Persistence and variety seems to be key. From the second i entered Steemit, I posted twice a day: once very early in the morning for US time zone, and then, really late like 2 am, to catch others in a different time zone.
I also began massive experimentation. I soon learned that my more selfish-oriented posts didn't do as well as the ones that were helpful in nature.
But, then, I focused on the Secret Writer that is aimed at giving others money, so, that model, is of course more in demand because traction is hard when you first start. I recommend dense writing, very detailed, and trying variety. But being consistent will generally do the trick, as long as the quality is good. Posting one liners is really not worth anything here. This is not Reddit, and I think people are realizing that now.