Sometimes browsing the internet makes me feel like a miner, mining a plot of gravel for a gold nugget or two. Or like a sailor, desperately seeking drinkable water, but only finding the salty sea.
"Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink."
This is because in a torrential flood of content on the internet, 'quality content' still only makes up a tiny percent of what's out there.
A quick bit of background: I've personally consumed more content than anyone I know. Thousands of movies. Tens of thousands of songs. Hundreds of thousands of books & articles. I've also created hundreds of posts & articles, created a book, been in the press, made animations, made digital art, performed songs, coded games and more. I say this not to brag, but because I want you to know where I’m coming from before we dig deeper into 'content quality.'
This came up because @ybanezkim26 asked me "how do I, [J-Ryze], define 'quality content?'"
And the best definition of quality content I have is:
"Quality content is that which satisfies a consumer's desires and/or uplifts their state of being, while aligning with the author's goals." - Me.
This definition can sound like quality is something to be judged by 'popular opinion.' If many people 'like' something, it must be quality, right? The masses are always right, yes? Wisdom of the crowd, etc? Are posts quality because they get plenty of upvotes, earnings, comments, and so on? Not exactly, because there's more to it than just pleasing consumers. The author has to feel fulfilled as well. Quality content is win-win.
So we also gauge content-quality by how well it achieves the author's goals.
If the author's goal is just to 'express themselves', with no aim of appealing to an audience, it's fine if their piece gets zero upvotes. (At least they achieved their goal of self-expression.) If the author's goal is for mass-appeal and to set upvote records, 'just expressing themselves' may not be good enough. Their post could be considered low-quality, as it didn't achieve their goal. An author's post could be considered 'high quality (for them)', so long as they exceed their goals with it.
For example, I love photos of beautiful, minimally-clothed women. I often find them to be high-quality content, because they satisfy my desire for beauty, and they also uplift my state of being from neutral to turned-on, grateful, and appreciative of life. But @mattclarke showed me that in the past, many Hivers have responded poorly to this type of content (see his post regarding @alexanova for more on this.)
So Alexa had to make a decision: Was she satisfied with the quality of her posts if they're only upvoted by a few Hivers like me? Or was her goal for ‘Hive mass-appeal’, in which case her content didn't meet the 'qualities' necessary for that? Or was her goal positive engagement? Or shares? (She hasn't posted on Hive for years, so perhaps you can guess.) The point is that creators make choices. They have power. They create for a variety of reasons, but ultimately... creators have some intention behind their content, and that matters quite a bit when judging content's quality.
So when we sit down to make a post, our intentions could be any number of things:
- To self-express.
- To help one key person.
- To help many.
- To inspire discussion.
- To earn upvotes.
- To make money.
- To change minds.
- To rally others.
- To get shared.
- To be the most popular.
- To win awards.
- To touch hearts.
- And so on.
Our intentions can be a combination of these goals and more, but there can only be one primary goal, and it's in light of that that the author can gauge the quality of their creation. At least, from the author's perspective. Now, once the content is published, the public then begins gauging the quality of the content from their perspective as well. And remember, the content ideally "satisfies a consumer's desires and/or uplifts their state of being, while aligning with the author's goals." And the more highly it scores on these aspects, the higher-quality it is.
It sounds simple, but here's some examples of what often happens when I come across a post.
- Post A introduced me to a game I'd not heard of. But it also rambled on about the author's cat, so I had to skim.
- Post B shared a heartfelt story of a parent's passing. But was also brimming with dogmatic politics which turned me off.
- Post C taught me new methods of audience-building. But the author wasn't an English speaker, so I struggled with it.
- Post D showed me a revolutionary new tech. But the diagrams and explanations were unclear jargon, so I bounced.
Each post had some value in it, yes. And we can probably guess what the main 'goal' of each post was. But each post also had some issues which weakened its 'quality-level', at least from my perspective as a consumer. So I’d guess others didn’t find the posts very high quality. Perhaps I was the exception and millions of other consumers actually loved the pieces. Or perhaps my assumptions about the author's goals are off, and the results in my four examples above are exactly what they were aiming for. It's not something I can sort out here in this post without talking to the authors. But it doesn’t really matter.
