I think one of the problems @yabapmatt is the bots often aren't talked about in the way you have. It's not clear to newbies that the best way to think about them is as advertising.

They are mostly sold as money earners and it's easy to think you are making money when, in fact, you are not because of the way the pay outs work.

$100 worth is a lot of Steem, as you say, for a lot of minnows but it's not just about the "money". It's also about confidence and understanding marketing (by the sound of it).