How to get the most out of Steemit...?

My fellow Steemians, I have a question... How do I get best results and best upvoting power from Steemit?

Do I claim rewards every time they are available or do I let them sit...what are the benefits?

I want to help as many people on here as possible...How much should I upvote per day? The site wants you to be involved right?

Did the fork help or hurt newbies? It seemed like before the fork, more people were upvoting others but now it's scarce...?

I really enjoy Steemit, are we growing?

How do I get more involved?

Please leave your comments below and resteem, I would like to reach as many people as possible to answers... Steemit is a little confusing.

Happy Steeming!