Steemit has grown a great deal since I joined back in March 2017, I was lucky back then to be introduced by @old-guy-photos from YouTube to this amazing new platform you could earn Cryptocurrency rewards for your posts. I joined and didn't get it, even with his help and guidance and many, many friends it made little sense to me. And that is something I think many of us on here that have been posting for any length of time forget - how difficult it is to understand and adjust to how this all works - posting, promoting your blog, commenting to raise your own awareness. with others and of Course Community - everyone tells you about it but not how to find it!

<div class="pull-right">https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNoPNtzUe1vq5v8KetP5rEnmk1rqcPP31QBkgoUaVamrf/2grf7l.jpg</div>

Connecting with people on Steemit is essential to your own growth, while it is easy to think the most important thing is creating your own blog posts because that is what people will look at and appreciate - you need them to find them to appreciate them! And with 100's of posts a minute the chance yours is going to get seen is pretty slim - but you can increase the chances considerably. How you ask? Bring them to your posts - get out there and tell people about yourself by commenting on their posts - and I don't mean saying "check my blog" and leave a link. Really that is so 2017, and nobody likes it. Engage the authors of posts you enjoy, tell them what you liked - even tell them what you disliked (it's risky but fair) - your comment is the advert not a spammy link. Most people appreciate a good comment, and will at the least upvote it - maybe even check the blog of the commentator - it's a way of marketing yourself - although you need to give them some good reading when they do find your blog.

If you look at the engagement leagues by @abh12345 , you see people competing for Steem just for making comments on posts - suddenly the platform is reversed - do you earn from posts or earn from comments? Or both? What were you missing when you made that post and hoped someone would find it (I spent months doing that at the start to be honest)

![WWW promo banner.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmfV1jeeiHuQxmGJi4g8Wo78hA265vxjPVJijvk9jtf6ko/WWW%20promo%20banner.png)

So to promote yourself and your blog you can leave lot's of comments. But it goes beyond that, Community is key everyone that has been here a while will tell you. The promo image above is an example of community meeting community and creating "Unity" - Words with Witty is hosted by the leader of the @thealliance group @enginewitty. You will see the members regularly - I use the tag myself often. I joined in January - after spending a long time quite lost in Steemit progressing with but with no real goal, finding #thealliance was a real introduction to how people working together could make a real difference - and family - on Steemit. Through the group I have made many friends, found incredible content creators whose work I regularly enjoy and the whole family ethos means members always try to look after each other - they get views, upvotes and comments - and give back the same. The emphasis is on the give back though - any family only works when everyone pitches is to help each other - if you take but don't like to give then the relationship may not last very long. You can learn more in [The Alliance Castle Rules](https://steemit.com/thealliance/@thealliance/thealliance-castle-rules)

![Logo - full - The Welcome Wagon.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWufJXcKNNbGoAqLgbdLSuwsQQUhyS2mdpJYcrJdwMrHe/Logo%20-%20full%20-%20The%20Welcome%20Wagon.png)

The @WelcomeWagon is another great Steemit initiative, and in true A-Team style you do not find them - they find you! Between the founder members and graduates they scour Steemit for accounts with potential to recruit and teach how to get the best from their posts. You have to be active and creating posts that are at least unique and with no plagiarised content - keeping up with what the @welcomewagon account posts is a very good start to get noticed though!

<p><center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmV8NEVvKTsf3WqrMCyqpLpo6NUESbvtF34PgtPFnESUgp/helpie.png</center></p>

@helpie is another community orientated account that aims to give accounts of every single size and age a chance to grow, the community leaders are well respected and the Discord channel is lively with chat. This is another invite only community you can learn more at [the Daily Trivia Challenge Post](https://steemit.com/helpie/@helpie/today-s-trivia-preguntas-para-comenzar-tu-dia-128) 


Not every community is discord based or secret society to join

<p><center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmR9sLwnDDRmFbKZbb7ev8KKpknveQLvZZgrSZKXRaBkKn/QmUQfF3M73BHhyekNQq7rpddgdoaaNSCBGkmtqmGgxF3de.gif</center></p>


@mermaidvampire is supporting an entire community straight off her account, and all you have to do is follow and join in the daily contests she runs - even better everyone that enters the contest wins something! It's a really special way to develop bonds and help the smallest accounts grow - and I know this hard work is recognised by some of the bigger whale accounts on Steemit @surpassinggoogle regularly supports her work and I know she always takes the time to support contests in his discord as well. 


Returning back to "Unity" , @shadowspub puts it slap bang into community with the [SteemitRamble](https://discord.gg/HZYzEry) discord running the Pimp My Post Thursday events every week where you can share your post (or other peoples) just as long as you are willing to present it on voice - it's an easy way to get more exposure for posts and the regular attendees are always eager to upvote shared posts. There are a host of other shows to enjoy on the Discord as well - it's free to join and the exposure you can gain is well worth it.

Also @steemitramble account curates daily, searching out quality content to share it's one to follow if you like good content and earning through curation.


And where do you really go when you need a friend? When the going gets tough #TeamGood get going,  you don't join this community you get assimilated and woe betide you if you cross them because @reverendrum is a fierce protector of righteous justice and will reign down on you with furious outpourings.

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<p><center>https://youtu.be/-D-Rp4T7w_A</center></p>

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I'll let you decide who is who in that Skit, I did like being in that server for the short time I was 🤣


When you need a friend on Steemit you don't have to look far, they are all over and they don't ask much in return - upvote, resteem and comment - join in the fun and they will do the same for you.


