What have I contributed in my first month as a witness and what mistakes have I made? I have written 54 posts educating and building our community here shared with millions of followers on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter including
- 6 posts focusing specifically on educating witnesses and increasing witness vote participation.
- 14 posts showing tutorials for Steem.
- A post every 2 days to help with curation.
- Hosting Steem's first meetup in the USA.
- 2 growth projects following the crowdsourced marketing protocol.
- About a thousand replies to comments to help answer questions and thank readers for participating here!
- Several mistakes I share about at the beginning of this post which I have gained valuable lessons from which I am applying going forward!
Thank you for the GENEROUS author rewards on the posts in addition to 385 votes made for my witness within the first month at https://steemit.com/~witnesses today which are getting me about 12 blocks a day at rank 61. 
Would you please review my service as a witness in my first month and provide feedback in the comments because you might feel good about helping me make the most effective witness reports?
Mistakes
- Releasing a video course promoting becoming a Steem witness. Instead of simply putting a video up to explain the benefits of becoming a witness for free, I was consumed by greed and made a $180 video course which I tricked people into buying with a mining title. Several buyers were very upset and demanded refunds. Outrage poured into the comments on YouTube and into the witness chat channels from witnesses frustrated I was charging for information available for free. Since making this course, I have switched to completely free tutorials all of which are now on Steem showing everything I have learned about being a witness. This felt like not enough which prompted me to reconsider my entire business model which I am now switching to devote entirely to giving to Steem first and focus on all sharing to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter with the goal of bringing reaching as many people as possible with the good news about Steem.
- Aggressively going after votes from top upvoters as soon as I launched my witness using wallet tips. In my impatience to grab as votes quickly and start earning blocks, I spent over 1000 Steem sending tips to my top upvoters asking for witness votes. I then further defended this in my post about witness voting and in the chat. What I failed to consider was the amount of votes I would lose from pissing other witnesses and whales off with an approach that was called buying votes in the chat. Since the initial upvotes came in from those that were not put off my method of communication, getting any additional votes has proven extremely difficult as witness after witness has ignored my request to vote for me or responded with a strong no because of the mistakes I made here. I have learned that instead of focusing on getting votes, I need to focus on what I am giving to our community as a witness and trust that I will receive the votes I need. I am giving up directly asking for votes in any method outside of posts and comments.
I own everything I have done, good and bad, here in my first month as a witness. I appreciate the patience the majority of us have shown in not letting my moments of greed and impatience ruin the rest of what I have given that seems to be a positive contribution below!
Witness Education and Tutorials!
Summary!
6 posts shared with hundreds of thousands of followers describing everything I could find about being a witness and the importance of voting for witnesses. Posts 4 to 6 combine to make a complete guide that shows everything from why become a witness to questions to ask before starting to exact commands needed to start a witness to questions to strategies to get votes.
Details!
- Steem Secret #6: Witnesses Votes Give The Most at https://steemit.com/witness/@jerrybanfield/steem-secret-6-witnesses-votes-give-the-most.
- Get a Steem Witness + Seed Online Today with These Ubuntu Linux Commands at https://steemit.com/witness/@jerrybanfield/get-a-steem-witness-seed-online-today-with-these-ubuntu-linux-commands
- Top 100 Steem Witnesses by Number of Votes at https://steemit.com/witness/@jerrybanfield/top-100-steem-witnesses-by-number-of-votes
- Steem Witness Basic Training at https://steemit.com/witness-category/@jerrybanfield/steem-witness-basic-training
- Launch a Steem Witness Today at https://steemit.com/witness-category/@jerrybanfield/launch-a-steem-witness-today
- How to Start Getting Steem Witness Votes at https://steemit.com/witness-category/@jerrybanfield/how-to-start-getting-steem-witness-votes
Service on 2 Growth Projects!
Summary!
The crowdsourced marketing protocol at https://steemit.com/steemit/@steemitblog/crowdsourced-marketing-protocol-ideas-proposals-projects by 
Details!
- Steem's First Freelancing Marketplace is Online at www.steemj.com at https://steemit.com/steemj/@jerrybanfield/steem-s-first-freelancing-marketplace-is-online-at-www-steemj-com. I have a meeting scheduled with
today to discuss how we go forward to the final phase of submitting as a project.
