![fish-ocean.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmc28SNBkzDuA235GEgqtFydVrhZHNEVBWLFH4H9srjjhB/fish-ocean.jpg)

## Introduction

After the success and interest of [part 1 of this series](https://steemit.com/minnow/@cryptoctopus/if-i-was-a-minnow-on-steemit-i-would-part-1), I've decided to really dedicate myself to help the minnows get off the ground. I do this partially by upvoting good comments as well as writing what I believe one must do to get off the bottom of the totem pole.

## There Are More Than One Way to Add Value...

![add value.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdegiYGEi65zSy5Q2gp6HMermVrkzKtTXuJRhT2YeixgJ/add%20value.png)

**Pay attention...because this is important:** "People upvote people who add value to the community."

When steemit.com just got started, being a new user and writing content was valued a lot...but as more people join and 10000+ articles are added everyday, the value of "just being here and writing" has diminished. 

#### The Law Of Compensation

Your compensation, over a long enough period of time, will be defined by 3 factors:

1. The need for what you do
2. Your ability to do it
3. The difficulty of replacing you

When you are a minnow, you have to differentiate yourself from the pack. Otherwise you are a dime a dozen (just like the image above). There are a lot of people who can write well written articles here. So how do you differentiate yourself?

## Here Are Some Other Ways You Can Add Value

#### Devs
People who can write code are considered to add a LOT of value to STEEM as a whole and they are handsomely rewarded. So if you can code, jump on the github and get busy participating to the opensource project. Then write about the push request you've made or the little app you've created to make life easier for everyone.

#### Marketers
If you know how to market and do ads, like @jerrybanfield for example, then start crowdsourcing what you make in SBD to do some ads on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, etc. Then share the results with everybody.

#### Designers
If you know how to create cool designs, like @malicered, start offering your services to create logo and branded designs for people who start projects on Steemit. Make cool hats or t-shirt is anothe way to make money on steemit. There are lots of opportunities for designers here.

#### Start a Project
There is always a problem that can be solved by creating a project. Many projects such as @curie, @minnowsupport and others are tackling the issue of curation. Those projects tends to be valued as a whole and make the creators of them an income.

@lemouth (my brother in law), is a scientist who works at CERN on the particle accelerator and he found other scientists to start a project called @steemstem which is dedicated to promote legitimate scientific discussion on steem. Since then, this project as been supported by the community and whales as a whole.

There is no limit to the type of project you can launch. Those projects tends to get the attention of whales because they **transcend the gain of a single individual and therefore add value to the community as a whole.**

#### Share Your Unique Story

Everyone has a story. We are all wired to connect with stories. Maybe you are a Uber driver or a flight attendant with juicy stories. Maybe you are construction worker or a plummer. It doesn't matter. We all have a story that other can be interested in. Your story makes you unique and makes you different from the pack. If you write and blogging IS the way you want to go ahead, always try to mix your personal story with what you are trying to communicate.

## Conclusion

If you do what most people do, you are going to get what most people get. Find a way to add more value than 90% of people and you'll make your way to the top.  Guaranteed.

Part 3 will be release Monday. I take my weekends off to recharge and disconnect from the computer. I hope you'll be back for the third installment.

Cheers!