Just be real on this forum, learn from others, give quality contributions. To tell you how to earn merit is has no straight forward answer than you have to be smart in learning from what people that are getting merit are posting. After you have done that, try and know who the merit source are and the boards they visit more. But you do not have to depend on merit source, i mean if you do jot find them, they will still later see your work and merit you.