Asking for an upvote seems like a half measure, while the primary method should be to have good content. The majority of steemit users are not running a charity and are more likely to protect the integrity of the platform by upvoting content that they resonate with. On the other hand, it's important for the minnow community to feel welcome and inspired to continue using the platform, and that does require some charity. What I don't like to see is all of the butt kissing for votes. If you want to advance, create good content, or engage the author beyond groveling.