Using a pool I am able to convert all of my bitcoin shares into STEEM every minute. This adds buy pressure to STEEM and raises it's value. There are a few pools that allow you to automatically trade your submitted shares into your desired coin, but I use Eobot.
It is a cloud mining service, mining pool and faucet rolled up into one. The ASIC I use was provided by eobot when they retired their antminer S5 units. I have free power so every share is profitable for me. The amount of STEEM mined is dependant upon the price of STEEM vs bitcoin, as all the shares are paid first in bitcoin then converted into STEEM.
You don't have to use the EOBOT pool, there are others, but if you have an unused SHA256, X11 or Scrypt miner, maybe turning them towards one of these pools would help raise the price of STEEM a little. If you pay for your own power, and take a loss, the future value of STEEM should make up for it eventually.
(Source)
My little miner only provides about 3-5 STEEM a day, and some of that is moved to my bitshares to be held for a glorious STEEM high. The more people that do something like this, the greater effect it will have.