The Wrong Expectations
Over the past year that I have been on the Steem platform, like many others on here, have seen many people come and go. There have been ups and down on this platform and that is expected when creating something new that never existed before.
There are the usual complaints you hear about the way the platform is and how lots of users have the crabs in a bucket mentality of "if I can't have it, neither can you".
A lot of people have the wrong expectations when it comes to Steem. They think they can start blogging and instantly start earning on their posts. A rare few do get a good start like those that are either known around social media, a developer, or some kind of celebrity.
Instant Gratification
As I mentioned, a lot of new users and some that try to stick around think they'll start earning like others on the platform right away. After a short while of posting and not seeing the rewards they are expecting, they start complaining or just stop posting.
Just like any other social media platform when you're new and not a celebrity of some sort, you don't just start getting followers and having your posts "liked". It takes time to build a following in an attention-based economy. A lot of people tend to forget to get the attention of an audience and that usually takes creating original content that allows you to stand out from others. When I curate the cryptocurrency category, I mostly see the same things like: "Bitcoin hits all-time high!" or spin article news from sites like Cointelegraph, nothing that really stands out. Quite a few users have put in the money and time into this platform along with their blogs. That is why those individuals earn what they do on their posts. Of course, there are other strategies that aren't well known to new and average users.
Income
There are a few that already have and new users that think they can quit their day jobs to blog for income on this platform. Only a few are able to pull this off because they are doing development for the platform or invested a large amount. I have heard many users say they rely on the rewards they earn as their income and this is another wrong expectation to have.
There is no guarantee you'll continue to get the same support from large stakeholders unless you yourself are one. Even with that, you always have the possibility to be downvoted. I hear users tell others that they are introducing to Steem that "if you blog on Steem, you'll earn money" and show how much they have made. While this is a somewhat good way to onboard new users, it's hard to not have the expectation to earn what someone else is making. It's a possibility but not a guarantee and this kind of word of mouth I have seen has led to many users being disappointed or envious. Become a part of the crabs in a bucket mentality...
A Finished Product
The Steem platform is not a finished product. Every legitimate blockchain is continually being developed on and Steem is no different. Even though blockchain technology has started almost 10 years ago, a lot of features and network security are new development that has been invented.
That goes the same for Steemit.com and other frontends. This platform is coming up on 2 years old in a few months. You can't have the expectation that this is a finished product. I still consider this platform in early development and there is no other blockchain platform that is anywhere near what Steem is doing for public content and social media.
So when something is not working on the frontends properly or the site itself is down, there's usually a lot of criticism that goes on and that is understandable, but at the same time, there has never been an incentivized, blockchain-based, public content platform in the past. We are at the beginning of innovation.
Conclusion
We seen users leave and that's not much of a problem in my eyes. We see users come back when the price of Steem is high and either way, the Steem blockchain will continue on.
With all the things that have been said about user retention, onboarding of users, etc, it's not all about what is wrong with the platform but users just having the wrong expectations. Perhaps we need to change something so users don't have those expectations.
so true, people have the wrong perception of this platform
Dear @bitcoinparadise
Let me translate this post to our native language ,Please.
Sure, go ahead. That would definitely help with the expectations on this platform.
Expectations are always high. I also expected to earn in thousands and ended up in 0. Even at times 0.00 but I thrive on.
Thank you
Wow, nice post, you hit that spot on! Is everyone ripping off coin telegraph posts??
That was not only easy to read, I'm envious of such clean formatting, with the pictures on the side. I especially got a chuckle out of the Annual instant gratification comic. Love it.
You should be in charge of writing a Steemit disclamier! lol
While I like writing and the creative outlet, the primary draw here for most is making money. Leading my feed to be filled with a ton of weak near spam like content. Its seems to "work" though. Their reputation is much higher than mine, presumably for spending more time on the platform.
However from a monetary stand point it seems hardly worth it. I actually started an article:
"Is Steemit worth it?"
And if money is your motivation, I think the answer is unequivocally "no."
The amount of time put in vs output, even with cheap spam posts does not add up.
We need a new tag line: "Steemit, it's better than Redditt!" lol
Thank you very much. I appreciate the kind comment.
There are a lot of better writers than me but I try :P
With all that other content, just need to make yours stand out and network. There are other strategies to work at but it just comes down to consistency. If you're consistently creating good original content that stands out, you'll eventually get noticed.
