Contests for new users can be a little rough. I have absolutely no doubt that the sentiment is there, but often just getting the eyes on it can be quite tricky.
So to directly answer your question:
- Have it be a rather unique challenge.
- Don't ask for anything (resteems, upvotes, etc.)...I'm not saying you did this, btw. I really don't know
- Make use of the #contest and #challenge rooms in steemit.chat and tags on the post
- You might ask others to resteem it for you
- Reaching out to dolphins..maybe whales...can be a huge step up. They may say no..or possibly not even respond (I personally know the over flow of replies and direct messages.) But often it's worth a try..just never be spammy and respect their time.
I've personally been trying to help out people with various contests (primarily recurring ones) a boost. So, feel free to message me in steemit.chat or discord with your idea and I'll see if it's something I'd personally try to help out with. :)
Thanks. I'll be sure to message you if I have anymore questions.