RE: Welcoming Contest Round #2 - The Missing Links[$50 in Prizes]

Let me try to answer these for you.

There is a fantastic post by @ogochukwu located In This LINK! that details how to improve your relations with other Steemians and a few techniques for getting more notice when you are just starting out on the platform. Commenting on other peoples posts that you find interesting is one of the best ways to get notice for new people. I personally also recommend looking at the #contest tag and entering into contests that you find interesting. Contests are a good way to meet like minded people on Steemit!
Steemit.chat is not particularly good for "group chat". Most people use Discord. You can find a whole mess of people from Steemit in the various Discord Channels. I would also look into The Unmentionables. Fantastic group of steemians dedicated to helping new people succeed on Steemit!