What matters is that I could get the same value from a competitor's post, without the downsides.
I could find higher-quality content on the same topic that achieves all the authors' goals and more, all while being an amazing consumer-experience for me.
Content isn't created in a vacuum.
The internet is a big place, and whatever you're writing competes for attention with all the other writers out there, whether you like it or not. If a platform like Facebook doesn't have enough 'quality content' on it that is easily findable, people will stop visiting it, and spend more time on Hive, (or any other platform that has a higher abundance of quality content.)
This is how the world works.
So it's in all our best interests to take an honest look at our content and roughly assess its quality. Does it get the result we were after, or not? Are we going to blame someone for its performance, or simply improve our skills and try again? Are we putting as much love into our writing as journalists, screenwriters, authors and other writers do, or are we just sh*tting out whatever we feel like with minimal care?
As we work on (or publish) our content, if it doesn't measure up in our eyes, we're free to improve it. We can experiment, study, practice, learn, apply, refine, redraft, polish, and more. We all have the ability to 'pour more love, energy, and mastery' into our creations, if we want to. And we all have the choice to half-a$$ it, and 'phone-in' our content, instead.
And if we're already satisfied with the quality-level of our content, we have the opportunity to be more efficient, scale up, and deliver more of that quality to people, should we desire. If the quality is already good, we can write longer pieces, or post more often.
A good thing to do before we click publish is to ask ourselves:
- Does my content uplift the consumer and/or satisfy their desires?
- Does my content achieve my end goal (traffic, upvotes, engagement, etc.)?
- Does my content at least get shared by those who aren't ready to engage?
- Is it likely people will consume it fully from start to finish?
It's easy to get excited and click 'publish' without some quality control checks, or running through a question-list like this, but it's worth it. You can even come up with your own checklist of questions to ask about your content before launching.
Personally, I get proofreaders ( usually @cynshineonline , but once it was @nickyhavey ) to go over my content with their 'fresh eyes', because 'strangers' who've never engaged with content before have a knack for zeroing in on issues we may have missed. They often have a broader, less-biased view than someone who's been immersed in creating the content for hours or days.
All this is to say that despite the sea of writing out there, people are thirsty for quality. We might say they're eager for a sip of quali-tea. In the internet's ocean of posts, consumers are eager for another drop of 'pure, highly-consumable' content…
And each of us controls the quality-level of what we put out.
@intothewild recently did this by diving into video content, aiming to funnel centralized traffic over to Hive. As for me, I'm continually looking for ways to #ryze up the quality-level of my content. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I learn. But it’s not just about what he did, or I did, the question is...
What are you doing to elevate the quality of your posts?
Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear your ideas! Or maybe you have a different definition of quality content? I'd love if you shared it. Either way, thanks to anyone who upvotes, shares, comments, reads, or even skims this. I appreciate you.
Very good post, Jason. I judge positively the quality of my posts when it reaches at least 50 upvotes. Sometimes it doesn't reach money, because the upvotes come from people new to the platform, like me, but knowing that it was well received already fills my heart. The other main goal is usually to "inspire others" (through my art) or help others, through some tutorial or guide. I only know if I achieve this when people reply to my post. If not, I'm left with the doubt.
I never -never ever- press publish without having revised several times. I am obsessive about perfection, and I always aspire to do my best in each publication. Once I publish it I read it again, and if I detect even one missing accent (in Spanish we use accents) I edit it to correct it. Even so, there are posts (like my most recent one) that go for hours without being seen by practically anyone, and then the whole quality issue becomes a bit confusing.
I'm like you in the feeling of admiration towards the female body (and the human body in general), and I also love to do artistic and erotic nude photography, which doesn't even amount to porn, and I find it a shame that it's not well received in the community. It's so backward to think that it's offensive content! Or so cowardly to think that this kind of content is going to detract from the rest! If something has enough quality, it won't stop getting votes even if it's surrounded by a thousand successful erotic authors. I feel like getting revolutionary, taking @cynshineonline as an example, and bring this kind of content to the community, accompanied by a good text explaining why I find it valuable, how much artistic and creative effort and talent I put into each photo, and why we must leave behind the taboos regarding human nudity.
