Maximising your return (contrary to how I believe social media should work)!
Open 4 accounts and each has a different function and different characteristics. Use one as a primary account for primary posts and the others as niche interest accounts, ideally named along the lines of that niche.
Make sure that there is at least one account that appears female if you are male and vice-versa.
Keep the accounts very discrete (as opposed to discreet) they are their own entities. So continual resteeming negates the point.
Never say anything against steemit (unlike me) unless you have a fifth account and be careful because they do track you down anyway. Steer clear of politics!
Join in the contests.
Be strategic with your voting.
Max up your Rep by moving steem around the accounts - it takes a while but it gives you a faster overall influence and recognition.
Work out what gets you followed. Essentially, be yourself, across the four versions of you and your interests - comment lots on subjects around your interests - and vote on comments. Manual voting from each account and doing lots of it is far better than anything else. People like human engagement. A 2% vote, to me, is a slap in the face - it means that they have not read my post and they value my post at $0.00001 - thanks a bunch!
Find a way to a cookie-cutter approach which does not look like a cookie cutter approach.
As you said, @shayne, you need to work at it but work hard and work smart - a newbie is no different to you or me - just a person! We are all very alike. So, think about what would attract you to a steemian with a fake name and then replicate that. You will find people whom you will like in that way.
Namaste.