Old Dog is Throwing You a Bone" program! So please re-steem and follow so that we can spread the wealth!