Contests are a great way for minnows to make some progress and gain followers. The minnows you talk to now may become whales in time, so nurture the friendship. It makes Steemit fun too. It shouldn't just be about money.
Ooh, you voted on your own comment. Now I have to decide if I should give you something ;)
Hahaha well, upvoting my comments is not really because my upvote is worth anything but i do that once in a while to get noticed by some potential whales who may delegate some steem power or visit my blog.
There is a series i did more up to a month ago and i explained all those tricks which are lawful and is helping me.
I think some newbies reading your post might need it
A DETAILED GUIDE TO HELP NEWBIE FROM MY ONE MONTH DEEP EXPERIENCE AND STUDY