Hive is growing day by day, there are newcomers joining our platform constantly and this trend is not going to be reversed. Web2 platforms are not attractive anymore, freedom of speech is not guaranteed, your data is not safe, so many are looking for alternatives and Hive being monetized is like a magnet to many. Word is spreading fast, onboarding programs also seem to be successful. However, what seems like paradise at first, can turn into a source of headache in some cases.
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Joining Hive is free and easy, the road to your dream place on the platform is not. You can start your journey without investing a penny and earn only by blogging, as so many have done over the years. But building your stake takes time and not many have the patience to wait till they get there.
What Should I Write About Today?
This is a question many of the newbies are asking themselves on a daily bases. They all want to write something, but ideas don't come easy, especially for those who are not used to blogging.
I Want To Look Smart
When you have absolutely no idea what to write about, the first thing many do is go look for ideas on the internet and because they want to look smart, they choose some topics that apparently look smart to them. This is when you see posts about how to beat cancer, top 5 things you have to know if you want to be a successful businessperson, 10 tips to be a successful trader, 8 health benefits of this or that. One day the user is an expert on how to beat low sperm count, next day on how pregnant women behave and why, next week you see them posting about how helium appears in the atmosphere.
Then turns out the person is not a doctor, has no idea about trading, knows almost nothing about business as they have never had one, neither do they know anything about health benefits of the things they were writing about. Many times the hammer drops on them and they are caught with plagiarism as well.
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Original Content
If you've been on Hive for some time, you most likely have seen these two words all over the platform. Most of the communities have these words incorporated in their rule book and if you neglect to acknowledge it, the consequences can be harsh. This refers to plagiarism free content, as well as originality, but the second part is not really understood.
What Should You Really Write About?
Copy/pasting, rewriting articles from the internet will not take you far on Hive. Trust me, no one wants to read something that is already all over the internet. I don't want to offend anyone but unless you are writing your own experience about the matter (let it be cancer or health benefits of something), don't bother. I mean obviously no one can stop you from writing about those topics, but don't expect much.
Instead, try to share something you have done lately, take photos of the place you have visited, share your experience about things that happened in your life and so on. There are so many things happening every day, it's impossible not to find anything to write about and that's called original content as you're the only one writing about it and that is what people are looking for.
You don't have to reach academic levels or 4k words in a post, to be noticed. Write something interesting that can create a conversation and a motive for followers to come back to your blog again.
And if you really have no clue what to post about, look for challenges and contests. There are a bunch of these every single week, where the topic is given, so you don't have to stress yourself about it. These initiatives serve the purpose of helping newbies get familiarized with writing.
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Hive As An Influencer
Browsing through posts on Hive can be really inspiring. I started drawing a few years ago, due to some of the artists I met on the platform. They inspired me to try something I've never done before and I'm truly grateful to them for that. That doesn't mean I'm an artist now, but have created a few good drawings since then and had a lot of fun.
Sewing is also an activity I have started due to the influence of the posts I have read here. Those posts have motivated me to go look for tutorials, learn how to use my sewing machine and that's how I started making bags.
I'm not the only one who started something or learnt something due to being influenced by others on Hive. There are many others in my shoes. You can learn photography, art, you name it, the possibilities are endless.
And if you really don't know what to write about, then don't write till a good idea comes. Better than do something that is not welcome on Hive. You don't have to write every day, no one is forcing you to.
Take Note Of Your Evolution
If you've been on the platform for a few months, half a year or even more, look back and remember how you started, what were the things you have been struggling with and evaluate your evolution since then. Seeing how far you're come should give you the strength and motivation to continue and evolve even more.
If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides:
- Communities Explained - Newbie Guide
- Cross Posting And Reposting Explained, Using PeakD
- Hive Is Not For Me
- How To Pump Your Reputation Fast - Newbie Guide
- Tips And Tricks & Useful Hive Tools For Newbies
- Community List And Why It Is Important To Post In The Right Community
Another very useful and practical piece for our amazing newbies from our amazing Erika :) I wish I stumbled on someone like you when I started here 5 years ago, my beginnings would be much easier ;) Keep up this great series!
Well, I'm sure there were many smart people on the chain when you registered and most likely the active users were less, but I'm just guessing as I came after you. I have another post coming, let's see how it's going to be received 😳
Yeah but they surely weren´t so many great tutorials back then. In fact, starting out back in 2017 or 2018 was much harder than it is now that we have all these amazing initiatives for newbies, curation groups, retention projects etc. We have come a long way and I´m proud of our community.
This content is incridibly informative not only for the newbies but also for people who wants to get motivation on what ideas to write about. Thank you @erika! ;))
My pleasure and I'm glad you find it helpful :)
Indeed @erikah. I am following for more useful input and knowlege to share ;))
That was great information for newbies. Fully organized. I always post what I feeling at that moment. ❤️
That's the best and only way, so keep it up :)
If you have something that you are passionate about doing then you will already know what to post about... the problem comes when you have to pretend about a topic only to post it "because you want to make money" when it should be otherwise...
