Going through my regular curation this week, I've come across some posts from @tarazkp that raised some interesting topics and thoughts. This post is a brief glimpse of where some of those thoughts have taken me over the past week.
My buddy @a4xjeeper and I usually try to hit a couple of fish fries each year during the Lenten season. Neither of us are catholic, so it isn't that we have to eat fish on Friday's, we just both like fried fish and it gives us a reason to hang out together.
Over the years (minus Covid when everything was shut down), we've traveled across the region trying different fish fries at various churches, restaurants, community organizations, and Knights of Columbus halls.
The picture above is from an all you can eat cod fry at a Knights of Columbus hall in Gladwin, MI. It cost $13 per person and I have to admit, it was quite tasty. The fries were a bit soggy, but the fish was good. That's not really what this post is about though.
As we were driving home, my friend mentioned that he had been looking into doing some advertising for his handyman business. It has been growing quite quickly, but he still feels like he needs to do some more advertising beyond word of mouth.
He was at a home show in the state and he had a brief sit down with a representative from one of the major advertising agencies in the area. She asked him what made his company special.
He proceeded to tell her that it was a family owned business with over 30 years of experience.
According to him, she stopped him at that point and said "that's not enough".
Every handyman business is a family owned business with over 30 years of experience.
That doesn't set you apart. You need something something special, something that makes you different from your competition she went on to explain.
So he turned to me (among others) and asked, what makes me special? What makes me different? He said he didn't need an answer right away, so I told him I would think about it. I've been mulling it over trying to find that one thing that might give him the leg up on the competition, but I haven't figured it out yet.
Fast forward a couple of days and I was having a conversation with a long time Hive friend on Discord. They started around the same time as I did on this blockchain, but it is safe to say they have found significantly more success here than I have. At least recently. It was several years of grinding away for them (just like most of us) until they found their niche that has served them well.
I'm a bit biased of course, but I don't feel like most of my content is any less deserving than theirs, so I was trying to figure out where the disconnect was between what I write and the people who read it and vote for it on the blockchain.
It actually took me a couple of days, and reading one of the posts by @tarazkp, to see the connection between the two situations above.
They said:
The only advice I can give you, is to be different
Of course, my self conscious mind immediately said "wait, be different from who I am or be different from everyone else on Hive?". Thankfully it was the latter (unless they were just trying to spare my feelings), which is a good thing because I don't know how to be anyone different from myself!
It's interesting though that what you think is a strength, or the thing that you think sets you apart, might be the one thing that is holding you back. It might not seem like it is holding you back, but are you growing, or is it a crutch?
I wish I could say I was able to give my friend 5 things right off the top of my head that made him different, but that would be a lie. The fact is, I'm still processing different thoughts on the whole thing and putting together some follow up questions I want to ask him to maybe guide us both in the right direction.
Likewise, I don't think being different on Hive is something that is going to come quickly. I think it's a process. Finding that niche and really doing well in it. Including constantly evaluating the process, because what I initially might think is a niche, may not be all that different from anyone else on the chain.
After five years on the chain which is virtually a lifetime in crypto terms, you would think I might have more answers. I hope it is at least a little encouraging to you to hear that even the (sort of) veterans don't have it all figured out.
What I do know, is that I am craving some fish right now!
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LOL.., that sounds far from tasty, they don't look good at all. Come over here, especially to the North and you can taste the real thing. It is what were are famous for!
Pond slime is optional.
Yeah, I'll skip the mushy peas. I don't like regular peas let alone smashed up ones! The fish was good, the fries could have been. I'd love to get over there one day.
I do crave the $13 dish right now. Haha.
Finding one's niche takes a step. It doesn't just come overnight and I believe everyone is special in their way.
Look at your friend's emotional, physical, behavioral, and spiritual aspects and you may get what makes him special.
The fish was pretty amazing. Not the best I have ever had, but still pretty darn good. Well worth the price. I could have eaten more, but I would have been sick. Thanks for stopping by!
For it was good, that Is a good deal. Eating too much of everything is not good. I understand.
Thanks for sharing.
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Nothing worse than soggy fries! I hope you come up with some answers but finding your niche and going for it sounds like a good thing to do.
Yeah, they could have been awesome too if they had just been a little more crispy. The fish was on point. Thanks, I hope I figure it out too. It's been a bit disheartening lately.
This is a great content that made me reflect, and of course the fried fish made my mouth watery! Anyway, going back to the topic of "being different" I think we only need to focus on something where we're good at, and start to build a unique branding on our contents here in Hive. Wow, now this made me want to reflect on my past activities here and focus on how I want to be seen as a Hiver :) Thank you so much for this!
Yeah, no problem. The fish was pretty fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I like posting about a lot of different things, so it could be difficult for me to find that niche I have been looking for. I am sure one day it will come to me!
