I think it's hard to recruit people, especially in the jungle of multi level marketing we currently see on internet. People can easily mistake STEEM for a ponzi scheme or 'make money behind your computer' scam. Don't talk too much to them about the mechanics of the system, crypto-currency, bitcoin, etc, I've noticed this has a tendency to lose people's interest in STEEM. Just show it as a normal social network with gamification and rewards for best players. Most people won't give a fuck about the decentralised part of STEEM, sadly.
Your suggestion is very good, I was already thinking of doing it soon. It's very achievable. Probably in a future update ;)