Posting comments is so crucial, because it gets you away from your blog. I know that sounds a little strange, but Steemit is a form of social media. Sometimes people forget about being social, and get very caught up what they are doing, and they ignore the work being put out there by other people. Or when they do comment, it's something that doesn't warrant further discussion (e.g., "Nice Post.").
I come to Steemit to create and to consume content. That's part of the platform's beauty. You can participate by making your own content and by appreciating content created by others. And you are rewarded for both! How cool is that?
I think the strength of this contest will be that you are showing new people the value of commenting. It is something that bigger and more experienced Steemians recommend all the time, but new users are slow to adopt this approach.
I hope this is an insightful experience for you @ilystarar!
This is such an important thing that you have explained. My least productive days on Steemit are the days I spend on my own blog. Sometimes, I get so many comments that replying to them comsumes all the time. But I think it's ok because I am still interacting with others like I am doing right now in this comment.
I just wanted to show our newbies a path which will lead to more motivation and engagement. Getting rewarded for good interaction induces better interaction.
Thank you for a beautiful comment.
Not just that but because people are incentivised to leave comments people do leave constructive criticism and nice comments - for the most part lol.