### The Combination You Didn't Know You Wanted

##### Somewhere, lurking in a basement near you...

That's right! You, too, can make gobs of money, just by posting on STEEM! In the next five minutes, I'll show you how to...

Hey, Barry... oh. Looks like you're in the middle of something. I'll come by some other time.

Hey, man. No, it's all good. I'm just trying to come up with something for YouTube.

I see. STEEM, eh?

![Hype STEEM.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXAwdasiXbRL6LrXZgMEztaGCXo7K6rpsbfAvegGwRSsK/Hype%20STEEM.jpg)

Yeah. Trying to come up with a marketing campaign.

With "make gobs of money"? That's so 2016.

I know, but money motivates. I have to have it in there. I mean, why else would people come to STEEM if not for the money?

The community. The engagement. The entertainment. The freedom.

Yeah, right.

So, basically, you're making a *fake video* to inspire the masses to come to STEEM, just so they can become disillusioned and leave a week later?

Well...

Not only is it a bad idea, it's already been done, which makes it fake and unoriginal.

You don't need to get mean about it.

Look. It's okay to have some hype, but most people will listen to reasoned *persuasion*. They need facts, not all hype. Give them facts. What are some positive aspects of STEEM besides the chance for rewards?

Um. Uh. I've got nothing.

Man, you are so old STEEM! Where have you been the last eight months?

Playing STEEM Mon...I mean Splinterlands.

Well, cool. That's a great way to market STEEM. Not everyone wants to post or curate. Knowing they have another way to earn and have fun playing a game at the same time is an awesome marketing tool. The *key* here is to entice them with things they want or need, but to do it with something that STEEM can deliver on.

Okay. I think I'm getting the idea now...

Good. So, what else?

How about trolls. We've got plenty of those. I could say, "Come for the trolls..."

I can see you've been spending way too much time on the darkside of STEEM. Maybe the seamy underbelly of STEEM.

Okay. No trolls. How about bidbots. "Come for the bidbots..."

Look. Any *ideas worth spreading* are going to have their rough patches...

...more like minefields and war zones...

...but you don't get through said rough patches by solely harping on the rough patches, or deceiving people to come here on an impossible promise. At some point, you need to look at what STEEM has that you can build on. Otherwise, what's the point?

Money. I want more money, and STEEM is worth $0.18 USD. Except on Bithumb. Go Bithumb!

I didn't say not to include the rewards part, as low as they may be right now, I'm saying, what does STEEM have going for it. Seriously. There's more to STEEM than just trolls and bidbots.

There's scammers. And spammers. Phishers. Farms. Lots of farms.

I don't think you really want to market any of those.

You were saying I should be honest about it. What's more honest than telling the whole truth, warts and all?

Nothing.

Dang, right. Wait. What?

If you want to market STEEM, there needs to be honesty, but there also needs to be hope. Something positive. A good reason to come here.

I got nothing.

How about we start with a question. What are things people need or want?

Money.

We got that.

More money.

Okay. I can see money is a big thing for you. Money is important, but we need more, without getting bogged down in negativity, or blockchain terms, or codespeak. And the message doesn't have to be monolithic, static or one-size-fits-all. You can *contour* it to appeal to different demographics.

Come for the money, leave in a lambo!

I can see this is hopeless.

Okay, okay. Come for the money, leave with a home in the Bahamas! That's more practical, right?

A home in the Bahamas.

It's real estate. There's nothing more practical than real estate.

How about providing for a nice future for you and your family.

With a lambo! In the Bahamas!

I... Okay. Listen. Dreaming big is fine, but many people are going to be happy with vacationing once a year in the Bahamas or anywhere else while they live where they do now, or maybe upgrading their home to something nicer. Having enough to see them through retirement to the end of their lives. Maybe having something leftover for their children. Getting out of debt. Not having to work so hard to keep what they have. Supplementing their income. That sort of thing.

I hear you. But we already have the small dreams here, and we're getting nowhere with it. We need something big. Huge. Ginormous. We want the whales! The big time investors.

The ones who already have lambos and Bahama homes.

Bahama homes. That's got a certain ring to it...

Big time investors probably already have lambos and expensive homes. What's going to bring them to STEEM?

Hype. Lots and lots of hype. More hype than any other crypto. It needs to be big. Oh, and there needs to be massive ROI.

Ooookkkkaaaaayyyyy... Maybe. Investors do want return on their investment. There needs to be something to bring them here, though. Something they believe enough in to put their money where your mouth is.

How about *seed saving*.

Seed saving?

You know. Heirloom seeds. Vacuum vault. Iceland.

And that has to do with STEEM, how?

When everything falls apart and we're living through the nuclear winter running around in modified Mazdas across the desert wastelands, we're going to need something to eat. We'll want heirloom seeds, not any of that genetically mutated stuff.

So, the investors are going to put their money into STEEM to provide heirloom seeds for the survivors of a third world war.

That's right. It's the least they can do, don't you think?

I'm leaving. Have fun making your video.

Wait! What do you think about *coercion*? I haven't tried that yet. "Come to STEEM, or else..."

'Bye!

<sub>Image source—Pixabay</sub>

*This post is made in conjunction with the daily five minute freewrite hosted by @mariannewest, and utilizes seven previously unused prompts, which can be found in italics scattered throughout the text.*