We Say Welcome!
For some, it took one or two persons to speak the good tidings of this platform before they agreed to come on-board, and for others their whole community had to intervene, and sacrifices offered to the gods of the land; however, whether you fall into the former or latter category, it doesn't really matter; what matters at this point in time is that you're here now.
You must have heard that citizens of this community are well-cultured and kind, but that notion have you doubted because up till now, nobody had probably given you a warm welcome you envisaged. We are deeply sorry for the wrong impression created, it arose from circumstances that exceeded our control; in that regards, on behalf of the people of steemit, of which you may have noticed are referred to as STEEMIANS, we say a very warm welcome to you.
As you may have heard as well, that this is a lovely platform where dreams are lived; where the mind-blowing post you make for likes on other platforms, can be converted to cash; where you're paid a stipend for stopping by to comment on someone else's kick-ass post; where you sneeze and there's hope that someone out there may either like the sound of your sneeze, or the force of it; where you learn about so many things and innovations you never knew existed; where possibilities are endless; truth is, if you heard all these and more, you are in the right place, so take your shoes off.
So What Next?
Its time to get kicking, as nothing can be achieved by just laying around. I'll quickly borrow the words of a steemian, who said;
If you don't make a substantial amount in 6 months of your stay here, then the powers that hold you down are stronger than you.
But the question is, how realistic is this?
Some have come onto the platform, expecting so much, but got little and decided to call it quits; others have blossomed from the word go, and you'll marvel at the fact that they haven't stayed as long as their achievements portray.
Truth be told that, inasmuch as it pans out well for some, not everyone would have it easy. Where we fall into, only time tells.
I know, just like me, you made your introductory post, and you set about it like you were being interviewed. You talked about your likes and dislikes; you included that innocent dog you had gotten on your trip to Hawaii; you proof-read 435 times just to be sure your spelling and tenses were on point; oh sweet grandma was talked about, and her pictures included; you even went as far as counting the words, and it returned 2500; but in all of this, your payout for your first real hard work was $0.02. In the same vein, your next 10 or 15 posts may return the same amount, or lower... Yes lower!!
Too bad, but life's quite hard, and it's good you're learning.
At this stage you must have read so many posts about how to survive on steemit, many of these posts from people who dare not mention how and what they do to remain hot; like me you have tried to put them to good use, but no ROI, both on time and effort invested; stay strong because, the more obstacles you encounter, the sweeter the victory. Those posts you have read are merely theoretical and are the same for everyone; but the practical aspect, everyone answers his name uniquely.
According to Martin Luther King Jr.;
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Challenges are an integral part of our everyday lives, so take solace in that.
A Notch Higher
No need crying over spilled milk; you either get up and intensify the effort, or sit back and mull. The battle was never going to be smooth sail, a reality check that has probably kicked in at this point. If you were told the challenges beforehand, you probably won't be here, so no hard feelings.
We want you here; we believe you can make it here!
There are certain steps that just might help us get through this lag phase, so keep calm while we try to swim to shore.
Identify your Strong Points and Potential Audience
Until the day you identify what you can do to great effect without having to struggle or battle, you'll continue to lavish in the lower echelons of under-achievement. Every great writer that has graced the face of the earth had at some point in their life gone through this stage. So, be you a writer, artist, musician, or yet to be figured out like me; sit back and be sure of what you have inside, and trust me after this step, you'll glide effortlessly.
Equally important, is the identity of who your content would appeal to. You can't make and sell cheap sandals successfully in a highbrow area; it's either you switch to an expensive one, or you relocate to an environment where your sandals would be appreciated and paid for.
These two combinations work hand-in-hand, like key through a keyhole, and reduces stress massively. If you are yet to figure this out, then set about it; but if you have, then we'll drink to that.
Envy the Big Whales, but Never Ignore Process
Someone from nowhere would come knock me over for the word 'envy', but not as if I care. Who doesn't like something good, even though it's adorning someone else? Let me be honest, I think it's totally normal and cool to resent what the big whales have, but remember that;
Rome was never built in a day.
Whether genuinely earned rewards or those paid for, it takes time and effort to attain, and that's 'process'.
My Mobile dictionary defines process as;
A series of events to produce a result.
True to every word you'll agree. Therefore, see the big whales, spend what they have in your mind, but never expect the next day to give you the same; even though it may give you something, it's your process that has been set rolling.
Create Quality Content
Some people limit this to just making a post of your own, however, it's a wrong impression as I think you can create good content by giving a good comment on a person's work, or going a step further to review his/her post.
The good thing about quality content is that, it never goes unnoticed forever, and no content is too stupid to gain attention, whether good or bad. Though in this context, I advocate good content, but no matter how bad you make it, it's not totally useless as it can be used as a bad example.
Get the point, make quality content, one day it'll get noticed, period!!
Explore the Platform and Know your way Around
Now that you have your content, be it fiction, science, or whatever; you need an ideal knowledge of the platform to be able to make your work visible. This is where appropriate use of steemit tags come in, as you can't make a good content, tag it wrongly and still expect people to take you serious... You're just a joke!
Aside that, copyright infringement has pulled many down, and steemit doesn't want that for your future. A genuine reason why you gotta cite references for people's works, credit the images you have borrowed for use, amongst others. Your readers will see this and know how interested in having your payday.
Other layouts on the platform, like quotes, bold, headings, etc., you need to know. It gives your work great organization and an easy-to-read outlook.
If you're still having issues with this, please invest time and you'll see its a piece of cake; if you're well grounded on this, then you deserve a round of applause.
No Rewards yet? Don't stop!
Now that you have made a kick-ass post in your opinion, properly tagged and all copyright material recognized, the next thing you expect is the mullers to flow in. Sadly however, it's payout time and you got nothing; it's only natural for the human part of you to be disappointed and feel like quitting, but if you remember that no great invention was perfected at the first attempt, you'll go on.
Never continue bearing a fear of failure in mind; remember it's never a crime to fail.
Make contents, more contents... and more contents! One day, you'll get noticed. If you feel stuck, participate in contests, they'll give you fresh ideas to reproduce on.
Ask Questions
No matter how sound you are, or how talented you can brag to be; there's hardly anything you'll get done, if you don't ask for help from seasoned professionals. Every challenge you'll come across on this platform has been met and surpassed by a thousand persons, and their words of advice could guide you.
Look for someone who's always willing to help, and show willingness to learn too.
In summary, like its commonly said;
There's so much space in the sky to accommodate us all.
Likewise, there's so much pool of resources on steemit for everyone to benefit from, so far we do what is right always. We all can make an impression, and work hand-in-hand to move the platform to greater heights.
I may not have achieved much success on here yet, but I'm proud of the strides I've taken. I keep working, knowing that one day, something would shine in me, and the rest would be history.
To the big whales, kudos to those that make genuine effort to help newcomers; and to the others that think of their pocket only, I don't see anything wrong with what you're doing. Life is full of choices, whichever path we choose to thread, it's our choice.
To everyone, I say holla and have a great day!