The best way to get your article in front of real people who can give you legitimate upvotes is to promote it organically. 

What do I mean by promoting it organically? This means getting real users to resteem your article, not because they will get something out of it like a payment or a prize, but because they see the value that your article can give them and their followers. That's why paying for bots  and resteems don't work. 

So, how can you promote your article organically? Here are a few suggestions.

First, joining a community. One of the best ways to get your article resteemed and read by real people is by being active in a community. When I was just new in Steemit, I have been fortunate to find the Freewrite Community, where members write a short post based on the day's writing prompt. Because it was such a giving and active community, it's members really read each other's freewrite posts, made comments, and upvoted the ones they like. Some even actively resteemed each other's posts if they are impressed by it and there was a community effort to create a digest that featured the favorites of the week. The result is I found real people who engaged and interacted with me. Every upvote I got from its members were genuine, which helped boost my confidence and helped my writing. 

There are several communities like this, which you could join in Steemit. It's just a matter of finding one and actively engaging it's members. Of course, you have to be genuine when you join a community, too. If you're not really interested in being a part of that community and just want to get upvotes, then this might not be the best way for you.  

Second, you can try promoting your post in the many Discord Channels in Steemit. Almost every Discord Channel here in Steemit has a post promotion channel. So, look for an active Discord Channel and promote your post there. Just remember to read the posting guidelines and other rules to make sure you're not violating them, because that could get you kicked out. 

Third, is to get your content noticed by curators. There are a lot of curators and curation initiatives in Steemit like Curie, to Asapers, and the LoveBug. If you could get your content in front of the people curating for them, you could be considered for an upvote or feature. I don't know how to do this with Curie, but Asapers has a post promotion channel in their Discord, which they use to look for posts to feature. 

Of course, it's important to remember that all your promotion will not matter if you don't have quality content. So, assuming you write quality content, a little promotion should help you get the upvotes you've been looking for.