Welcome here!
I hear that having a big investment is the easiest way. But that the people who enjoy steemit the most are the ones who build community through common unity.
I myself didn't bring a steak to the platform, it's not an option for me. With that said. I try to write posts which are decently long, have images, links and good layout.
I use stack edit to work on my posts. I find that the folks at @minnowsupport are super helpful.
I think it's important to use discord to grow on steemit, it's where you build friendships and make connections.
I hope this helps in some way. Definitely head over to the #MinnowSupportProject.