Most minnows ignore the posts of other minnows (like you might ignore this post ;) ) and run after the whales hoping to get that 1 big vote that’ll change their life on this platform. I think there is a better way to improve your chances of success on the platform and here is my $0.00 cent on this topic. This is going to be a series of posts so here is advice no 1 broken down into 4 action points:
Being small doesn’t mean being useless
Do not underestimate yourself. You may not be a big fish yet - you have every chance to succeed on this platform but you cannot do it without the support of others. So start supporting others in the community right now.
How I support others in the community?
Every now and then I will take the time to go and look for new #introduceyourself posts. I don’t look for those who are trending with hundreds of votes but those who need my minnow upvote to boost their confidence. I also try to give them a few words of advice (I am a small fish myself but I can still share the little that I know). When I post some content, I do receive the support of my friends on the Platform and I try to support them too when they post something. You have to remember “we all want to grow, so give as much as you can”.
There are many ways to be valuable in this community and help others as a small fish:
- Stop chasing after the whales! Your upvote has a lot of meaning for another minnow so be kind and give to other small fish.
- Resteeming is a form of giving - You can resteem someone’s post to your 10 followers. We all start with 0 followers so there is nothing wrong with resteeming posts even if you don’t have 10,000 followers. Heck, if I could get a good post even 1 extra view, I will resteem it without a second thought.
- Have an opinion, share it in the comments - you can comment intelligently on someone’s post. I know there’s no end of posts about the power of commenting. I have personally made some really good friends by commenting on the platform and it is really a great way to go about building relationships. NOTE - If you thought the post was good and you write a comment, don’t be too stingy to upvote it too, it matters! Everyone wants to grow here so do give generously!
- Take the time to write something every now and then - I know it is time consuming to create original content for your blog every day but nothing worth doing is easy. Personally feel like I have taken on a second job working for steemit and I get paid like $2 per day but I still love this job so I’ll keep at it ;)
Most of us were all minnows at some point, and some of us still are, but the amazing thing about Steemit is, that everyone has a voice, and a chance to grow, so long as you work hard at it, and you show "genuine" appreciation for your fellow Steemit peeps!
So true! This is the most wonderful thing about this platform. It gives every user an opportunity to shine. Perseverance is certainly very important. Like all good things in life, it may not be easy but it is certainly worth it! :)
Another outstanding feature of Steemit is the fact that unlike other platforms such as YouTube, you don't have to have 1,000 subscribers, and 4,000 hours of yearly watch time to get monetized, only to make $100 a year in ad revenue, no no no, here on Steemit you could start making money on day zero, with no followers, and not a single page view to your name... it's a beautiful thing!
That's absolutely right! I think it really is the best social platform by far.
Some of us are still minnows. Just because you have a high rep score doesn't mean that you are a dolphin. That all depends upon how much steem you have.
I like looking over the fiction posts of new writers and upvoting the stuff I like. If it's really good, I resteem it.
Thank you for the good advice, and I look forward to seeing new posts.
I am certainly very much a minnow still and my reputation matches my minnow-ness, lol :)
It is great that you are supporting new writers, I think this is key to growing our community which in end will serve us all. It is not easy when you are starting out on this platform (I suppose like anything in life) and good to receive some community support and guidance to get us going :)
Noob question here but what is a minnow?
Nice post and I remember this advice you gave me when I joined last week. I always read through new posts rather than trending and pop in to the introduceyourself section to see who else is sharing similar interests.
In fact, it's got to a point where I will be buying a laptop as I am away from my main PC in the week due to the nature of my job (as I drive up and down the country) and want to be active in this community.
Chin up, smile and carry on!
Hey Nicky!
Good to hear from you :)
It's actually a very fair question and I shouldn't have assumed that everyone knows who's a "minnow" and "whale". So here is very rudimentary explanation - on the steemit platform there are different levels from "deadfish", "redfish" (I think it is under 500 SP) and go up all the way to the top which is a "whale". You can check your level by going here http://steemitboard.com/welcome.html
I will definitely be dropping by your blog to see what you are up to and look forward to seeing more of you in the community!
We must keep on swimming :)
I just checked where I am and my fish looks a little bit light on the "meat" department haha!
Quite a few awards there to get through and already got some without knowing about them so that's pretty cool!
