On "4.Invest" I would say that's the ideal approach, but as you point out, not available for everyone, and not always easy for people who are new to crypto.

One way around this, to start with, particularly if you're very new and just feeling out what Steemit is all about, is to gain a little SBD and reinvest it in your posts. You can gain SBD with great posts (ideally but not always noticed) and great comments (easier for minnows) but also from the contests. There are some great contests out there, with potential for rewards (and which also get your art / writing / car maintenance blog in front of an audience of people with similar interests).

Once you have a little SBD you can use minnowbooster, randowhale or booster to give you posts an extra nudge, to get them on the hot page, and then you're off and running!

In the end though, you need your content to be great. No point advertising a product that no-one wants to buy!