I'll add a little, don't focus on how you want to get an award, especially merits. More on giving whatever is best for you and make your post worthy of getting it. I'm sure our friends here won't just miss your post if it's good and meaningful to them. If your post is useful but still hasn't received merits, at least you've given your best and can be useful for others.
Alternatively if s/he thinks that all the post created on this forum are so meaningful then can also report them to @filippone thread to get reviewed though it would take a bit longer due to much application ongoing on a regular basis. Merits doesn't come from creating a very lengthy post but, a brief and concise post can as well received merits, most times people talks about merits and what I mostly understand about merits is exposure if that account is always active posting and contributing to the forum then it would definitely receive merits. Some people just come online post something and disappear with the hope that post would give them merits when they comes online, although there is every possibility but reputations and activeness counts mostly.