- Advertise Steem to 10+ Million Users on Facebook and YouTube Every Month: Video Advertising Growth Project at https://steemit.com/growth-projects/@jerrybanfield/advertise-steem-to-10-million-users-on-facebook-and-youtube-every-month-video-advertising-growth-project makes the official request in the final step of the crowdsourced marketing protocol for Steemit to provide funding for advertising.
- Steem Video Ad #3 Live in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia at https://steemit.com/growth-proposal/@jerrybanfield/steem-video-ad-3-live-in-the-usa-uk-canada-and-australia
- Millions of Viewers Learn About Steem on Facebook and YouTube at https://steemit.com/advertising/@jerrybanfield/millions-viewers-learn-about-steem-on-facebook-and-youtube
- Steem Video Ad 3 Gets 7,213 Likes in 48 Hours on Facebook at https://steemit.com/advertising/@jerrybanfield/steem-video-ad-3-gets-7-213-likes-in-48-hours-on-facebook
- Steem Video Ad #3 is Live on Facebook and YouTube at https://steemit.com/steem/@jerrybanfield/steem-video-ad-3-is-live-on-facebook-and-youtube.
- Steem Video Ad #3 Text and Script at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/steem-video-ad-3-text-and-script.
- Steem Facebook and YouTube Video Ad 2 Results at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/steem-facebook-and-youtube-video-ad-2-results.
Assistance with Curation!
Summary!
Every two days we have collaborated to share posts from underpaid authors and provide a place to feature the posts we enjoy the most in our upvotable series. Authors and finders have earned thousands of dollars in upvotes and SBD with the average about 100 SBD worth of votes and finder fees every two days. The purpose of upvotable is to provide a well rounded curation environment with direct connection between authors and upvoters which when combined with existing projects gives every minnow the change to write their way into a dolphin. I also delegated 1000 Steem Power to 
Upvotable posts since becoming a witness!
- Revealing Truth and Discovering Inspiration with Steem! Upvotable #22 at https://steemit.com/dtube/@jerrybanfield/lcq7842t
- Steem Profile Widget, Upvoting Options, and Facebook Ads: Upvotable #21 at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/steem-profile-widget-upvoting-options-and-facebook-ads-upvotable-21
- Upvotable 20: Now Open To Any Post at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-20-now-open-to-any-post
- Upvotable 19: Thailand, Awareness, and Steemit's Future at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-19-thailand-awareness-and-steemit-s-future
- Upvotable 18: Now With Favorite Posts from Authors I Follow at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-18-now-with-favorite-posts-from-authors-i-follow.
- Upvotable #17: Eco Building, Coffee Beans, and Negative Space at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-17-eco-building-coffee-beans-and-negative-space.
- Upvotable #16: Steem Inflation, Eye Contact, and Green Tea at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-16-steem-inflation-eye-contact-and-green-tea.
- Upvotable #15: Meet Yourself, Free Food, and Giving Back at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-15-meet-yourself-free-food-and-giving-back.
- Upvotable #14: Patience, Partners, and Potatoes at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-14-patience-partners-and-potatoes.
- Upvotable #13: Prevent Cancer, Make 3D Images, and Vegan Cheese at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-13-prevent-cancer-make-3d-images-and-vegan-cheese.
- Upvotable #12: Selling Steem, Fatherhood, and Poetry at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-12-selling-steem-fatherhood-and-poetry.
- Upvotable #11: Bangkok, Watermelon, and Norway at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-11-bangkok-watermelon-and-norway.
- Upvotable #10: Purpose, SteemStats, and Bugs at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-10-purpose-steemstats-and-bugs.
- Upvotable #9: DMT, Falafels, and 250k Steemit Users at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-9-dmt-falafels-and-250k-steemit-users.
- Upvotable #8: Parenting, Homesteading, and a Sketch of Me at https://steemit.com/upvotable/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-8-parenting-homesteading-and-a-sketch-of-me.
- Upvotable #7: Busy.org, Eating Vegan, and Poetry at https://steemit.com/curation/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-7-busy-org-eating-vegan-and-poetry.
- Upvotable #6: The First Steemit Posts I Read at https://steemit.com/curation/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-6-the-first-steemit-posts-i-read.
- Upvotable Day #5: 7 New Posts I Voted Up at https://steemit.com/curation/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-day-5-7-new-posts-i-voted-up.
- Upvotable Day #4: Our Best New Posts at https://steemit.com/curation/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-day-4-our-best-new-posts.
