What can I say ... I MASSIVELY engage on Steemit ... far more than all the other social medias/Discord combined. And, that engagement is the key to not only the relationships I've fostered, but also to my "Brand."
Check out the comments section on ANY of my posts ... and remember, I've only got a $0.02 upvote when my VP is 100% charged. People are not coming for the money. Now check out my comments and replies on other people's posts ... and check out their wallets. I comment on what I find legitimately interesting, not on what is most potentially lucrative. Indeed, read the comment-reply thread on this still active post:
https://steemit.com/share2steem/@simplymike/simplymike-1554573503973-quote-of-the-day---this-is-me
This reality, obvious to everyone, has resulted in ferocious loyalties and reciprocal engagement.
On my Steemversary, I launched a "QuillFire Roast or Toast" Contest.
There was not one real Roast. Every single one of the entries, despite a huge effort on my part to provoke people into a Roast, ended up doing a 'Toasty Roast' or a 'Roasty Toast.' I couldn't even pay people to take a head shot. The bonds that have been created between us are simply ... unbelievable. There is a dynamic on Steemit that exists nowhere else: A shared adversity and shared fate that results in a connection similar to that experienced by soldiers: A Band of Brothers.
This, despite the Whale-orchestrated cheating that has destroyed curation and the concept that content ought to be compensated commensurate with its quality.
If the "Reality of Steemit" were to match the "Theory of Steemit," the blockchain would experience explosive growth almost overnight.
Quill