Wow... Today marks day #365 of Steemit membership for your old pal @customnature.

^^^Making the rare cameo in one of my photos!

   It's been a fun year, I must say.  I guess it'd have to be just over 1 year since my brother, @kommienezuspadt, called me and told me about this crazy social media startup that's sort of like Facebook, but the "likes" give you actual money.  Like many other, I thought it was complete bullshit at first.  You know, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.  But then he went on to explain to me how he actually deposited money into his bank account from it and bought groceries.  Not knowing a single thing about cryptocurrencies, or blogging for that matter, I decided to give it a whirl... and I'm glad I did!

   It's been a wild ride since then.  In that time I beat up my boss at work (defensively) and got fired, got a new and better job, started working for myself on the side, took a few trips, and got married. 

^^^Married in Iceland! 7-7-17

My Steemit Experience.

   My time on here has been pretty awesome.  I remember watching that payout counter ticking up higher and higher on my #introduceyourself post, until it reached $11.  It was so exciting!  I was hooked.  Within a week or two, I began a reoccurring nature-themed post called the "Daily Nature Fix".  It's been such a wondering regimen, for me.  Aside from making any kind of money (which it didn't for quite some time), the real pleasure has been having a reason to revisit all of these photographs I had archived from past and current travels.  As great as my time on Steemit has been, it has been peppered with some despair every once in a while.

A few tips!

   Here are a few bits of advice I'd like to give to some of the newer members to the Steemit community.  These tips are derived from my first-hand experience on the platform.

• Be Interesting - This is the most important factor, in my opinion.  Post GOOD content.  Now, that's not to say you must have travel photos from around the world, like I do.  You can blog about ANYTHING you're passionate about, just make it interesting.  Talk about your opinions on things.  Review stuff.  Rant about things that piss you off.  Whatever.  Just be interesting.
• Be Active - This is the second most important factor... but the first factor is a prerequisite.  If you're posting good content, keep up with it.  I'd recommend trying to post at least once a day.  Two or three times a day even, as long as you're seeing some response. I wouldn't really go MORE than that though... you don't want to become annoying.  Some folks slip into a habit of posting a ton of times every day with just a single photo or a few words.  Eventually, it just becomes white noise to the rest of the community.  Also, be sure to interact with other members.  Comment on their posts, and reply to their comments on yours.  
• Be Persistent -  This is SUPER important.  DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED.  I know that's easier said than done, but it's crucial to success on here.  Steemit is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  You have to put the time and work in. Sometimes, okay a lot of times in the beginning, your posts will earn $0.00 - $0.15.  That's just the way it is.  You have no following, hence you won't catch a lot of upvotes.  Eventually though, people will start to notice your stuff.  If you're active, they'll see your name keep popping up and see what kind of material you're putting out there.  People will notice... and eventually, so will some whales and dolphins.  Here is a look at some of my posts from when I started... take notice of those payouts and upvote counts.
  

What NOT to do.

• Don't be an asshole.  What goes around, comes around.  
• Don't beg for upvotes or follows.  Don't do the "Hey, I upvoted/followed you, now do it back for me" shit.  You will become very unpopular very fast.
• Don't just post stuff from the latest clickbait links going around social media.
• This is just a personally annoyance of mine, but don't go TOO crazy with the resteeming.  I mean, by all means share the posts that strike a chord with you... but it really blows when someone has to scroll through page after page of resteems in order to find original content from the account holder. 

  Alright, that's about all I have to say for now.  I hope it helps some people, especially folks just starting out.  Also,

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

  I look forward to another year of your Daily Nature Fix, and hopefully many more after that!  Sincerely, - Adam

***Daily Nature Fix is a daily blog showcasing the natural world.  It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels.***