Speaking from my personal experience (I made minnow in a year), don't underestimate the power of the various dApps. A lot of them will give you upvotes for using their app. Be it @steepshot, @vimm, @musing, or even @dtube, they want to reward you for the content you make. But using those apps alone isn't enough. You need to talk to people, you know? Ask them questions, drop your $0.02, and network. It's the one thing people tend to miss on this site, and it's the biggest one. The more people you talk to, the more people you follow, the more people follow you, it all adds up. An increased reach is a good thing, you know?