## After a month at Steemit, I have  not mastered the Steemit game yet,  but I kind of figured out a few things which I will share below.
  
My statistics are as follows: I have posted 303 posts (not all blogs, some comments & some replies to comments), followed 53 people and have 333 followers.  I like number 3, so this looks like a good sign for me. Thank you so much for supporting me on my journey.  Continue to tune in as we uncover more steemit mysteries together.

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmery4Kqh6dbyJgdeXwR2mcHJC1bX8YyDo61T3PA6JAnit/image.png)

### One of my most memorable post is where I got **downvoted** by a few big guys/gals for posting something quite "controversial" I guess.  **The downvote amount was a staggering $46.86.**  Here's the post:
[How to get 40% to 50% ROI on Steemit - Fast Track for beginners](https://steemit.com/steemit/@simply-me/how-to-get-40-to-50-roi-on-steemit-fast-track-for-beginners)

For this post, the ROI was -9%.  If not for the downvotes, I could have gotten an ROI of 9%.



### I really thought I was helping out the newbies and I posted that post with really good intentions, but I was naive & I learnt the hard way.  Nevertheless, learned I did and one is never too old to learn.

Then, I got really obsessed with bidbots & I did more investigations.  I found more useful **tips & tricks** and I posted 1 more post on this issue:  

[How to use the bidbots wisely to ensure positive ROI for all. It’s all in your hand but you need to know how.](https://steemit.com/steemit/@simply-me/how-to-use-the-bidbots-wisely-to-ensure-positive-roi-for-all-it-s-all-in-your-hand-but-you-need-to-know-how)

My obsession with the bidbots continues & I spent hours observing how people use them & I posted this outcome:
[Bidbots: Two important parameters to observe before sending your bid: The Current ROI & The Max Suggested Bid.](https://steemit.com/steemit/@simply-me/two-important-parameters-to-observe-before-sending-your-bid-the-current-roi-and-the-max-suggested-bid)

I use bidbots sometimes and I reported a few ROI outcome.  One of them is this:
[My Earning Updates When Using Bidbots.](https://steemit.com/money/@simply-me/my-earning-updates-when-using-bidbots).

Here's the earning report for this: [How to use the bidbots wisely to ensure positive ROI for all. It’s all in your hand but you need to know how.](https://steemit.com/steemit/@simply-me/how-to-use-the-bidbots-wisely-to-ensure-positive-roi-for-all-it-s-all-in-your-hand-but-you-need-to-know-how) I spent 101.70 SBD on the bidbots & my earning was: 110.164SBD & 27.257SP .  This equates to an ROI of 35% which is not too shoddy. 

### Different people has different reasons to be on Steemit.  For me, initially, it was about the opportunity to monetize my content.  As it turns out, it is not straight forward like adsense or youtube.  Being in Steemit is like living in this world.  Just as there is a game of life that we play everyday, there is a game of life at Steemit.  Just as there is much to learn to be able to master the game of life here on earth, there is really a lot to learn to master the game of life on Steemit.  There is just too much information about steemit, some of which are misleading (especially the part where you can earn a living).  I have read a lot but I found that asking the right questions (or rather typing the right questions) will bring you closer to the answers that you are looking for.  I also found out that doing experiment is the fastest way to master something here on earth or at Steemit.  


## Several Ways to Earn At Steemit
* The obvious ways to earn at Steemit is via **content creation and content curation (by upvoting mostly).**  Just like in the real world, the obvious way to earn a living is by **working for yourself or working for someone else.**  **Working is the most difficult way to earn a living and make it big.** Make no mistake, its the same at Steemit, content creation and content curation is the most difficult way to make it big here.  But, if you have no other means, then, you have no choice, you have to survive right? 

* Another way to earn in the real world is **to run a business, take a loan and hopefully, the business give you a higher return on investment than the interest & capital repayment for the loan.**  In Steemit, this is done by using bidbots.  Do be careful when using bidbots.  If you use it blindly, you will lose a lot.  Refer to this post that I wrote:[How to use the bidbots wisely to ensure positive ROI for all. It’s all in your hand but you need to know how.](https://steemit.com/steemit/@simply-me/how-to-use-the-bidbots-wisely-to-ensure-positive-roi-for-all-it-s-all-in-your-hand-but-you-need-to-know-how).  Also make sure that when you use steembottracker.com :<h4>(i)The current ROI is NOT negative.
(ii)The Max Suggested bid is not ZERO. </h4>

* The next method is used by the rich, they've got money to invest , so they invest big, and they need not do any work.  **They make lots of money from their return on investment and the more they make the more they diversify and they make even more.  People literally beg to pay them more money, so they can make even more money.**  They keep most of it and distribute a small portion to those who paid them the money in the first place.  They go about promoting themselves by saying that if you give them your money, they will give you high returns.  At Steemit, this is how the big guys/gals and those above them operate and they really make money left, right, centre, everywhere.  The bidbots belongs to them.  So you pay them money & if you are lucky when using their service, you make some positive returns and they keep all the money & make more money from your money.  They also provide markets for you to loan out your Steem Power to others and they make money both ways.  This is called **delegating your SP** to the market.  You get to earn "interest" which is paid out to you on a regular basis.  You can also loan your Steem Power to them (this is delegating to their bots) and you get to earn "interest" which is paid out to you on a regular basis. The amount you earn is of course minuscule compared to that which they earn.  Just like in the real world!  There's no running away from using the services they provided. This is no different from the real world.  If you refuse to use their services, there are plenty of others who would.  This is just part of the game of life.  Those who can play it better, always win.  If you get in early on something & it becomes big, its your good luck.  Maybe your karma.  Just like the many stories of rags to riches on earth, there are also newbies who can make it big here at Steemit.  Just like on earth, they need to work hard, ask the right questions, hopefully meet the right people & they also need some luck. (i guess!)

* You can also **sell your votes** via this marketplace and you get to earn some curation rewards.  This is a bit like day trading CFDs, Forex, Indices in the real world.  The owner of the marketplace makes more by having more volumes.

* And one more way that I have found out within this one month is by **leasing Steem Power,** also done through the abovementioned marketplace.  There are many post about this and I kept on searching until I found it.  In the real world, it is analogous to an airline company which lease an aeroplane from the bank for a certain period of time, pay money for that lease and upon expiry of the lease, return the plane back to the bank.  The money paid for the lease is not refundable of course, this is the cost of the lease.  Of course, the airline can negotiate to extend the lease and paid for the lease again till the next expiry.


 
In my first week at Steemit, there were days that I really felt like I was an opposition leader in a country with a powerful dictator (& his cronies) who can do whatever they like & get away with it while the rest of us have to follow the rules. So, I kept on finding ways to overcome my limitations, I kept on reading and I stumbled across a picture that really made an impact on me. I forgot who the steemian was that authored the post. (I am sorry, I can't give you credit but if you happen to read this, please leave a comment below and I will credit you accordingly).  Here's the picture: (I found it in google after searching for many different search phrases)

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmd1AvZNAKBHZ54rnmz94GW8A95axuCiBKrwqAJNUp7eFV/image.png)

Lo & behold, I clicked on the picture in google and it led me to this link.  Thank you @gold84 for the excellent post and picture which got stuck on my mind.

>https://steemkr.com/steem/@gold84/chapter-1-of-11-have-you-recently-sign-up-on-steemit-and-don-t-know-what-to-do-first-basic-things-for-new-people-make-their-way


### Conclusion:

<h3>Ways to Earn at Steemit: </h3>
1. Create content & curate content
2. Delegate your SP
3. Sell your votes
4. Lease your SP

### Marketplace where you can do action 2 to 4:

1.  [Minnowbooster](https://www.minnowbooster.com/vote-selling/?ref=905375)
2.  [Smartsteem](https://smartsteem.com?r=simply-me)
<a href="https://smartsteem.com?r=simply-me" target="_blank"><img src="https://smartsteem.com/static/smartsteem_banner.gif" /></a>


### Disclaimer: 

I use bidbots sometimes.  But when you do, please make sure you monitor these 2 important parameters at steembottracker.com before you send in your bids.  

Make sure that:
<h4>(i)The current ROI is NOT negative.
(ii)The Max Suggested bid is not ZERO. </h4>

For more info, refer here:

[How to use the bidbots wisely to ensure positive ROI for all. It’s all in your hand but you need to know how.](https://steemit.com/steemit/@simply-me/how-to-use-the-bidbots-wisely-to-ensure-positive-roi-for-all-it-s-all-in-your-hand-but-you-need-to-know-how)


### And last but not least.  Just as Cash is king in the real world, SP is king in Steemit.