Hi @cdanderson!
You know, I've often wondered the same thing and have many of the same questions since I joined last week. I see posts that I wouldn't expect to be popular that are, in fact, very popular, and vice versa. I think it just goes to show that we have a vibrant community here that has a definite wide palette of tastes.
As with any other social media site, I believe the trick to success is a combination of engagement and content. Engagement can be tricky here due to the need for 'Steem Power', but the difference is the potential payout of actual money. It has it's ups and downs, and I've been thinking of putting my thoughts together on it for the last couple days.
There definitely are a lot of bots here, for sure! In defence, many of them are designed to encourage engagement and to help new people - like both of us - become more familiar with the platform. It can be challenging to wade through sometime.
Regardless, rest assured that there are actual people here, too. I am one of them! Shoot me a note. Say Hi! I'll say hi back, and we can discuss whatever.
Cheers!