Lets be honest: circle jerks arranged in Steemitchat or self-voting by proxy are the best bets to succeed on Steemit.
It's time to get real or the game will soon be up for everyone:
https://steemit.com/steemitabuse/@steempolice/steem-has-no-future-unless-self-vote-abuse-is-stopped-steemit-inc-and-whales-do-your-part