I agree completely @flauwy.

That is where comments come in. It is a way to get one's "face" out there. Over time, when posting for the same author, one gets known. Take @Lordjames who wrote a couple comments here. He is on this site 3 weeks and I know him. He posts on every one of my articles...thoughtful comments. He gets an upvote each time when I go through and do my upvoting. It isnt a ton at this point, $.30 or so...but he still gets 2 a day. Over time, that adds up.

Consistency, no matter what approach one takes, is key. If one is haphazard with this, people get lost. Followers have short attention spans (I know I do). It is the ole out of sight, out of mind scenario. Disappear for even a few days, people forget you.