Minnows don't have a chance to get noticed even if they produce quality content. The upvote services makes it possible for those who are new to the platform to get noticed. Upvote services are the great equalizer.
I am a living example. I've been here for only two months but my rep is already 59. On top of that, I'm seeing a return on my investment. I invested a little of my own money and used that to promote my posts.
I just wish there'd be more services like minnowbooster that guarantee a profit. The bid bots are good for getting your post to the trending page but there's still a chance that you'd lose money.
Advertising generally costs money, so I don't think there should be any qualms about losing out on a send to a promotion tool.
When you advertise, you expect a return. You can't expect a return from the limited audience from steemit unless you're targeting white males interested in crypto and gaming. So, at least for now, the minnowbooster model works the best for me.
But you don't expect a 10-20% return within 7 days. The return comes when people who notice you keep coming back to upvote.