If you are passionate about something, you do it because you like it and how you like it, you will have a lot of content to share, and people will notice that passion!
I couldn't agree more. Usually those who want to look smart and pretend to be smart get into trouble fast.
I laughed so hard when I read the paragraph about looking (writing) smart 😂 because yes, I was one of such but in an old platform I was part of before it crashed.
I would research on really cool topics, realize that they were out of league but refine them still and share them on my blog.. It went well until I did it wrong one day 😅
Looking back to those days really make me laugh and I'm glad to see how far I've come since I stopped that... Hive gives me a lot of ideas whenever I run out of them just by reading different posts daily.
This post is very informative, I just realized that I learnt some things I do offline from Hive haha... So grateful.
Well shared ma'am, thanks ❤️
Trying to look smart can backfire pretty fast.
That's exactly what I've just said and I'm glad you think so too :)
Really fast haha, I hope more newbies find this to read and be more careful
Well, some care, others don't. So ... :)
Hahaha that I want to look smart Got me laughing.
It is true and funny at the same time. !LOL
Some Facts right there... I would agree with your POV. Copy/pasting or rewriting won't take anyone far on hive or anywhere else.
NGL, a lot of Things are available on hive that are influencing me one of is Photography I'm really working on improving my skills in that aspect and there's a whole lot of other things we can learn just like your experience.
Said very perfectly!
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It's visible from a mile what is original and what is rewritten. The only one who can't see it is the one doing it.
Yes, photography is one of the topics that's I'm interested in and you can learn a lot from the talents we have here.
Good luck :)
I remember the day you came to my rescue when I put this post up 3 months ago complaining about how I was struggling to figure out what to write on everyday. The advice you gave me helped a lot. I was approaching it all wrong and you and
@cmplxtyhelped me see that.Posts really come from inspirations from our surroundings, everything going on around us is unique to us, and is something you can write about if you can construct the sentences. If there’s nothing inspiring to write about, then it’s a free day. No need to force it, or it’ll start feeling like a job.
Precisely. What good will your post be if there are over thousands of results of the topic you’re writing on already on google. It’s literally just a search away.
Reading your comment I was thinking of how far you've come. I still remember the post where we "met". I remember I was thinking if I should reply to you or not, but it wasn't this post, it was before this one, in which you asked about your username. In most of the cases newbies don't want to hear what it is said to them, unless it's what they want to hear. So if you want to save yourself of some headache, you stay out of posts like that, but I said be it, I'm going to reply and let's hope he listens. And you have listened.
The it turns out I have given you some advice later, as you said here.
There are so many ways you can do wrong on Hive, although, the straight road is the easiest. I'm glad that you've listened to what has been told to you as you can see the results.
I’m glad you didn’t scroll past me that day. I probably wouldn’t still be here if you did, and I would’ve been behind because I would’ve missed out on a lot of guidance you offered me since we “met”.
Well, I guess you're lucky, without any exaggeration, but I also think you're different as otherwise you would have followed the path others usually follow.
Glad that I helped inspire you in a way to write freely! I guess I haven’t thought about it in that way but I agree and enjoy doing it that way! Give my perspective not regurgitate crap on the internet.
You’ve done more than inspire me to write freely, man. I appreciate you.
Anyways, I thought bringing the “`” before and after the @ next to your username would mask the mention. Clearly I was wrong.😅
No worries about the tag man I don’t mind!
This is so informative, and cleared certain doubts I've been having for a while. I've tried searching for topics on the internet before for the sole purpose of "Looking smart" but that didn't work out well so seeing this gave me a good laugh.
I'm glad you realized soon that those 'smart' topics don't work. Unfortunately it can backfire quickly.
As a newbie, this post is really helpful to me. Thank you :)
My pleasure and I'm glad to hear that.
You always motivate me to know how to start and what to do. Seriously I have been asking myself that very question about what to write. Please, I don't want to make a mistake or write something that is not acceptable on #hive. Please, how do I get contest alart. In other to follow up
I'm trying to help as much as I can and I'm glad to hear it is motivating.
Except plagiarism and the usual illegal stuff, you can write about everything. No one is stopping you. However, if it is appreciated or not, is a totally different question.
If you're interested in challenges and contest, you can check the following communities out, see what suits you:
Please note, each community has its own rules, so read the rules before posting in these communities.
I see you are really new, so you can find some newbie guide at the bottom of this post. Please check them out as it can help you understand how Hive works.
Also let me know if you need more help.
Erikah, Just stop it xD. I am dieing with laughter! !LOLZ
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It's true though and you know it 😏
I was just reading about dropshipping guide by a person who has nothing to do with drop shipping. I check plagiarism with 3 checkers but user hide it very well. Writing style and topic is some times enough to know. I was frustrated with not catching the bastard this time and suddenly I saw your post. It made me laugh damn hard. I was laughing like mad person in the middle of night. If I had not controlled it, I might have woken up someone yesterday with laugher. The timing for perfect when I read it. !LOLZ
I'm glad to hear you had a good laugh 😁
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but I’ve never seen one with more than four.