I post all sorts of things but you'll see my latest post - "Bluffer's Guide to Cryptocurrency" which is aimed at complete beginners to get their head around this amazing new arena of blockchain. I also post my music but will be doing things about work, travel and other bits and pieces as time goes on.
Mr Content over here lol!
Swim minnow :)
lol! I don't know why they can't change it into something small and cute :)
I stopped by at your blog today. Keep at it and you will become a meaty fish soon!
Haha, well I do like fish and chips so always something to aim for! Thanks for stopping by too!
Upvoted, although, I don't think I am minnow yet, but I do feel I am so small and being useless
Maybe you are now, if not... in do time!
Thank you :) Don't worry, it won't be long before you are a minnow. As Tolkatore said: we all start at the bottom so this is natural part of joining a new community :)
PS - Never feel small or useless (you are a whale in the making)
I was making waves without a dime spent in Steem, but then I felt like helping out the community and dropped some dough, while making a sound investment to boot... a win win!
I know, I was following before the level up and always loved your posts :)
Ha ha, so you were the one huh? 😉
lol! Yes I was the one and I can prove it. It's all on the blockchain ;)
Everybody starts at the same point here unless you are willing to put your own money into the system. You have some great points in the article, mainly supporting other minnows.
If you can get the right people following you and voting resteeming, then you will grow. As you grow you will gain more followers and votes. Its all about being smart with your time and not chasing after whales who don't care about minnows.
That's right! We all start at the same place and grow from there (as you pointed out). I see it all too often that minnows are not very generous towards each other and the new community members when it is imperative that we all support each other. I try to build genuine relationships with people I am following and those who follow me and just take it easy - if I started to look at my post payout, I will get into serious depression lol! :)
True. It's all about finding the right people on here. Those are the people that will read, vote and support others. While that can take a while to find they are out there. It's always horrible to create posts that nobody reads and fades away from view very fast.
For me I am much happier to get 50 comments on a post of mine than a vote from a big account. At least that way I know that people are actually interested.
That's right! And you know that they actually read your post :) so it is not just one of those "Great post dear" comments.
Well said!
I also think it's important to remember why you do something in the first place. I've forgotten that a few times and when I come back to remembering my "why", it takes the pressure off a hell of a lot!
Resteemed....
Thank you so much @woody26
I truly appreciate your support :)
Hi! I noticed your comment on @tolkatore's recent post and was curious about you. Now you have a new follower :) I'm also a minnow and I agree it can be hard waiting for a "big vote" but the more I interact with people of every status, the more I feel connected and enjoy the community. I'm also celebrating 500 followers with a selfie contest if you want to join. Thanks for encouraging and supporting minnows!
Hey @mininthecity :)
Thank you for checking out my blog and congratulations on reaching the 500 follower milestone! I will most certainly stop by xx (I am not very good with mug shots but I will certainly support you xx).
I appreciate you! xx
Thank you for the encouraging words. I agree it can seem like having a second job being a steemian. Keep up the good work!
Thank you @saltycat
Looking forward to seeing more of you around :)
Any encouraging advice is good advice
Thank you @ligayagardener
Minnows need to all the support they can get from others in the community :)
I've been on for about a month now. In the beginning I followed anyone who followed me, just to be polite. Now I realize I want to read material that actually interests me. It is about community. Finding niches where I feel comfortable and where I'm likely to find a receptive audience. That takes time. I'm willing to invest some of that.
That's great @agmoore
It is difficult to know whether you should follow all the people who follow you. I am glad you are willing to invest time in it because there is really no way around it!
See you around :)
I want to thank you for your support and generosity. Sometimes wandering around the platform can seem a little like negotiating a dark room without a flashlight. But I'm an optimist. Running into someone like you reinforces that optimism. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Excellent advice! Minnows underestimate how much impact they can have if they support each other instead of chasing after whales and sharks!
Thanks to @josephsavage, this post was resteemed and highlighted in today's edition of The Daily Sneak.
Thank you for your efforts to create quality content.
Thank you so much @sneakyninja and @josephsavage for your support! I truly appreciate it. I will be coming to check out and learn more about the Daily Sneak!
You made my week :)
My apologies for linking the wrong edition. Your article was featured in this one:
https://steemd.com/curation/@sneakyninja/the-daily-sneak-16-march-2018-with-guest-curator-addempsea
Great post! It is especially nice when someone intelligently comments or even a good discussion results. I like to encourage those making their intros also! I love your $0.00 cents worth remark! I don’t upvote my own post. I hope one day, if my vote is wort a buck or two, I will still use it on others. This is my goal! A resteem is one of the best things we can do for others and hopefully, some do for us!