Me too. I've been writing about travel, food, photography, and lifestyle. Maybe I can keep doing it though. 🤗
That plate of food looks delicious. We're having fried fish tomorrow! I was told once by a mentor that our interests and curiosities are really the thing that distinguishes one person from another, like a unique fingerprint. The things that fill us with energy and excitement are what drives us to create, learn, and achieve. So I would reframe that question to something like, "What fills you with excitement or positive energy?" or "What lights up your soul?". The answers to those questions might lead you to the answer of "What sets you apart?"
Gotta love a good old fashioned midwest fish fry right? This is the one time of year where I actually eat quite a bit of fish. Of course it is all fried so that kind of negates the health side of it... That's a really good thought from your friend. I know that as Hive starts to fill in with more people finding that niche will probably be easier. I also think your questions are a good place to start.
mah big p p
That's what she said!
That’s good to think of it in these ways, being different might serve well depending on the circumstances. Hopefully your friend can grow his business! I need to start doing handyman stuff on the side, I think there’s a decent market for it. Just gotta make sure you get paid is the important part lol
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Yeah, he is doing quite well with his business. He wishes he would have been doing this full time a long time ago. He has something like two or three crews working for him now. The business has grown, but still not where he wants it to be.
You summarized it nicely there. There is no way one can figure out what clicks on Hive. I started with what I though people would like. I was wrong. Then I turned out to crypto and finance and that was okay. Not sure if we can find moderate success without being different and being mundane :)
Yeah, I totally hear you. There was a point where I just had to push forward with my own thing and not really worry about it so much. It still makes me wonder if I could be doing better though. Something I really need to meditate on.
I am in a similar position. I am on chain for three years and I don't know how I could be doing better. Not sure where I fit. I am connecting with others - at least I think so :)
It's tough. Just keep doing what you are doing. It will all come at some point. We see a pump here and communities start growing you could find yourself in a really good position.
I think being genuine and authentic also goes a long way in setting you apart from the crowd. But it is a long process and will take time. So all the hard work and discipline stuff is also necessary.
That is a fair point! I am definitely authentic!
And I definitely agree! You're YOU when you write your posts ;)
Thanks!
Yes it is and thank you for your complete honesty, once in a while we newbies just need to hear this. So thank you @bozz😃
No problem! Glad I could help!
it looks very delicious dish hope the taste also good. enjoy
It was pretty decent yeah.
This is a deep topic, man.
Be different. And yet, we want our posts to be liked. So we ask ourselves, what else is out there that is liked and rewarded? How do they do it and how can we do it? And to be liked one has to be part of something, at least so I was told. Hard to imagine to be liked for being different.
But you are right. Different in a good way. Make something even better than those before or next to you. Do something no one else does. Who wants to read about the same topic over and over again? And if so, we have to do it in our own style to give it that "different" extra to keep people interested in reading our stuff.
Uh, gonna stop here, turning out to become too long otherwise.
Have a nice weekend.
!PIZZA
Ahh, but we see people post about the same topic over and over again. Plus they get well rewarded for it. Either they are just putting out that good of stuff, or they caught the right eyes and were able to take advantage of that.
It's a neat little conundrum, isn't it?
Yes, the same topic can be written about ad nauseam as long as something new is added or another point of view / opinion is introduced. Which makes it interesting again.
Then again I see stuff (especially in leofinance) with "How to build wealth" and it's basically a generic list of things like "watch your spendings" and other tropes we all read and heard about so often. Yet these postings still get upvotes I can only dream of.
But do I want to join that sentiment?
I'd rather join your motion: Be different. I write about what I am interested in. And something I might contribute to. Might not bring that many or heavy upvotes. But at least it is me.
Bah, look at me, already rambling along again. 😁
A lot of that has to do with the Leo voter account. They have a huge amount delegated and they up vote stuff with that. The distribution and vetting method has been a subject of contention for years.
It's like the weekly splinterlands posting challenges and their upvotes by the splinterlands account. Although, I have to admit, I post in that one regularly, as well. 😉
😃
I like fish very much in food and here in Pakistan some time ago when it was cold, people here ate a lot of fish. This food looks so yummy and tasty. I wants to eat it.😂
I don't blame you! It was delicious!
We had fish and chips on Wednesday night.
You need to come to the UK, best fish and chips!
I know! Maybe one day I will make it over there! Already have a list of people I need to stop and see when I do!
hehe just make sure you have brown sauce on your fish and chips!
Yeah I am sure your list of things to see and do would be a long one!
Is that like malt vinegar or is it the English equivalent of tartar sauce. Do they even do tartar sauce over there?
Then I can say that instead of being different in Hive, what I'm trying to do is join the crowd and post what others find interesting. Should I change and analyze my niche too? This post of you @bozz makes me realize a lot of things here in Hive. Thanks for sharing.
