It is very difficult for novices to upgrade now, because the advantages are very rare. Only if your post is good enough then you can get some advantages, so it's very important to post some good posts. I think the most important thing is to be able to learn more in this forum than just to upgrade.
I'm very sure that upgrading ones rank is a resultant effect of your contribution to the forum, and if we are thoughtful of others when we post, then growing in Ranks would be easier for us