Thanks!
Thank you @mhm-philippines :)
My upvote is also not worth a great deal but I do use it generously on others. I hope to see more of you in future :)
Thank you! And you also!
This is timely and sage advice @lucygarrod thank you. It is easy to feel a little dejected when opening steemit in the morning to see no-one upvoted you!!
In for the long term is the solution, along with focus on being of service to the community and content, rather than the monetary rewards.
Onwards and Upwards - Minnows of the World Unite!!
"Minnows of the World Unite!" totally :)
Thank you so much for your kind words. Life of a minnow is tough but by uniting we have the power to make big waves. Hope to see you around more :)
Your will see me around @lucygarrod, as I will see you!!
Thank you for being there.
Every big fish is born very small . So, minnows should not worry about their size. With the help of each other minnows can get success. I am resteeming your post so that it may reach to many. Thanks.
So true! Thank you so much for resteeming the post :)
We do need to work together and support each other to succeed.
Looking forward to seeing more of you on the platform xx
Steemit is a platform where one can earn money by just writing good blogs and posting good content. People's are judge here by how much steem power they posses. Most of the time minnows think that by upvoting whales they can earn some big amount as curation reward but they forget that for earning good curation reward they must have good steem power. Why should one waste his/her upvote on a post which is already earning good? Instead of it minnows should support each other so that minnows post may get attention of lots of people. Everyone has a chance to upvote at least 10 to 12 posts daily without losing his/her voting power. So, VP should not be let lying idle. It must be use on daily basis applying logic and mind. Though, you, already have cleared this in your post but I thought I should also express my thoughts on this matter. Thank you!
This is indeed the most important point that probably needs some consideration by every minnow. I have now over 200 followers. This is all because of me commenting on others posts and upvoting them.
You can earn more curation rewards by upvoting posts of minnow rather than by upvoting the posts of whales.
I agree! Commenting helps build relations on the platform. I know it was through your comment that I got to know you :)
A lot of minnows don't understand that every single upvote counts even if it is worth < 0.01 SBD. I am grateful for every single upvote, big ones and little ones.
By the way: Good post, keep it up!
That's so true! I think we sometimes underestimate our power as minnows :)
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. I truly appreciate it!
All great advice. I love getting comments so much! I upvote all of them, and I try to give them my biggest upvotes, which is up to almost a nickle. ;) Also, many of the people I follow, I found because they commented on one of my posts. I’m curious about the Persevere but remain detached post. I’ll be watching for it.
lol! My upvotes are also not much in monetary terms either but I use them generously to show my love and support for others. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this little minnow's post and for your kind comment. I look forward to seeing more of you as well :)
xx Lucy
Hey Lucy!
I think the most important thing is to be generous and give as much as we can - I think even if it is a comment with some nice words. We just have to be patient to get something back :-)
Hey Vari,
Good to hear from you girl! Totally agree. We have so many ways to give that there is really no reason to be stingy. I think as minnows we need to keep an abundance mindset and give freely.
xx
Thank you @lucygarrot! It's a great post. I agree with you. Many of us came to Steemit expecting immediate success, and it's not that simple as we thought.
I'm learning everyday, from you and others that help those people who are having difficulties getting succes. ;*
Thank you @guilleoro that's really sweet of you. I am also learning so we can all grow together :)
Ok, very inspiration
Thank you @teteh8993 :)
I really enjoyed reading this post! I think this is really important for everyone to think about. I have also met new friends through commenting, but I'm going to take your advice and check out more #introduceyourself posts :) I look forward to the rest of the series!
Thank you so much for your kind words and I am so glad it was some help! Supporting each other and other newbies is a great way to grow together. Hope to see more of you in future :) xx
Thank you for sharing @lucygarrod. I thought I was doing this and things seem to hit a brick wall recently. I've been involved for the past couple of weeks with @newbieresteemday and @greetersguild to comment and work with the lower end of the community to help build them up which, should help build me up in the process.
I spend more time commenting and upvoting than posting, but when I post I make sure it's genuine (from my heart and passion) Since I've started in Dec I'm averaging $0.50/week if I'm lucky. I know it's focus and determination, which I have. Just a little frustration with the plateau I'm currently on.
