Not sure how to get more followers?
Maybe you’re brand new and dream of having fans for your work, but don’t know how to get attention?
Maybe you don’t know where to start, where to go, or if it’s even possible?
Fear not! 😤 I’m here to set you straight!
You see, for the past decade I’ve made my living doing online business as an artist. I’ve grown communities of thousands multiple times for different projects over the years, and I’ve learned a lot about the best actions and tactics for growth.
But enough rambling! Below are the exact steps I would take if I started a brand new project today.
Btw, this strategy is universal. You can apply it to get more followers on twitter, instagram, tiktok, or whatever.
Step 1 – Believe You Can Get Followers
The hardest part of any journey is taking that first step. It’s such an abyss of uncertainty in front of you, right?
I know it’s scary. I know there are endless doubts and fears in your head. But, trust me, I promise you if you stay consistent, believe you can do it, and keep going that your victory is inevitable.
Want a following? Then right now decide you are worth following. KNOW you are a worth following.
It’s no more complicated than deciding you were going on a hike. You know where you’re going (the top of the mountain), and you know you’ll get there (going up the trail). It might be hard climb in some spots, and your legs may burn. But the only thing between where you are and the top of that mountain is moving your feet over and over towards your goal.
Getting a following is no different.
Actions:
- Look in the mirror
- Point at your reflection
- Now wink and say “I’ll see you at the finish line, beautiful”
- (optional) Kiss the mirror – no tongue, you psycho 😘
Step 2 – Start a Social
If you haven’t already, make an account!
Pick your single favorite social media platform (instagram, twitter, bluesky, whatever). I recommend picking only one and sticking with it.
Don’t pull out your hair looking for the best platform. The most important thing is consistency, so pick the platform you are most likely to keep using. By only picking one platform it’s easier to micromanage growth at the beginning, and it’s quicker to grow on other platforms if you already have an established following on one platform.
Note: You can have multiple later, but each platform comes with its own algorithm preferences and nuances. You need to figure out the basics of running a social first. So keep it simple for now.
And don’t obsess over your profile yet, k? We’ll get there.
Actions:
- Pick your favorite platform
- Make an account (if you haven’t already)
- Don’t set up your profile yet cuz…
Step 3 – Pick a Community with Followers
Pick your niche!
A niche is a community who have a shared interest. For instance, it can be people who like Miku Hatsune cosplaying, furries, DnD character designs, OCs, fan art thirst traps, furniture reupholstery, art tutorials, design, teaching art, poetry, music covers, driving fast cars etc etc etc.
You don’t have to stick to this niche forever, but it’ll help you get traction at the start to make things for a certain community. Pick something you are either good at or love to do – the ideal would be doing both.
Your niche doesn’t have to be too specific or broad, just a general community.
The only important guideline is whatever you pick, make sure there are plenty of other creators with reasonable followings. This shows there are people who want that content. Say all you wanna draw is Hanna Barbera OCs, but nobody else wants to see it…well you’re gonna have a hard time getting attention.
A healthy community is a sign that other people figured out how to get followers in that space. That means you can too.
You know what I mean?
Actions:
- Look at some communities you like
- Pick a community with at least 5-10 other creators who have 5-10k+ followers.
Step 4 – Find Some “Mentors”
Now go into the niche you picked and find out what success looks like.
Successful accounts tend to have certain patterns. You need to figure out those patterns.
Find a few accounts in your niche you really resonate with. They should make content you like that have established audience success. They should represent what you want to achieve one day. Think 10k+ accounts with at least 100 to 1000 likes a post. That’s a ~successful~ account.
Study everything about them. Study how they post, what they post, their content strategies, the design of their profile etc. There IS a formula for success. You need to break down what they are doing right, mimic it, and then add your flavor to the formula over time.
Cuz be honest, you have no idea how to run a winning page atm. And that’s ok! That’s what we’re working on.
For instance, say you picked the niche of thirst-trap fan art (you dog 😏). You look at a bunch of profiles and notice they all tend to have a lot of blue, have smiling anime girl faces as their pfp, and post 2 carousels of finished thirsty art a week (full of WIP pencil sketches). Boom. Those pieces are the framework for your strategy!
Don’t worry. You don’t have to stick to this strategy forever. For now you’re taking all the thinking out of running a social media account – so you can focus on making sick content!
Actions:
- Find 5 accounts you want to be like one day
- Write down all the details of their accounts
- Find the similarities between them
- Use the similarities for your content creation and posting strategy
- Design your initial profile based on what works
Note: you’re welcome to DM me on insta or Discord if you want some mentoring from me btw
Step 5 – Start Creating
By this point you have a profile, know who you are going to make content for, and know what successful accounts are doing.
You’re ready to start! So get making!!!
I can’t say it any simpler. Whatever the general strategy was for your “mentor” accounts – follow that, then go make content consistently. Do it 100 times minimum!
I don’t care if you think it’s bad, get no comments, or your friends think it’s stupid OR WHATEVER! Ignore the noise. Go make the best things you can.
I know it’s gonna suck at first. It’s gonna feel like you’re getting 0 attention, that your work sucks, that no one cares, and that you’ll never feel love again. But that will change! Just keep doing it everyday and it will change. I 1000% promise.
Personally I’d aim for 80% of my content to be niche specific and only 20% content that feeds my soul. Over time you can shift these ratios, but the hard truth is most people probably don’t care about your personal work. BUT once you have a big enough following, and you’ve developed your skill and style, your work will be “validated” – at this point it becomes much easier to just make and sell your own art n stuff.
Actions:
- Apply the content strategy of your “mentors”
- Stay consistent, following the strategy
- Get to at least 100 posts!
Step 6 – Engage and Immerse Other Followers
Now it’s time to start getting eyeballs on your stuff.
Find, follow, and talk to other people in your niche i.e. that means other successful accounts (people who figured out how to get more followers), people who follow those successful accounts (they clearly follow people), and people who comment on those accounts. START making your presence known!
DM people every day in your community with the goal of just making friends.
You can talk to other creators, fans, and other people’s fans. Say hi, ask what they are up to, ask if they need help with anything, what hobbies they keep, what they like to make, etc. You just want to make connections. If they don’t wanna talk, whatever. That’s cool too. – cuz ghosts make bad friends 💀
And don’t do anything needy like ask for follows, commissions, or likes. Your only goal is make a friend, that’s it.
Who to DM?
- Other creators – target accounts under 1k follows at first
- Every person who likes, follows, or comments on your account or content
- People within your niche (fans or creators)
You should also leave comments on content posted by creators in your community. The more interesting or fun your comments, generally, the more people will interact with you. If you’re not sure what to do, a compliment and a question for the creator about the piece is always reliable.
Actions:
- Respond to every interaction you get
- DM at least 3 people a day
- Comment (and like) other’s content in your niche at least 10 times a day
How To Get More Followers Conclusion
Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you win. You could use this strategy for the rest of your social career if you wanted. I’ve used this strategy multiple times to get thousands of followers each time. It’s never failed me. It’s THE strategy.
AND that’s it! Simple right? I know. I know. People make this so much more complicated than it needs to be. It’s literally.
- Make an account
- Pick a niche you can understand
- Look at what works in the niche
- Mimic what works
- Create consistently
- Engage daily
- Profit
Keep making, keep posting, keep engaging, and KEEP THINKING. You will grow. I promise 🙏
Want to Make Some Money From That Following?
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Peace and love,
Brosatsu