I agree with you that most people get confused on how steemit work, they seem not to understand that steemit is highly brand. You can not just post something in a community of people where they don't know you , you are new and have not built a strong relationship and affinity to them and you are expecting a massive upvote from them.
The earlier you find a brand the better for you .l believe that #steem, #promo-steem are good brand that most of us should embark on.