It All Begins With a Vision

This piece is part two of a trilogy on reaching 100 followers. For the first installment, check out: How I Reached 100 Followers in Less than a Month.

For many years, I nurtured the concept of Cynical Theory, longing to share my thoughts. