The money aspect is not that important for me personally. I started blogging on Steemit because it is a blockchain, and even if some random whale can vanish your posts from general view, it is still there, waiting in the dark for the intrepid to read. All other social media sites currently functioning are subject to absolute censorship - Steemit is currently the final frontier of free speech. Like they say, "use it or lose it". Maybe another decentralized uncensorable site will arise, but for now and the foreseeable future, this is the place to be if you want to be heard.
I'm still don't fully grasp what Steem is, but i definitely love the decentralized / uncensorable aspect of it!