Hey Socmonkey, thanks for sharing this site/concept with us. I've never heard of it before.
So I went to Steemit and browsed posts that were "hot", "trending", etc. I clicked on a few posts on topics that interested me. I have to say I am a bit skeptical/disillusioned because I'd see posts that earn $20, $50, etc., and click on them, thinking they should be quite good, and to be honest, they were a bit disappointing. This leads me to think that to earn money on this platform, you're basically participating in a popularity contest first and foremost, and it skews favourably towards early adopters who have amassed friendships on the platform for some time now, or gregarious social butterfly types who know how to work the system. Meanwhile, content takes a distant second place in terms of ability to earn you money.
That's my first impression of it, anyway. However, I'm interested in what you have to say about this. Maybe there's something I'm missing? Perhaps you can change my mind? I would love to earn money with my writing and photography, it's just that when I see very mediocre posts earning decent money on the site, it loses credibility for me.
Believe me, you are not wrong in the slightest. It was the exact same thing when I started.
Think of it this way though, they have built up those friendships and connections much in the same way a person would build up their own personal blog. If some unknown blog wrote the best post about personal finance, better than anything ever written here - how much would they make? Not much would be my guess. They would require someone with a following to get that article noticed. Or tons of shares by normal people.
Same thing on Steemit. It is a community and there are cliques there. I don't upvote unless I think the post is deserving, but others follow the popularity trail.
I have written some quality articles in the past, with tons of sourced information. My highest earning post was only $78. Meanwhile, those with huge followings have crapped out 500 words about nothing and made more. I can only do what I can do though. I continued on and gradually people found me and my content and were impressed. I grew because I engaged with other people, much like people do here on this forum. I commented on their articles, providing input or additional information relevant to the topic at hand.
With the possibility of growth in cryptocurrencies the ability to earn some with no financial risk is worth it in my opinion. Plus, there are some real quality people to follow - you just have to find them. Steemit is self-policing, people will identify wrongs and sound the horn against injustice. I have seen it before. There is also a group called "Curie" that was formed to reward quality articles from lesser known accounts. Other groups have also been created to share the best articles from newer Steemit members. I was a beneficiary of these groups.
Anyways, yes it isn't perfect. Steemit is in beta, but it is also still firmly in early adopter territory. Those that can succeed will most likely be greatly rewarded. If any of you join up, let me know and I will make sure to read your stuff there and help you out (if there is enough effort in it). Try sharing some work you have already done in the past, can't hurt can it? You don't give up control of ownership, it is still your article/photo/poem/story.
Oh and someone already reserved @mrmoneymustache for the man himself - Peter.
