I know what made you click this blog. I just stated the title like I am very sure of how you will end up tragically in this platform –- frustrated and dead tired. Maybe, some of you are already uttering such statement to yourselves all over again. I am tired. No one notices me. I’m out. Maybe Steemit isn’t just for me.

Believe me, I was once like that. Tired. Exhausted. Drained. That feeling of sacrificing all of your brain cells in one post just to get a cent of payout after seven days. That feeling of choosing to write an article instead of doing your usual recreational things – watching movies, playing online games, stalking your crush, and in return for what? A zero-dollar pending payout? Nah, such a waste of time.

When I entered this platform, I was so driven that it felt like I could post all-day through converting all my ideas into words. But eventually, I ran out of words to say and ran out of ideas to express because every time I would create a draft, I become too conscious whether it might get the taste of my fellow Steemians or not. You feel me?

Guess what I found out? Well, isn’t it obvious? Steemit does not only revolve around me. Steemit is a SOCIAL media platform wherein creative contents serve as the blood while users’ interaction serves as the force that keeps this blood circulating the system.

Let me emphasize that once again:

Steemit is a SOCIAL media platform.

You can’t just show up, post an article, wait for an upvote, and then call it a day. Merely posting links on different discord channels will not make you stay either. Imagine the hundreds and thousands of links that are being posted daily. Expecting to be discovered in those pool of links is just a waste of time, believe me for they are also there to promote their posts, why bother clicking yours?

What must be the secret then?

Engage and interact with others as well. Reach out to them and let your contents be discovered for this has always been an unwritten law of reciprocation in this platform. How will they know that you exist if you won’t let yourself be recognized? Tell the whole Steemit community that you are there. And as much as possible, try to make sure that your contents are also worth the click.

This does not necessarily mean constantly pecking a Steemian friend to comment and upvote your post. Sending SBDs with love notes asking for upvotes will not work either, except if you are paying for a bot. Just try to do the natural way. Read other blogs, leave sensible comments, and strike that upvote button if you find it exceptional.

Your posts’ pending payout does not define your value.

I have already brought several people in this platform. In fact, most of them are great content creators, but only a few stayed. Busy schedule? It could be. But I’m pretty sure, most of them got discouraged after experiencing some drastic price depreciation of the payout rewards.

I was saddened and dismayed by the fact that most of them did not endure the tough phase of creating quality contents consistently regardless of the rewards that they may get. It felt like the fault was partly mine since I used to emphasize the monetary rewards more than the intrinsic rewards this platform could give.

Until I realized that no matter how good writer you are, you will eventually burn out if you fail to look at the intrinsic rewards. Steemit itself has a lot more to offer in a deeper sense, way more than the monetary rewards. In this platform, strong camaraderie and promising communities are being built.

You, yes you.

I know there are times wherein your whole being is just damn tired of creating contents valuable to the community. Days of hiatus will turn into weeks, and weeks will turn into months. And before you knew it, the momentum and the drive to push through had completely left your system. I know how it exactly feels for I’m still experiencing such mood from time to time, but that shouldn’t be the reason for you to call your Steemit journey off.

If you get past the phase of craving for some huge earnings, you will eventually care less about how much your posts have earned, and care more about the relationships that you have built in this platform.

Engage with your audience, discover other gems, and engage with the community. Most importantly, always leave a mark.

This, this open letter is addressed not only to my fellow Steemians, but most especially, to myself. Even at this moment, I am experiencing writing anxieties but I always find myself here because I believe if you learn to love the people and the Steemit platform itself, you will always find yourself coming back.

I am warning you, you will eventually get tired of Steemit, and you fail to engage, you will never thrive.