I think it's about finding the right people, e.g. those who share your interests. It's still a pretty small community, so there can be a chance to stand out if you resonate with them. My following may be helped by me being so active in commenting and that I have been to lots of events. We need some meetups when it's possible again and I hope this list will help people find out who is in their area.
I don't really have anything to sell, so I just put out posts on what I am into. People are nice enough to automatically give me votes, but quite a few do read them. I am realistic about only a small fraction of my followers being active.
I'm not sure how I picked up where you are. There was an old list by @pennsif, so it may have been from that. We certainly have lots of potential for growth.