>**Powering up is the single most important thing that you can do on Steemit.**

>We talk about engaging all the time. We do this because it develops a following. When I say following I am not talking about the number of follows that you have that is listed on your blog page. That number does not count or accurate because it does not indicate the number that actually follow or engages with you. Developing a following or foundation is the only way that will sustain you over the long haul.

>A good way or one of the ways to determine your following is by your vote count, averaged over time. Not your payout but the count. Most of your votes should be worth 0.001 if that high. That's ok because your building your foundation and so are most of your followers. In time their SP will grow and so will yours giving you and them a higher payout slowly over time.

>There is talk about the whale circle jerk. But most of the whales joined Steemit around the same time. They know each other and have engaged with each other. They received the same payout as you are now back when they started. So it is only natural that they still engage with each other. Is that not what you are doing in the process of building your foundation. Their foundation is already built and now they are putting a grand house on it.

>Voting and Posting are two ways to earn Steem. I have talked about voting to many times and will just say, use your vote sparingly and to get noticed. Everyone knows that your vote is very low and that you only have 10 votes in a 24 hour period. Don't use your vote to impress anyone or promis anyone a vote .
As far as posting goes it is a way to build ones following if you also use it to engage. Failure to engage with comments will result in no new followers and the ones you have will drop you because you deserve to be dropped.

>It doesn't matter how much you invest in SP. What matters is the consistency over time. This is one diverse place and the income for each of us very. When you add in the hardships that each and every one of us face it makes it even harder at times. Unexpected expenses hits everyone of us and they hurt equally.

>I have been preaching that we need a middle class here. I believe that. I believe that it will make this a better platform. In order for that to happen people have to power up. Not only will it help the platform it will also increase the individual payout. The first step is to hit the 500 SP mark. It takes months but once it's reached your payout will start to snowball higher.

I wrote that a year ago. Most of It still applies today.  I am still of the opinion that we need to grow the minnows and Dolphins. I am not going to make any correction to the above grammar or structure. What I will do is add that we need to vote for good witnesses. Its not easy voting for people you don’t know. If you have to use a proxy. Someone with the same values as you. You can change your proxy at any time. Look into it !!! If you have not voted for witnesses 

**wolfhart**