Hey @tryskele I think it is all about balancing your contribution i.e upvote, comment, post and resteem. I try to mingle with other users whom I consider my friends on the platform (alot of them upvoted this post) whilst making new friends. I always upvote a post before I comment because I generally only interact with posts I like and it is a very good way to show my appreciation. People can see who upvotes their posts and are more likely to return the favour. I also take the time to go and check out my new and old friends blogs regularly, I ensure that I upvote and comment on their posts and when I think it will help, I also resteem their posts. I don't worry too much about building a following as I think this will just happen in its own time and having quality followers is more important than quantity.
These are all little gestures but they go a long way on the platform. I will certainly come and checkout your blog and see if I can make a positive contribution to your success :)
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my little post. I truly appreciate it!
Thanks :) I didn't think of upvote first. I have started making sure I do upvote when I comment. Occasionally I do miss a vote. If I feel the need to comment then, yes I should upvote it. It does show the appreciation for the content.
@lucygarrod ...THANK YOU :)
You made an amazing content @lucygardrrod . I can not wait to see the second one. You made an amazing content, We sould connect and support each other by follow each other. I already upvoted you and following you, please think about that. Thanks and greeting from @chanthasam
Thank you :) That's very kind of you. I will come and check out your blog now!
Well said! 👏👏👏
Thank you :)
Great job Lucy.
Since you will do a series on minnow advice, please stress the importance of upvoting those you like and those that support you.
Mention, as Tolkatore did that steem power regenerates and if “if you don’t use it you lose it”.
I think a lot of newbies don’t know that and it would be great if that becomes common etiquette on this platform.
Thank you :)
Yes, I certainly plan to emphasise the importance of supporting those who support you. We are nothing without the support of others in this community. Tolkatore is right that there is no reason not to use the SP when it does renew itself. Yes, it would be good if we can create a culture of supporting each other as that's what will truly contribute to the success of the platform.
I have been on Steemit since May 2017, I have grown as time progressed. It is not all about that one big vote, it is about many people coming together and voting on a piece of content that is original. It might not be great but it is from the heart of the person writing it and it makes someone's day to read that post, they upvote it and resteem it. There is power in the numbers. You will get the whale vote on some posts, do not go looking for it just write posts and share in time great things will happen.
That's exactly how I feel! I think it should be more about us as a community and supporting content deserving of attention. My vote doesn't have the power to change a life but I think it does show my appreciation so I do try to use it generously. There is certainly power in numbers and I think we need to remind ourselves and other new community members of that.
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate it :)
It's good advice.
Honestly, I wish people gave out their upvotes based on what they thought of the content rather than chasing whales or helping minnows. When I joined the platform I hoped that's what it would be. However, all people see is the dollar sign. To be honest I wish the payout was hidden to everyone except the one who posted.
So good to see you again! I know it is not easy. I think financial rewards do impact our behaviour and this is something we are witnessing on steemit right now. I hope that by working together as a community we can steer it in the right direction. It would be a pity if it became just about the money.
" I wish the payout was hidden to everyone except the one who posted." - That's an interesting thought!
I suppose transparency is a big part of the blockchain which is why payouts are visible. It is good in a way because there are those who are raping the reward pool but it is bad because a lot of people only vote for posts with big payouts. I am not sure what the answer is, I suppose we need to really think about it together and come up with solutions that we can propose for improvements (now I am thinking like a whale, lol).
This is really a nice blog. As you sow so shall you reap. Its simple start supporting yourself first then will you get the support of others. Everyone has to go through minnow phase so keep supporting generously.
Thank you :)
There is enough for everybody so we don't need to be stingy. Generosity breeds happiness so lets sow the seeds :)
Indeed it breeds happiness... Drop drop of water come together to make an ocean. Same is the case with us.
Buen contenido, realmente buscamos siempre al pez gordo, cuando en grandes grupos lograremos sobrevivir y llegar mucho mas rapido a la meta. Saludos desde venezuela.
Muchas gracias :) ¡Estoy completamente de acuerdo! No necesitamos perseguir a las grandes ballenas cuando hay tanta gente que podemos apoyar. Estoy usando Google translate, así que espero que sea correcto 🤗 Saludos desde Malta. espero ver más de ustedes alrededor.
Perfectamente recibido su saludo, Si seguiremos en contacto, aunque no aplica para los peces, ya somos de la misma
manada jajaja
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