<h1>Some of my previous posts you might have missed</h1>
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<table>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="https://steemit.com/witness/@c0ff33a/giving-back-to-our-witness-voters-community-incentive-by-derangedvisions-and-c0ff33a"> 
            <img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUSdq54qE1a6HFNjN2ftZKs27LUEhUY2Yc3SYpMi1qDtK/happyplace.png" />
            <h6>Witness Update by @c0ff33a v0.19.12 and giving something back to voters<br /><br /></h6>
        </a></td>
        <td><a href="https://steemit.com/vlog/@c0ff33a/c0ff33-vlog-25th-august-208-all-systems-go-with-me-c0ff33a"> 
            <img src="https://steemitimages.com/DQmRDqo224PBPWmytZZGyEakzNLX16VDW4x29eeVbuXqV2b/vlogimage.png" />
            <h6>The C0ff33 Vlog 25th August 2018</h6>
        </a></td>
        <td><a href="https://steemit.com/sublimesunday/@c0ff33a/6ac8cm-sublime-sunday-an-excuse-to-post-your-random-creative-or-crazy-ideas-by-c0ff33a"> 
            <img src="https://steemitimages.com/DQmf1GNgEL2wnbnPi2q3ZGKTcse2SQTaXmo9izz928Xga4L/sublimepark.png"  />
            <h6>Sublime Sunday by @c0ff33a ☕️<br /><br /></h6>
        </a></td>
    </tr>
</table>
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<p><center>Last Confirmed Block Number <b>25,475,696</b> Last Aslot <b>25,553,752</b>
<br/> Steemd v0.19.12</center></p>
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQue5NCasCYZxuAVp2EdvkXnxg9f54f91v961ndBSCy8R/thealliance_c0ff33a.png
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Kind thanks to @enginewitty for employing his Ninja graphic design skills and producing this 🔥 banner 
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If you enjoyed my post don’t forget to leave an Upvote, feel free to comment on what you liked or where I can do better even. Follow @c0ff33a for regular and varied posts, photography, my weekly VLOG, posts on coffee roasting and brewing - just follow and see.
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<div class="pull-right">https://steemitimages.com/DQmWmsBXPvq7TwouZb4Q51QgoqDYB6YdaSAqkEGV2SXK2xr/2285612.gif<a href="https://steemit.com/thealliance/@syndicates/the-new-framework-of-thealliance">#thealliance</a></div>







To grow your presence and following on Steemit, be active in the community Discords that offer the chance to learn, network, share and be found. The #SteemitRamble discord https://discord.gg/HZYzEry hosts a range of shows where you can join in and get your name shown, every Thursday there are two Pimp My Post Thursdays which are hugely popular and give you an opportunity to get your posts seen.

For fun and entertainment then #SteemStar is the discord to be in, https://discord.gg/ZDANjzy with regular shows during the week it’s the best place to relax, and also network the friends you make could be your future biggest upvoters.


 
<div class="pull-left">https://steemitimages.com/DQmcaWjtxDi7rafAc25KF4zKcVmp86jtnDYHtpQnrHgRpfk/signbot.gif</div>

All photos are my own, taken with my iPhone. All my Steemit posted pictures can be freely used by other Steemit users in their own blog posts - all I ask is that you follow me and credit @c0ff33a linking to my post you took it from. You can also follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/c0ff33a)

Initiative Q is building a new payment network and giving away significant sums of their future currency to early adopters. It’s by invite only and I have a limited number of invites. My personal invite link: https://initiativeq.com/invite/Sz3OZG0SX


Sign up for the Xaya crypto early and get some free coin!
https://growapi.refereum.com/xaya/share/8169/community/212


<div class="pull-left">https://steemitimages.com/DQmPKzkx7ziJwMBpgJrPEmWRNVADspM7KHCZUhmDG6pcokW/ukbritsdiscord.png<a href="https://discord.gg/jer2k7R">Visit #BRITS Discord Channel</a></div>


<div class="pull-right">https://steemitimages.com/DQmdazA1hjc2kcudNqfbmpZvYp4jPKg1siWjwchBu7UrDos/c0ff33footerimage.png<a href="https://steemit.com/@c0ff33a">👆🏼 Me ☕️</a></div>


The picture to the right kindly sketched by the wonderful @bridget.art , be sure to check her incredible art out https://steemit.com/@bridget.art

The greatest challenge we face on Steemit is getting our posts seen, I have always believed the simplest and best value way of doing this is by commenting on the blog posts of others, the more you engage people and interact with them the greater the chance they will visit your own blog and return the favour. Other then spending all my free time commenting on Steemit posts, I also distribute [coffee roasting machines](https://www.pennineteaandcoffee.co.uk/collections/coffee-roasters) and also [espresso coffee machines](https://www.pennineteaandcoffee.co.uk/pages/espresso-machines) and [roast my own Speciality Coffee Range.](https://www.pennineteaandcoffee.co.uk/collections/speciality-roasted-coffee) being one of the premium [coffee suppliers Yorkshire](https://www.pennineteaandcoffee.co.uk) including a wide range of [filter coffee sachets](https://www.pennineteaandcoffee.co.uk/products/knightsbridge-filter-coffee-sachets-50-x-3pint?variant=31757582282)

!steemitworldmap 53.766547 lat -1.801500 long Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. d3scr
 
 <p><center><img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYH6D42tg6DpgFHSaEukFyE5NYFSC383732MVieZ5FcPQ/ezgif.com-optimize-2.gif" />
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This awesome animated Banner has been kindly been created by the wonderful @snook 
</center></p>

Don’t forget to vote for Witnesses https://steemit.com/~witnesses
And you can vote for the Witness team  c0ff33a and @derangedvisions - click below to vote easily
[![witness.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPnVZJYKgFH1Gx2m2wVr9DurwHWPRmrCp436w117grY3L/witness.png)](https://v2.steemconnect.com/sign/account-witness-vote?witness=c0ff33a&approve=1)