You should the new tag #steemititsbetterthanreddit :P
Lol, thanks for the tip. And I'm not complaining about my own rep per se, Steemit is just a creative outlet for me, but I'll keep that in mind! 😅
Thank you and I enjoyed attending PYPT. Just checking things out and it's a great thing you got going in there.
Aww no lights in my name? My hearts and dreams are crushed... :P
yeah i know . . i shouldn't be such a kidder eh. I do find doing the PYPT is fun. So, I hope it is as fun for those who attend.
Hey There. Newbie. VC. PhD Interested in meeting people who can explain Crypto to me, and are socially/politically motivated. Want to know if a Crypto can be tied to a socially constructive aspiration. A philanthropy for example.
Sure. There are tons of blockchain projects that can vary. There ones being developed for medical records, ones for Universal Basic Income, there are so many. Just have to google them. There's even one recently for a blockchain for the U.N. You can check out the related links at the bottom of the page: https://unite.un.org/techevents/humanitarian-blockchain.
We even have donations that are set up on the Steem platform to help with relief from natural disasters such as the @harveyrelieffund. There are literally tons of different ways to tie Crypto to any type of industry.
Thanks!
I was spending most of my online time on a firearms forum, which had a regular "no rewards" upvote system. When that system was reset, on a new format display board, I had doled out over 60,000 upvotes and I was among the "likes leaders" in received upvotes, ~15,000. Every one of those ahead of me in the "likes received" had been heavily up-voted by me. I am always coldly calculating, sometimes in my sleep (LOL!) and it made sense to come here and STEEM my way to a good standing on a platform that PAYS! But I realize that it takes time. I am just about to hit level 52 Rep and I just crossed the 3200 mark in SP. I also delegate out quite a bit, which also spreads good will and gives my people POWER, too. Creating Quality Content is a huge part of it, I made 3 good posts this week and they are grossing around $12, even with the depressed price of steem. I'm really hoping that STEEMIT and STEEM "does an Amazon" and grows exponentially once the platform matures, and I hope to help make it so... ;)
You'll get there. Just keep building your audience and your stake. The way I see it with Steem, still a great opportunity to get in cheap. I wish I got into Bitcoin when it was only $1.
Yes, someday we will be sorry we did not buy in more @ steem $.93 or so LOL!!!
The rep is not that hard to come by it seems, just takes the time to make good quality postings. Seems I do better when I "feel the urge" to write, and do it when the feeling is fresh. I cannot resist putting my own thoughts into current events, I am some what of an "everyman" in the crypto-space and stacking arenas. I excel in certain tech aspects and it is easy to tlak over the heads of my audience here. I need to work on that, because I wish to present some revolutionary ideas about electrical generation in the near future.
Thanks BTC-P! You are helping to lead us to this Paradise, my man!
PS: Follow for you, btcparadise!
You are right @bitcoinparadise. I have actually witness people thinking they are going to start earning big the moment they are in. Most people I have been promoting too always ask me this question. How much am I going to earn?
I hope they will realize the potential of steemit before it's too late.
Thanks.
@seyiodus.
Yea it's really up to the individual on how much they earn.
Yeah, You are right. For those that have been a writer or doing one program or the other, It will be much easier to earn more.
There is a fine line between telling people "you will make money for your posts" and the reality of making .04 cents on a post you spent a lot of time on. It can definitely be frustrating. But the thing that keeps me going is the occasional whale upvote and the knowledge that STEEMIT is a work in progress.
But the way I look at it the quality will stay and the weak will wither.
When STEEM progresses like we all know it will you will have to change your name to SteemParadise. :)
Gave you a follow and upvote!
Yes, it can be very frustrating. I went through that when I first started making a few cents and that was the early days when there were fewer users. Just need to be consistent with your posts and stand out from the others. Like any social media site, you are competing with others.
I thought about that with my name lol. I figured it would be alright since Bitcoin is what started the blockchain revolution. Even though one day it may be obsolete.
Uhhg my articles are somewhat schizophrenic.......but they are a reflection of my personality. I'm interested in many things! I do get enjoyment out of the platform and have met some cool people here. That is my main focus now. And the rewards will come later when steem performs better.
@bitcoinparadise this is very true, I definitely agree with you. On everything we do, we need to set the right expectations, and that is the way to take the best decisions. I believe steem will be flying anytime soon in the following months with all the developments that are being done. upvoted. @gold84