Still, I'm currently trying to become financially independent from my partner, and I want to do it through Hive, and I still depend on those valuable upvotes which, while still few, could be fewer if I adopt the revolutionary plan now that I'm still so new :(
We will move forward and we will see...
I really enjoyed your post and also @mattclarke 's , along with the good discussion that was generated in the comments on his.
A warm hug for you, I continue to learn from you every time I read you.
Ps.: This is a photo of a couple of motivational posts I put on the wall (in front of my desk). The one on the left comes from "The neverending story", and it means everything you do must be motivated by your wishes. And the one on the right says: "I build up my world, and my world is PERFECT"
It may seem unfair, but a lot of the people getting consistent support have a long history of posting high quality pieces, and keeping their rewards powered up for the long term. So if you're planning to become financially independent by selling rewards, while the price is under $1, you might struggle to get much, consistent support.
If however, you have a long term plan to build the size of your Hive Power holdings, find and upvote quality work, and eventually live off curation rewards; that's going to be more attractive to the community; since it's so much better for the ecosystem.
Excellent points, as usual. 🙏
I'm glad you enjoyed my post @nioberojas !
And yes, judge the quality of your posts however suits you best. Whether that's upvotes, comments, or your own satisfaction.
I appreciate your dedication to quality and revision. I have a similar approach to you (less accents though, haha).
Many times people post great content, but it doesn't get 'seen' because they 'slacked off' on the title & thumbnail. I wrote a post that explains the importance of titles and thumbnails, as well as offers a few examples if you're interested.
The human body, like the bodies of all earth's creatures, is basically a miracle. It's a source of value and pleasure. It seems obvious that it's meant to be appreciated in various ways, especially among consenting adults. Unfortunately narrow minds and old ways of thinking are will remain prevalent until more people evolve and raise their understanding and vibe.
You're correct, the world is flooded with media, a little more won't hurt anyone, whether it's erotic art or music videos or blogposts.
Perhaps you could show off and make a post about this in @cynshineonline 's community, Beauty & Brains? Maybe you'll get more upvotes than ever for it :) Being bold and revolutionary is how you get seen, playing small and timid is how you go unnoticed.
I'm glad you enjoyed my post as well as Matt's, and are learning from what I offer. Warm hugs and wishing you lots of success!
P.S. I love your motivational wall, so cool! "I don't depend on anything. I have the power..." Woo, love it! #TogetherWeRyze 🙏
¡gracias por etiquetarme, guapa! Ya sabes que siempre puedes tener otra cuenta y publicar aquí algunas de las preciosas fotos que compartes en Instagram. Solo es una sugerencia. Eres preciosa y me encantan las fotos que cuelgas por allí también.
¡Bien por ti por escribir cosas para motivarte! Yo lo hago todas las mañanas pero de forma diferente. Escribo cosas por las que estoy agradecida, cosas que creo de mí misma y lo que sé que ya está hecho para mí.
Si quieres crecer más rápido una de las cosas que te sugiero es ser activo en los posts de los demás y dejar grandes comentarios como este. No sé si ya lo haces pero funciona en todas las plataformas sociales. Es una de las formas en que hice crecer mi Instagram a 3000 tan rápidamente.
Sigue siendo tú. Me encanta. Eres increíble.
~Con mucho amor, Cyn
@ryzeonline entender y definir “contenido de calidad” es muy subjetivo… pero muy, muy…
Esta plataforma, en especial en la comunidad donde mayormente publico, la definición de “contenido de calidad” se torna confuso… dependerá de la afinación o no con el contenido, pero sin duda, hay elementos de fondo que no deben olvidarse, como tiempo invertido, utilidad, alcance, etc...
