There are a lot of "bots" that post around and try to game the system by getting return votes on their auto-comments. There are also a lot of newer users who don't know the etiquette that seems to come normally for others, like you.

You have the end goal in mind of success via drive here, and that's what most people don't have. It takes time to acquire true followers who proactively engage, one at a time. Even with 750+ followers myself, barely any show themselves on my blogs. It doesn't make much sense, but I guess it's a numbers game.

The best advice I can give is to not expect too much from your blogging until you have more followers. Don't let view counts or upvotes discourage you during the ramp up process. You have a good niche and are genuine about it, so as Steemit grows, you'll be ahead of the game in a few months. With followers, comes the results you deserve, but aren't getting right now because not enough people see your posts in their feeds. The best way to get followers is to comment well in the niches you want to attract followers from, and they'll start to build up that way, plus get you some good upvotes in the process.