Welcome to Steemit! : The New Age of Social Media

Authored by liquidtravels / May 13th 2018

Most would agree that new Steemians are drawn to Steemit pursuing rewards. That seems to be the most common story. Everyone hears about the potential to get rich quick so they sign up in hopes of making a buck.

But, the one thing each beginner needs to know to get the most out of Steemit is that the platform is much more than an easy way to make money, especially since it’s not easy at all. You need to understand that you are not only joining a platform that rewards you for the great content you provide but you are also joining a community. If you noticed, I said, “community” because you ARE joining a community, a community that belongs to a much bigger ecosystem called STEEM.

Steemit is not alone in this ecosystem. It is only one option to interact with the STEEM Blockchain among many others. As a beginner, you will need to decide for yourself what you hope to get out of this community. You can choose to be a lone wolf who scraps every penny you can get your hands on or you can embrace the uniqueness that is STEEM.

That is a great question and one that most beginners don’t really consider. STEEM is a blockchain-based platform that rewards content creators for the quality content they provide. Steemit is the application that runs on top of the STEEM blockchain and the one you are using to interact with STEEM. As you get to know Steemit, you need to educate yourself on STEEM as well.

There are many other applications that sit on top of and interact with the STEEM blockchain. These apps give you the ability to abandon the big business social media platforms like facebook, twitter, and youtube. These sites are highly centralized, highly controlled, and highly censored. Steemit, as well as the apps listed below, allow you to have more control over your voice, your content, and your data. Here are just a few of the apps that run on STEEM:

• You can replace Reddit with Steemit

• You can replace YouTube with D.tube

• You can replace Twitter with Zappl

• You can replace Instagram with Steepshot

• You can replace SoundCloud with DSound

• You can replace Periscope with DLive

So, if you are not a blogger, you can use dTube to vlog. If you are a photographer, you can consider Steepshot to post your photos, if you are a musician, you can use DSound to share your music. Each of these apps post to the STEEM blockchain and allow you to gain rewards for doing what you do best, providing quality content in a form that makes the most sense for you.

At some point, most new steemians come to the fork in the road when they decide for themselves if Steemit is more than a hunt for rewards. There is a great quote from a user’s introductory post that might help with this transition. This is someone who had invested a lot of their own money into the platform and someone who really believed in what STEEM and Steemit had to offer. It is quoted here because it is important for every beginner to consider.

By @hendrikdegrote, one of the early adopters of Steemit:

I recently invested a lot of money in the steemit platform because I am a real believer in the future potential and success of it. I can really see this thing taking off.

I think there are a lot of great people involved in this project and that makes this an awesome and vibrant community. And i think the people and thus the community are fundamental for the future success of it.

His willingness to invest a large sum of his own money demonstrates his advocacy for the platform and ecosystem. What are you willing to invest?

It is a piece of art that’s not finished yet.” Yes, it is. “Let’s make this a great success with each other.” That is the beauty of it. It is an ever changing, ever growing community of people trying to make a difference.

The feeling of being in a community takes the solitude away no matter where you live. It can make each of us feel like we belong. The choice is yours. You can try and grab whatever money you can and run for the hills or you can try to make a difference. For me, the latter makes more sense.

Within the STEEM Ecosystem, and within the Steemit Community are smaller communities that operate to make a better world. These communities gather around specific ideals they want to promote. Whether it be through acts of charity, developing apps or tools to benefit areas that are less advantaged, or simply to offer support and guidance to creators who want to help others, these communities are out there, waiting for you. All you have to do is take the first step.

One such group is Promo-Mentors. We are a community that aims to mentor new steemians, support projects, and initiatives that add value to the Ecosystem. But, we are only one of so many other caring communities that you can join. Please, get out there and take a look and don’t let the hunt for rewards be the sole driver for your involvement with Steemit or STEEM.

Our daily lives are filled with so much stress that is caused by our inability to see the positive aspects of life. We all spend so much time filling our days with tasks that are not purposeful but merely cover up the fears that bombard us all. The communities on Steemit can help you feel included and possibly more observant to the beauty that is all around you. STEEM can be the conduit for positive change. And, just imagine, as you become more positive, it might just allow you to give back to the Community as much as the Community will be giving you.

Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy your time on Steemit!

Reward distribution post:
Account 35%, author 35%, fund 20%, graphic designer 10%