Would you have had that $10 if you were not on steemit? Probably not, Im not sure why you think that is a bad result in your first month.
Engage with people in the communities you love, dont just post pictures, add tips, tricks, stories behind the pictures, follow people and add value to their posts, once people see you regularly adding value, you will get more attention.
If you focus on the community, you will enjoy it and the money will come on its own. If you focus on the money, you will never enjoy the experience.
I added a community thread to https://beta.chainbb.com/ as an example, that got me a lot of followers who now often upvote my work when its geared for that specific community.
You have to truly engage with people. And for all that work, in over a year I made a few hundred dollars, Im perfectly happy with that.