Helpful advice from yourself-appointed Steem Pope:

• Don't plagiarize. Focus on original content. Sounds like you're aiming for this already.

• Don't buy votes from bid bots or fall for "resteeming service" scams. Instead, focus in engaging with others. Comment on their posts about their posts. Find your community and be active. Growth will follow in time.

• Hone your craft and strive to make each post the best you can make it. Consistent quality is the path to longevity in blogging. Post regularly, according to whatever schedule works for you, in order to maintain and grow your audience of real people.