My observation is that if you are listed in the circle jerkers' book, you will get a lot of interaction. I don't believe it is the vote selling which caused less interaction. The interaction one sees in some posts, is far from 'organic' as they would have you believe. It is a lobbying of support within a group or community. It isn't at all about the quality - it's about belonging to a circle.

I believe the bid bot system has equalised a very unfair and sneaky system of collusion. It has allowed everyone to at least gain some more visibility and potentially convert some of their fiat into a bit more of the SP or SBD. But it does take some investment of your own money like any other project. The propaganda about bid-bots being the worst enemy of the minnows is punted by the real enemies of all minnows here - the trolls you find on posts like this one trying to distract and confuse the newcomers.

You are right - it is a risky approach but the only approach (except to hang around trying to get the noideastowriteabout types of accounts to let you into their group. If you promote their viewspoint, you may get further than investing in your content - but in truth, it takes a lot more to do that for someone with integrity.