It's up to you. Are you happy with what your posts are earning? A lot of it just has to do with getting the right eyes on your content, so if you have already done that, you may not need to worry too much. There is a point where you start over thinking it I guess.
It's difficult to be different but I am sure that it will help you stand out. It reminds me of how the youtube/livestreaming space increased a lot since the past. If you can't stand out, then it's rough to really get successful.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Yeah, it's all about getting the right eyes on you. Whether you are on a web 2.0 platform or a web 3.0 one.
Sometimes you have to be different from who you are too... If that makes any sense... If there's one thing I hated doing on Hive was to do what everybody else did. Sometimes that lead to my blog being underexposed but I ate the bullet and moved forward.
I like to post on a variety of things. I don't see that changing any time soon. I'd hate to think of myself ever being pigeon-holed into a single community or genre.
No one should do that. It's a safe bet for writer's block in some cases...
Great looking fish, well worth the price.
I think one of the best-selling points for growing a business is honesty, is your friend honest, is he friendly and does he do the job right? Good news travels slowly, while bad news goes out in a flash.
When working in people's homes, one must be respectful and kind, does that describe your buddy? Does he go the extra mile to make the customer happy?
Explore the possibilities of an honest, working man with some terrific qualities.
Yeah, he does. I think most other people think that as well. I guess I don't know for sure. I need to reach out to him and see what his deadline is. Yeah, the fish was pretty awesome. I prefer perch, but the cod was quite good.
👍
This is some insightful observations. I've been on the hive blockchain since it was "the other name" and I've been less than dedicated off and on as life has crowded it out. That being said, I'm on FB, but I spend 99% of my time here on Hive tasks. I'm a great grandmother and find the benefits of the blockchain and the community enriching and rewarding. You've got my attention and I'm mulling your advice over. Cheers
!ALIVE
Thanks I appreciate it. Yes, I was here when we were the other chain too. I am lucky that I sit at a desk all day so having Hive open all day is just a given for me. Makes it easy to interact!
That's an advantage! I grab a few minutes here and there throughout the day, but my job is customer advocate for a major health care provider. I like that I cab interact on leo threads now and that way be active to a degree.
!ALIVE
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Yeah, threads is going to be a game changer. I'm waiting for a native mobile app.
That would be very helpful. I enjoy it so far, but it's clunky, so an app would really make a difference.
The majority of people in the world access the internet via a phone so having a native app is a must in my opinion.
I agree. I've used Hive exclusively on a phone since I registered in June 2016.
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Are these 'fish fries' a big thing? I get mine from the fish and chip shop.
I do think you need to stand out on Hive to succeed. I just try to be myself and that seems to work, but I have a lot of interests and am not just going to post about one of them. I've connected with a lot of people and that helps. I don't expect them to read everything I post.
I'm the same as you. Like I said, I'd love to get the big upvotes all the time, but I don't think I want to paint myself into a single corner. That's just not me. So I have to learn to be content. During Lent yes, you can find them all over. Outside of Lent, most bars usually carry some form of fish and chips, plus we have Long John Silvers if you need a quick fast food fix.
I'm not aware of a special Lent thing here, but you can get F&C everywhere. There are not many national chains devoted to it though, apart from Harry Ramsden's. Mostly it's local independent shops. We have two in our village.
That is cool. I'd love to have something like that here. The bars do pretty decent, but a place dedicated to it would be next level I think. The fish fries are a very midwestern thing. Like I said, mostly done by churches and community organizations. There used to be a lot more this time of year before Covid. A bunch of them went away and never came back.
Interesting read and some good points here. But I wouldn´t say you have to be necessarily different than everyone else to succeed on this blockchain. I mean, sure, the definition of success is very subjective and we all have our own I guess but generally speaking, I would say that "just" being passionate about something and being persistent at the same time could be enough to establish here well, make similarly minded friends and get a decent support for your content. I, for example, blog about things that many others blog about too like traveling, nature, photography... So I´m not really different but I´m still pretty happy and proud about what I have been doing here and what I have achieved :) Just my two cents...
@tipu curate
Very much worth the two cents! Thanks! I really enjoy blogging about a wide variety of stuff, so I don't see myself changing too much. I think one of the key things to remember is we are still a pretty small platform. We start to see some real mass adoption and folks start to flood into the different communities and it could be a whole new ball game.
Yeah, that´s a good point too :) And when that happens, us, OGs, will have a huuuge advantage of having already been here for years, building our positions, stakes, fan bases etc ;)
That's the plan and the hope! Kind of like all the whales we probably started to follow when we first started. Little did we know they were all fake accounts propped up by the bid bots. You live and you learn though!
Right ;)
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