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I have found wonderfully inspiring posts too with many things that I now want to try. Tracking the evolution of the journey is half the fun. When I started I ran into the "hmmm what to write today" issue often but with time and practice it really does become easier.
There are literally thousands of experiences we have on a daily basis to draw from and so many opportunities to think of posts with pictures as inspiration too.
Everyone runs into this on Hive, unfortunately and it is normal. Handling it right is what divides us.
I couldn't have said better. I just hope people can see that and change in time.
and once again gold info for newbie. thanks so much for it, as newbie im at stage to getting all info together and hoping become full time hiver.. i know, its long run, but i love challenges.. 🙏
My pleasure, but this is gold info only for those who want to listen. Anyway, good luck with your plans, you can do it!
This is just the right information everyone needs including I. I do get these thoughts of what should I write and publish always and with these tips I'm sure gonna improve.
Thanks @erikah for the information and motivation
You're welcome and I'm glad you find it helpful :)
Oh, I think I know this user. Is he also someone who writes all this stuff on his phone and then posts it on his blog? Some people are really weird. I joined this platform almost six months ago. I've done a lot of research and reading to improve myself and that's what newbies should do too. Thanks a lot @erikah for this informative post you shared. I am sure it will be useful to people.
The truth is, it would be good if it would be one single user like that, but there are lots of users like the one I mentioned above, unfortunately.
Without research and learning you won't get anywhere on Hive as it's not like a web2 platform. You have a lot of responsibilities here.
In my opinion, blogging is meant to be casual/informal. It should reflect the personality of the blogger. Formal articles can easily be found on Google, we don't need bloggers to reshare those unless they have their own experience about the topic to share, like you said.
According to my experience over the years, I have learned that the more you are yourself or post stuff that is relatable to your audience, the more it gets traction.
For instance,
Instead of posting the health benefits of strawberries, I would be more interested in it if a user shares a recipe that holds nutrional value and which he/she personally tried at home.
Content like this is relatable and looks practical.
Some are coming here not to blog, but to make money fast, they don't care how and that's where the problems start.
I can confirm that.
Where money is involved, there are bound to be dangling integrities. (:
Since blogs on Hive bring monetary value, it will always be like that. There will always be somebody who looks for a shortcut or a wrong path.
Guidance posts like this one are a reminder for such people. I appreciate you for that.
Thank you for the nice words.
It's very true like you said I myself see this blockchain continues to soar, I have some friends who want to join this hive but before they play on this platform I have to say some rules I already know for now
That is good news. Make sure to hep them understand the basic rules to avoid getting int trouble.
Thank you, I will try my best for them
Oh my goodness 🤭🤭🤭
This is a balanced diet (meal) for everyone in this Blockchain and not only newbies. Honestly I wish I had this raw information prior to my landing here but it keeps getting better.
Engaging with other people's post is a whole lot of content ideas, contest has been so helpful to me and life experiences....these are ways one can comfortably blog without searching for what is already in the internet and putting him or herself on a rough road here.
Thank you so much for sharing this info ma'am
Much appreciated 👍
Unfortunately there's no Hive preschool, your start depends on who is onboarding you and who you meet when you join. Lovesniper and others are welcoming newbies but in many cases the newbie guides dropped to them go ignored as they don't even bother to reply to these comments. So I guess it depends on the user as if you want to learn, you at least read those guidelines.
Contests and challenges are meant to help newbie find their way, get used to writing and we have quite a few of those.
You're welcome by the way :)
This is just timely although I am still trying to find my niche. I'll follow your guidelines and hope it works for me.
I don't think you need to focus on one niche. Just go through the community list, join a few communities you find interesting and post accordingly, depending on what you want to write about.
I'll do just that. At the moment, I'm focusing on writing based on the community's prompts.
Also, please, do I have to get verified in this community? If yes, how do I go about it?
Thank you!
Each community has its own rules, so please read the rules and see what you have to do.
I will. Thank you!
You're welcome.
The important thing is to be original, starting to write is difficult, true, but the challenge is to be original in each post, to be able to provide that added value that Hive needs, come on, Proof of brain.
Great post my friend, it is a very interesting point of view and something that probably any newbie would like to read.
Your words are inspiring, everything in life takes time to become a master, so many Peoples would be proud to say it and likewise me, hive has educate so much great things into our life's.
Some are really inspiring and a source of inspiration to us in this Hive Community Thanks for sharing this wonderful piece 👍
This is really nice, thanks for the guidance!
You're welcome.
Very encouraging and calming to me.
Thank you for your wise words.
I'll keep, use and spread them.
My pleasure, I'm glad you find it helpful. Happy blogging.
I have translated your comment, but I'm not sure I understand what you mean.