Yes.. I agree. Participation is the most important thing. I have experienced it myself. I joined Steemit in August. But as I was writing my thesis I stopped for a couple of months. So when Ï was regular I had followers growing at a constant rate. But when I stopped participating my followers remained static, now that I am back again I see my followers increasing again. YES, good content and being active to participate in the event are the key to shine in steemit.