- Upvotable Day #3: How To Get More Upvotes at https://steemit.com/curation/@jerrybanfield/upvotable-day-3-how-to-get-more-upvotes
Hosted the First Steem Meetup in the USA!
- First Florida Steem Meetup Photos and Video at https://steemit.com/meetup/@jerrybanfield/first-florida-steem-meetup-photos-and-video.
- First Florida Steem Meetup is Tomorrow at https://steemit.com/meetup/@jerrybanfield/first-florida-steem-meetup-is-tomorrow.
- First Florida Steemit Meetup on August 10, 2017 in Sarasota at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/first-florida-steemit-meetup-on-august-10-2017-in-sarasota.
- First Florida Steemit Meetup August 10 - 12 at https://steemit.com/meetup/@jerrybanfield/first-florida-steemit-meetup-august-10-12.
Steem Tutorials and News!
- 23,349 Views from Google on 1 Steem Post at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/23-349-views-from-google-on-1-steem-post explains how to write posts on steemit.com that bring in the most views using an example post that is bringing in hundreds of Google users daily that are interested in learning about cryptocurrencies.
- Steem Secret #4: Bring Our Own Followers at https://steemit.com/steemsecrets/@jerrybanfield/steem-secret-4-bring-our-own-followers inspires us to find ways to invite our friends and family to Steem.
- Exchange Steem Fast with Changelly at https://steemit.com/tutorial/@jerrybanfield/exchange-steem-fast-with-changelly shows one option we have to buy into Steem and sell the Steem or SBD we earn.
- Steem Secret #2: Add a Consistent Image in Thumbnails at https://steemit.com/steemsecrets/@jerrybanfield/steem-secret-2-add-a-consistent-image-in-thumbnails provides tips for us to upload more original pictures to gain more attention on posts.
- Steem Secret #1: Focus on Headlines and First Sentence at https://steemit.com/steemsecrets/@jerrybanfield/steem-secret-1-focus-on-headlines-and-first-sentence helps us write posts that are more clickable and therefore will bring more views.
- #1 Data Point Proving The Value of Steem at https://steemit.com/steem/@jerrybanfield/1-data-point-proving-the-value-of-steem helps us give up skepticism by showing that our transactions on Steem are already the highest out of any digital currency.
- What is the best time to post on Steemit at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/what-is-the-best-time-to-post-on-steemit helps us optimize our post timing!
- Streemian Tutorial for Steemit RSS feeds and Scheduled Posts at https://steemit.com/streemian/@jerrybanfield/streemian-tutorial-for-steemit-rss-feeds-and-scheduled-posts-1500687288-782439 shows how to use Streemian to get our RSS feed, schedule posts, and upvote!
- Earn Steem for Finding an Undervalued Steemit Post and Submitting to Curie at https://steemit.com/curation/@jerrybanfield/earn-steem-for-finding-an-undervalued-steemit-post-and-submitting-to-curie-1500598670-0433114 brought so many new submissions to
that the entire submission system had to be updated :)
- FREE CC0 Stock Photos for Steemit Posts with Pixabay, Pexels, and Canva at https://steemit.com/photography/@jerrybanfield/free-cc0-stock-photos-for-steemit-posts-with-pixabay-pexels-and-canva shows us where to get photos to enhance our posts.
- Does Steemit Do The Most to Support Gender Equality at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/does-steemit-do-the-most-to-support-gender-equality.
- My Favorite Women of Steemit at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/my-favorite-women-of-steemit.
- Poloniex Disables Steem + SBD = 15% Profit at https://steemit.com/poloniex/@jerrybanfield/poloniex-disables-steem-sbd-15-profit.
- Poloniex Receives 41,917 in Steem Deposits But No Withdrawals for a Week at https://steemit.com/news/@jerrybanfield/poloniex-receives-41-917-in-steem-deposits-but-no-withdrawals-for-a-week.
Suggested Optimizations!
- Request to Add Shares Tab for Resteems at https://steemit.com/steemit/@jerrybanfield/request-to-add-shares-tab-for-resteems.
- Request to Add a Link to Vote for Witnesses at steemd.com/witnesses at https://steemit.com/witness-category/@jerrybanfield/request-to-add-a-link-to-vote-for-witnesses-at-steemd-com-witnesses which
did within a few hours!
Done!
Thank you for reading about what I have given in service during my first month as a witness! If you approve of the job I am doing as a witness for us here, would you please make a vote at https://steemit.com/~witnesses because our witness votes make that approval official?
OR
Love,
Jerry Banfield