Sin duda, cada publicación tiene implícitamente una intención definida, tú muy bien las señalas, sin embargo creo que, muchas personas hacen cosas sin amor y energía y a ellos se les valora más de lo que se esforzó en hacer una publicación . Me ha tocado ver excepcionales trabajos, de esos que provoca que todos vean y todos realicen, y pasan desapercibidos en el mar de publicaciones que muchas veces parecen las publican solo por publicar y generar algo de dinero , hay publicaciones carentes de amor y energía, y sin embargo obtienen unas ganancias que te hacen abrir la boca… (risas)
Creo todas los administradores de comunidades, deberían reflexionar al respecto, debería hacerse un ejercicio conjunto que permita consensuar parámetros mínimos, que permitan catalogar una publicación de calidad, más allá de los votos y recursos recibidos ($)…
Interesante post, que sin duda me ha hecho repensarme en lo que pensaba que creía…(risas)
Saludos, bendiciones y éxitos
—
@ryzeonline understanding and defining "quality content" is very subjective... but very, very....
This platform, especially in the community where I mostly publish, the definition of "quality content" becomes confusing... it will depend on the tuning or not with the content, but without a doubt, there are background elements that should not be forgotten, such as time invested, usefulness, reach, etc...
Undoubtedly, each publication has implicitly a defined intention, you very well point them out, however I believe that, many people do things without love and energy and they are valued more than what they made an effort to make a publication . It has touched me to see exceptional works, of those that causes that all see and all realize, and they pass unnoticed in the sea of publications that many times seem to publish them only to publish and to generate some money, there are publications lacking love and energy, and nevertheless they obtain some profits that make you open your mouth... (laughs)
I think all community administrators should reflect on this, there should be a joint exercise that allows to agree on minimum parameters, which allow to catalog a quality publication, beyond the votes and resources received ($)...
Interesting post, which has undoubtedly made me rethink what I thought I believed...(laughs).
Greetings, blessings and success
Quality content is subjective, yes, which is why I made it easier for people to judge quality content based on the author's goal and the viewer's desire.
If we know those two things, we can assess the quality of how well the content served each goal.
People don't necessarily upvote because of 'quality', they upvote for many different reasons (laughs) Ultimately, the main thing is whether you know your content achieved it's goals properly or not. The important thing is that you are satisfied with the quality of your content.
If you are, great! If not, aim to improve. :)
On top of that, if you believe we create our own reality, then you believe we create people upvoting our content, or we create people ignoring our content. Correct?
Anyway, very interesting comment, thanks for making me think too! 🙏
El contenido de calidad es subjetivo, sí, y por eso he facilitado que la gente juzgue el contenido de calidad basándose en el objetivo del autor y el deseo del espectador.
Si sabemos esas dos cosas, podemos evaluar la calidad del contenido en función de cada objetivo.
La gente no vota necesariamente por la "calidad", sino que lo hace por muchas razones diferentes (risas). Lo importante es que estés satisfecho con la calidad de tu contenido.
Si lo estás, ¡genial! Si no lo está, intente mejorar. :)
Además, si crees que creamos nuestra propia realidad, entonces crees que creamos que la gente vote nuestro contenido, o que creamos que la gente ignore nuestro contenido. ¿Correcto?
En fin, muy interesante el comentario, ¡gracias por hacerme pensar a mí también! 🙏
This.
When i write i have an intention to teach, motivate, and #help whoever is reading it. And when my reader ALSO gets it and comments that they indeed got it, it’s the most satisfying and incredibly joyful feeling to me. Even if it’s only one person, to me, then it was a success.
Thank You for this post and for teaching me this, Dr. Banner. I appreciate it.
P.S.
Im turning up my posts by taking my time, proofreading more and spending time in my writing not rushing it just to get it off my plate. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️
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I'm so glad you understand the balance of intentions behind your posts, and results your content gets 'out in the wild'. And yes, pour love into what you do, keep turning up, and watch the magic happen. 🙏
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️
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This in itself explains the main keys to create quality content , Satisfying the consumer while satisfying yourself . Expressing yourself in a way understandable by your consumer and yourself , sticking to the script and also following your main goal message you are trying to pass with that post .
