Well, i don't think you are right, steemit is a social media platform, yes you also can make money here, by upvoting yourself you won't solve anything, it won't give you money, and also you waste your voting power, there's no reason to upvote yourself, it's like licking your own balls.
So don't do that, keep posting what you want or try to get a niche. Both ways you'll grow, but it just requiers time.