...so this is my first post...

That looks like a delicious cup of Joe. Welcome to steemit, I'm unqualified to be your tour guide presently as I'm fairly new myself but here's what I've learned so far:

Upvoting pays very little, and votes decrease in weight if you vote a lot. Vote on quality content, as it gains the most traction. Voting essentially pays the people who create the content you upvote, so he deliberate in how you use votes. Voting essentially pays the people who create the content you upvote, so he deliberate in how you use votes.

Creating content pays.

Creating quality content pays more.

Commenting and engaging with other users seems to be the most effective approach based on my limited experience here, but keep it relevant for best results. Its focused on the social aspect of social networking here.

Participate in contests :) it's a great way to get yourself out there and its fun, not to mention there's tons of them.

Don't mins the bots, they take a little getting used to lol