No doubt , I noticed myself reading every line by line expecting to see the next and thereafter reblogged the post , not because i love reblogging , but because i don't want others to miss out on some "QUALI-TEA" . I can clearly see all your opinions and thoughts in your article , and it made your write-up just perfect ! I learnt alot .
I ask myself this questions below whenever i write :
-What is the main message i'm trying to pass with this post , in that way , i manage not to fall out of context .
-Am i satisfied with this write-up .
-Will my consumers love/learn from it .
Many more questions , but i'm sure putting this post content into my upcoming articles will make it even better 😊
THANK-YOU !
Thanks @code-redex , I'm really grateful for this comment. I especially like that you quoted my definition, as I believe it's a powerful summary that benefits us to keep in mind.
It's a very good sign if a reader enjoys a post, line-by-line, so I'm happy you experienced that, and it's an even better sign if someone feels inspired to reblog and help it reach others. Hopefully we'll all get 'better content' the more this post reaches others, so you're doing a valuable service.
And I love that you have your own question checklist, I truly believe it will elevate your content going forward. Wishing you much joy and success, thank you again! 🙏
Thanks so much for your encouraging response , Im grateful as well to see your article , We will all get better and experience success , GOODLUCK!
My pleasure, yes, #TogetherWeRyze ! 😁🙏
Damn it....making me reflect more on my articles as a result of reading this!!! I bet that even means it is achieving its goal!!
But seriously, perhaps we don't do enough content-reflection before hitting publish. I know there are time when I write article that I feel it has perhaps lost its way. To try avoid that I start with an idea then maybe jot out the structure of the sections, like a quick sketch to myself of what the content needs to have. That said I think now (based on this article) I'll go a little further, maybe add a few questions for myself at the end to help objectively look at the finished product and confirm if it needs to be adjust anywhere.
I'll be honest as someone who has really only enough time to post once a week it is important to hit the target. It is not an easy thing to do, lots of trial and error and only a year into the process but definitely always learning!
(grin) Well, then mission accomplished, I'd say, lol, glad to hear it.
You've really got the heart of it here @mynima , thank you. Yes, it's mostly about content-reflection prior to posting. A sketch or outline is a great idea, and something I used myself. And taking it a step further with some questions will likely get you improved results. A third thing that I find improves results is 'headline-reflection', I describe it a bit more in this post: https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@ryzeonline/want-upvotes-be-a-hooker if you're interested.
Anyway, as you said, posting occasionally makes it more important to hit the target, and I'm confident we can all do it, if we apply ourselves.
May we all keep learning. Thanks again bro. 🙏
👏👏👏
I'm constantly amazed! This is broader that I anticipated. Now I should re-establish my view of quality content. I often view quality in the perspective of a curator. As a curator myself, I tend to judge posts based on their potential to be accepted by the masses. In your perspective, it should be a win-win situation as it should be aligned to the intention of the author. Awesome!
I'm so glad you got some value out of it. I agree that curation & mass-appeal is very important, but it's not the only thing that's important, lol :) Win-win! Wooooo! :) Thanks for commenting, curating, and inspiring this post. 🙏
Thank you for another helpful article. Since I am a beginner writer I've always looked up to people who shared their writing knowledge and experiences. As a beginner it is hard for me to write a quality content but tried to make it. The word "struggle" is the best word I could describe but with your guidance thru writing some piece of tips and tricks it was a great help. Thanks for the inspiration! I would definitely apply it in this writing journey.
My pleasure, @kellyane , I'm glad you enjoyed it. I checked out your profile and it seemed to be mainly photos, but any of us can improve our writing if we want, myself included, so I'm glad these tips and tricks have inspired you. :) 🙏
btw thank You for adding the links as I requested 😉 😘
And to anyone reading this who might want to know how @ryzeonline can help you with your content, or your business, or your life in general...check out our website here - since he didn't add it at the end of this amazing article like I like 😝
My pleasure, fun links. And yes, happy to help people if they're interested in my teachings, thanks for sharing! 🙏