I think it's beta (and will stay that way) to avoid legal issues.
I think it makes more sense for a network like busy to advertise.
There is a marketing/sales strategy, where you create a scarcity, make it an exclusive cool kids club.
For the moment I appreciate, that Steemit Inc doesn't advertise.
It's not yet fit for mass-adoption.
I agree it's not ready for the masses just yet. We need at least to have easy image posting. That is a major problem for many now. I just get carried away by my enthusiasm :)