Have you listened to Episode 2 Part 1 of the Scorum Community Podcast? If not, check it out here!
As a writer on Scorum, in a sense, you're the owner of a business. You have the ability to build a base of customers (gain followers), make sales (get upvotes), and provide customer support (comment on posts). As a business owner, you need to provide a product that your customers want. Simply put, for you to have success here on Scorum, you need to write articles that people want to read and help other users succeed.
Last week, I was looking through the Scorum Telegram channel when I saw one of our fellow Scorum users complain about not earning more than 5 Scorum on several of their posts. Instead of asking for help, they were posting the link to their post over and over and complaining about the payout. Low payouts are an issue for many users, but it doesn't have to be.
In Part 1 of Episode 2 of the Scorum Community Podcast, @swolesome and I discuss this issue and what you can do to increase your payouts. Here are 8 reasons your posts aren't earning what you think they should be and what to do next -- turning your "business" here on Scorum around for the better.
#1. Your Post Sucks
Not all posts, mine included, are good. Some posts fall flat because they are:
- Too short or too long without being interesting
- Poorly formatted
- Not related to sports
- Plagiarism
To fix this, view top earning articles and see what they are writing, how it's formatted, the topic, etc. Then, ask others for feedback. There are plenty of writers here who will look over your article and tell you how to improve it.
#2. No One Cares About Your Great Post
In the episode, I throw an amazing writer under the bus – Jon Bonomo, sorry bro. He wrote a fantastic piece on figure skating that took a lot of time and effort. It was probably one of the better posts I've seen on Scorum, but it was one of his least successful posts. Why? Because figure skating.
I give upvotes based on how good an article is and how much I care about it. Since I know nothing about ice skating or cricket, I rarely read and upvote cricket articles. However, there will be a time when there are plenty of other cricket and skating fans who can support your article, just make sure that you're writing something that they are interested in.
#3. You’re Not Networking Enough
What have you done to increase your followers? If your payouts are low, it could be because you haven't been networking with the community. To fix this, join the Scorum writer's channel on Telegram and several of the curation channels on Discord, make comments on posts discussing the article and introducing yourself, and make sure to share some personal sports-related stories to create a connection with your readers.
#4. You’re Not Supporting Other Writers
“If you’re not out there helping other people, voting other people, engaging with their content, you can’t expect to get it (support/votes) back,” I mention during the podcast episode. This was the case for the writer complaining in the Telegram chat. He or she had 100% Voting Power and was not supporting other writers. If you're not helping others, why would they help you?
I'm very fortunate for every upvote I get (thank you by the way!), and I try to pay it back by upvoting great comments on my posts and by upvoting other articles here on Scorum.
#5. Bad Timing
When are you posting? I have learned the hard way that the time you post an article impacts your post payout significantly. When I post late at night (after 8 PM CDT), most of Scorum land is fast asleep. While I don't have the statistics to prove my theory, I have the most success when I post around 9-10 AM CDT in the morning and then again around 1-3 PM CDT. Remember, if your followers are asleep, they can't upvote you, and you miss your opportunity to "trend."
#6. You're Publishing Too Many Articles Back-to-Back
If someone just gave you a big, fat, juicy upvote on a post, they won’t be able to give you another one right away. Voting Power is limited. Space your posts out so you're not draining the Voting Power of your followers.
Use the draft-saving function to finish posts ahead of time and publish them when the people who follow you are most likely to be active on Scorum, and spread them out! I would never recommend publishing another article less than three hours after you've published a post.
#7. Hard News vs. Soft News
Do you know the difference between hard and soft news? Hard news is a breaking news story, like "Khalil Mack has been traded to the Chicago Bears." This news can be found on Google and 1,000 other websites. Unless you're the first person breaking this news on Scorum, you're not likely to get any upvotes for it because people have already heard about this story.
Soft news includes articles that are relevant for longer periods of time, like "The 10 Best Chicago Bears Linebackers of All Time." These articles do better here on Scorum because you're adding value to the reader by including your opinion AND the article is relevant even after a couple of days. If you're the fourth person to write that Khalil Mack has been traded, no one is going to care, but if you're telling everyone 5 reasons why Khalil Mack is the greatest linebacker in NFL history, this is a soft news story that more people may be willing to read and upvote.
#8. Bad Titles
In Episode 2 of the Scorum Community Podcast, @swolesome compares the title of an article to your Tinder dating profile. Do you want to show off your best and sexiest picture, or a random one you found from 10 years ago? Working on your titles is like finding the best picture for your profile.
You need someone to click on your article in order to get an upvote, and your picture + the first image you use in your post is what will attract them, so you better make them good. Want to know if you're headline is good? Use this free headline analyzer to check.
What tips do you have for people looking to increase their post payouts? Share below!
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