Thank you @daddykirbs ! I've been a fan of yours for years when I happened to find your recipe for a fermented hot sauce that my family ADORES (seriously - it started a fight when a guest was eating too much too fast and the others were afraid of running out!)

The community, first and foremost, is amazing. I'll spend hours on a blog post, engage on Facebook, twitter, instagram, but the interactions are few and far between. I often feel like I'm speaking to a void. I have so much I want to share with like-minded folks, but I'm not sure if they can even hear me! (Especially with Facebook redoing their algorithm this week, even LESS readers can hear me).

The platform itself is freer - I can write about anything! I can spend hours researching a topic for a post, or simply share pictures of my day-to-day. I find I'm more candid here as well. On a formal blog, I feel like your posts have to take on a certain format - a recipe, an instructional how-to, or a long curated list of ideas - there is pressure to provide a lot of value, where the pressure on Steemit is simply to make a connection!

In addition to community and format, I've earned more in 3 months on Steemit than I have in three years on my blog. I love my blog, and I'm not sure I'll ever leave it, but making money is rewarding! Making money on connecting with people is doubly rewarding! I don't have a lot of like-minded friends in real life, but in Steemit...well...the possibilities are endless.

I'll continue to create valuable content on my blog, if only for myself, but I'll continue to come to Steemit for a connection. To share the quick win's, the recipes, the 'hey! did you know?'s, and to share in other homesteaders' win's and stories and behind-the-scenes. 

Have you found the same thing on Steemit? How does Steemit compare to youtube for you? Financially and with engagement? Can you build a community on Youtube?

I follow both ladies and enjoy their content very much. I never had the pleasure(?) of using any other platform before I came here. I am very happy with the communities here and the support and feed back they give.

I had given up actual blogging on a +regular_ site years ago and I have to say nothing compares to steemit in my mind.

I have really flourished with my writing and blogging skills, have MUCH better interaction with the commentators and have found a livelihood I never had on any other platform.

I am glad to see the #homesteading community growing and being successful. It is true that Steemit has made blogging more easier for the writer and the reader.
Thank you for sharing!

Following both as a fellow homesteader! I like both of them very much. I had a blog that isn't very active, for my farm, but now that I've come to Steemit I am making more time for blogging here, for the community, and for the feedback, which are both very nice!

Thank you so much for the shout out @daddykirbs I really appreciate it! 

 I can't tell you the hours that have gone into my website for very little return. The biggest joke of all has been my ebook. Everyone kept telling me I had to have an ebook if I want to be a pro blogger. I spent a kazillion hours writing one and I've made about fifty dollars in the year since it was published. I have given away THOUSANDS of copies so there's at least that (lol). 

So there I am doing the conventional blogging and one day I get fed up and sign into my steemit account. It was like falling down a rabbit hole. 

Steemit has blown my mind and change everything. You've got potential for a good income paired with a wonderful community, interesting feedback and so much more. It's actually fun. So what's a person to do?

With my blog I also maintain a facebook page, pinterest (the biggest source of traffic to my blog), Instagram, twitter and a variety of other social media platforms. I'm all over the place painstakingly curating good content and its extremely time consuming. Half the time there is no feedback so you don't even know if it's worth the time. I've also got a homestead to run otherwise I won't have anything to write about.  

Something has to change and I am not giving up steemit. I really love it here. 

Here is my "test plan". Once a steemit post has been up for a week I will post a small blurb and photo on my website that links to the steemit article. Sort of curating my own content. I might even do a round up of other steemit articles on a particular subject. I will track it with analytics and see how it goes. It will be nice to drive my readers over to steemit. Get them used and curious about the idea. 

This is a sample of what I mean: https://www.walkerland.ca/birch-trees-10-practical-ways-can-use-birch-trees/

Do you think this is a sound idea? Am I breaking any steemit rules?

Everybody has a story and I knew you would be the one to show case them! tweeting...