how to earn money by posting in the steemit

This is my first time on this platform, and I'm not very familiar with it. I'd like to know if it's possible to earn money through this platform.

When I saw a number with a dollar sign below an article, I assumed that was the earnings from that article. I'm not sure if that's correct. Also, on this platform, what factors determine the earnings of an article? Is it based on views or something else?