I am barely a week old here today, and from my standout point, i think making a good content post will go a long way in building your audience
Also leaving nice and related comments on post would definitely attract followers to you
I think investing in steem power is the real power here on steemit because you will be able to increase your curators reward, also build and control alot of features at your disposal
You are absolutely correct, and I myself am investing heavily back into Steem Power. However, you get more Steem Power through 50/50 rewards, purchasing steem with it and then powering up with it from what I have experienced.