When it comes to steemit.com and Steem as a whole, I am what you call an absolute newbie. But when it comes to online platforms and even making a living online, I'm a bit more seasoned. I've seen a lot of platforms come and go and I've seen some stay and become successful. The fact that I'm here should tell you that I'm betting that this community will be latter and I want to be part of it.

So let me share some of my experience gained over the years that I plan to implement here. It's all things that I've tested myself on other platforms and with other online communities sometimes successfully and often not so much. Of course, I feel strongly about them and I'm relatively certain they are all good pieces of advice and I'll try to stick to them. I'll be using a lot of "you" but that is directed more at myself than others.

![istock_000024878555_large.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmct8ow6qQDqLHT53JcwKfE4vPc2cVE5icuDoJj7E7oiPP/istock_000024878555_large.jpg)

<h1>1. Be a valuable member of the community</h1>
Let's be honest, one of the reasons we are all here even if it's not the main one for some of use, is the possibility of earning some money. Of course, that's OK, but if you allow yourself to be moved by just the earnings possibility, you are setting yourself up for a disappointment. It's not impossible to succeed that way, but it's not that likely, especially on platforms like this one where so much turns on your connection to others.

Instead of going for the prize and the prize only from the get go, try to be helpful and to create value for others by your participation in the community. It might not lead to the highest income in the beginning but you let's face it, you are not going to make a killing right away. First, you need to build a reputation and to give a reason to the community to value you and to create value for you in return.

On top of this, being helpful is pleasant and interacting with others on a positive note can be your reward in the beginning while the money is not pouring in yet.

<h1>2. Adjust your expectations</h1>
It's very easy to imagine yourself making it overnight. It's a very pleasant fantasy and seeing others make it usually leads us to hope we'll reach their level right away or at least pretty quickly. While this might happen for a few lucky ones, if you want to keep it realistic, you have to expect that it will not happen for you. It's just unlikely.

What is much more likely to happen is for things to be slow for a long time. So if your expectations are for you to make 2 posts and take home a few hundred dollars during your first week, you are bound to end up with a disappointment. The worst part of it is that when you expect unrealistically much, you are extremely likely to give up early. Good things take time, so prepare yourself for some effort and learn to enjoy and appreciate the little that you get, so you remain motivated. When your expectations are lower and more realistic, it's much easier to get excited by the small wins and keep going to reach the higher levels.

<h1>3. Be consistent</h1>
I already kind of touched on this, but it is still worth mentioning and expanding upon. Being successful at something like this takes time and dedication, so get ready for the long run. Many people try to work as hard as they can in the beginning and when results don't immediately follow, they get demotivated and start experiencing burnout. That's why you need to pace yourself and keep the work you put in at a reasonable level without becoming obsessed.

You don't need to strive for 5 posts a day, you just need to consistently put out content and make sure you are working on your following and on being a valuable member of the community. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Additionally, keep in mind that while you are a beginner, your rewards will be much smaller, so the effort you put in will initially yield less impressive results. Start from the bottom and methodically work your way up.

<h1>4. Experiment</h1>
When you are starting on a new platform like steemit, you are unsurprisingly not very experienced with how it works. That's why you need to start figuring out what works for you and what doesn't. This includes shaking things up for yourself from time to time and monitoring the results. It sounds like a logical and a straight-forward thing to do, but if you aren't conscious about it, you will not do it as much as you should.

Be conscious about it and try to take a bit of a scientific approach to it all. Keep track of your experiments and how you expected them to work and obviously keep track of the results. This will allow you to stop opportunities for you to grow your audience and engagement and to find success quicker.

*Well, hopefully these weren't too obvious or generic and you have found at least a grain of useful information in this post of mine. I'm sure I have more to add, but I guess that would be left for another post ;)*