Well the only real reason is that steemit and steepshot all still follow the same model of other sites.
A popularity contest where once you gather enough leeches (which are attaching on to you for your status) then you can post anything and simply play the numbers game.
There is little here that rewards unique and thoughtful content without first the precondition of a large pool of followers. I'm not against that. Obviously that is how community functions and grows but other means of discovering content should be in place.

There should also be algorithms which automatically reward content with depth and clear effort such as what you suggested. If they have bots which are scanning for plagiarism then that same bot could acknowledge the scale of the unique content a post provides. The OriginalContent bot itself could be handling that system. As it is, you have to make sure to call upon it for a vote. A vote with a dismal reward.

The core of this network, even by the words of the founders, is that the unique content is everything. Yet when you look into how things work. That is not at all true. Popularity is everything. More accurately, who you know. Or who you suck up to. That's not a future model. It's also not a sustainable model.

I've been keeping up with the steemfest event and don't see any changes in the horizon that would change this. From unique users there is suggested implementations. From the central team however. They are ready to expand with SMTs without even truly perfecting this network here. This should be the cherry. Make this place a true beacon of hope for the masses and the rest will follow.