Everybody Starts With No Audience. Share Your Ass Off Anyway.
Something I've noticed small Steemians doing is not giving their all because they think it's not worth it, and they're not getting any attention anyway.
How would you ever get attention if you're not putting it all out there?
A friend I just made said he's thought about putting together a certain post, but he doesn't have enough of an audience to justify it.
Build It, and They Will Come!
I know you don't want to share your work with no one, but I actually can't overstate creativity for creativity's sake. Look, I'm not one of those people who thinks you should never want money for your creativity and you should just pump stuff out for the sake of it. My husband gets that on Twitch all the time. People don't want streamers to want to make money. "It's all about the fun," they say. Yeah, it is. But anytime you add value to people's lives and put your energy into something, it's pretty great to get paid.
But creativity really is its own reward. I actually use all the social media platforms for different kinds of self expression. I'm not popular on any of them. It just feels really, really good to me to share my life and what I think and what I see with the world. It's really, really good for your spirit. We're creators. And a lot of people's creativity has been squelched by art teachers and the like. It's a practice of renewing your creative spirit.
To me it's pretty cool if one person is influenced by something I share. I have a lot of bullshit comparison and popularity resentment, too, but meh.
I just really, really want to encourage everybody to give their all here. Seriously, Build It, and They Will Come. Everybody starts with no audience. Gary Vaynerchuk had three people watching his WineTV episodes for the first year.
It's also good to learn your voice and what you care about most and evolve your work. Look back at my posts. I've evolved a ton since December when I started posting almost daily. For me, it really has been about finding myself as a writer and creator and finding what the hell I really do have to say in this world. And it worked.
Another thing that helps is to make it not about you. Devote yourself to being in service. You won't care so much about yourself and how you feel and how many followers you have and how many people see it, and your work will take on a whole higher tone.
Devote yourself to creativity and self expression on here. Watch how it evolves. It's really, really fulfilling.
I also wrote Attention Plankton and Minnows: YOU ARE VERY IMPORTANT. You should check that out, too.
My work on Steemit is possible because of @kennyskitchen, his project, @tribesteemup, and @whatamidoing. Thanks to my supporters @indigoocean, @movingman, @becomingwhtur, and @vincentnijman. You can support, evolve, and expand my work energizing and empowering Steemians by adding @brightstar to autovote. ❤️
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So true. It can be hard to write at first when you get no responses for one post after another, but keeping at it, and working to get your posts in front of people also, and eventually you start getting those much desired comments and upvotes. It’s such a great platform to be on even just commenting on the posts of others. I always suggest folks focus there first and build their audiences some, instead of only focusing on posting.
Me too, @indigoocean. It's such a great way to meet and greet and make friends on Steemit... and to start earning.
That's how I started out a little over 90 days ago and it was meeting such wonderful peeps that kept my excitement and wonder of being on Steemit high despite all my $0.00 post reward totals. ;)
It’s how I found you!
I AM sooo glad you did, @indigoocean! And now I've found you back again, I'll have to latch on and make sure I don't lose you this time around. ;)
If you're a fringe-dweller, this is the place to be! 🙌
Ha! I've been telling peeps since the '90's who can't figure how and why I usually zig when others zag that I live on the very outer fringes of society!
Is 'fringe-dweller' a thing type of term now, @brightstar? ;)
No, it's a term Stuart Wilde used, and I think it's the most fitting thing.
Ahhhh.... great. Thanks for the reference.
Yes. It absolutely does fit. ;)
Yep it's true. Getting around and mingling. It's actually something I don't do much. Now that I think about it, I guess that's a reason for me to feel good about the audience I've built. 😆
Awe I like you! So true...it’s not fun posting to silence and crickets at first. But then we find 1 Interested & responsive follower, and they share, and they share, and so on.
Glad to find you here. Following and resteeming :)
Sweet! I'll check you out, too. Yeah, it only takes a few people who really, really like your stuff. Hell, it only takes one person to like your stuff for you to make money.
Nice dude. I agree. I just post about whatever comes to mind.
I also spend a lot of time reading and commenting.
You got me with the "Gary Vaynerchuk" reference. Love his daily Vee videos.
I am following you now. :)
Steem on !!!
I know. Gary Vaynerchuk has really been a lot to me.
Yeah, that's the other thing I didn't mention is that getting around and commenting gets people to look at your work.
I've actually had two friends now tell me they don't want to post something cause no one will see it. I'm like "noooooooo!" Share your brilliant work! Please!
You are absolutely right, @brightstar. It is important to develop the discipline to keep posting consistently despite not seeing the immediate benefits. I'm about to start offering mentoring to newbie Steemians and that regular posting discipline is one of the things I'm looking for.
It's also why I make it a point to go out to find, meet and greet newbie Steemians who are posting their heart out and getting no $$ value. They may get upvotes but these often only have 'heart' value. So I stick on a little $0.03 upvote to encourage them to keep going.
Steemit is such a wonderful platform to both give and receive Blessings. Thanks so much for your encouragement to newb redfish/plankton to keep steeminggggg, @brightstar.
Do you know @whatamidoing? He is a great resource for finding a community of small Steemians.
I JUST opened up his profile!
That sounds like heaven. That's been something I've been calling in lately.
PS Thank you for the heads up, @brightstar.
EDIT:
Just went back to his profile and realized I'd clicked 'follow'. Love this kind of synchronicity. ;)
For sure! Yeah, he's the go to guy for finding all the people on Steemit. If you're ever looking for new stuff you can visit his blog and look through the comments.
This is true. I was guilty of it. I have had this account for ages. The cashing out process is intimidating. I didn't have an audience anyway, so I wasn't bothering to use it. I still create, so I decided I might as well post as I create or think about things.