Buying SP is a great way to power up...if you can afford it....I did a good bit of that.
Outside of that, get commenting. That is how you can gain a following and often people will upvote the comments you leave. Articles posted will be hanging out there in isolation when new. An article someone else writes that you comment on allows you to put your views (as it pertains to the article) in front of that person's following.
The site needs comments to improve its ranking and people need to comment to improve theirs.
That finally makes sense to me!! Thank you! I am still on a major learning curve. Your posts are extremely helpful, and reading comments and input often sheds light on questions that I have!
Thanks, your answer really helps.