That is PRECISELY the right approach, @anialexander! I'm really happy to see a post like this... should be "required reading" for everyone new here.
The thing I like to remind people of is that it probably took them YEARS to get their 2000 followers elsewhere... so by what "magic" would it be that you would get an "instant following" on Steemit? I think perhaps people tend to "forget reality" because there are monetary rewards involved, here.
oh I think they expect immediate results in other places too - not only on Steemit