I actually found that chatting up to the newly joined members isn't a bad idea - very often, if your interests align, they'll follow you. Newbie upvotes aren't worth much, but it's only a matter of time.

In the meanwhile, I'm still looking for better ways of improving exposure and some of the points you made I'm sometimes guilty of as well - should print those out and read every time before bed :)

Steem on!