You have at least 10 members who are more popular than everyone else. They
know it's true, even if they're modest.
So shine a spotlight on them. Ask them how they did it.
Each week, ask one of your more popular members how they became so popular.
They'll enjoy sharing their story and it's great advice for other members to follow. They might even participate more.
Take this further, have members write up 101 guides about joining the
community or how to make money from your community. Meta is good.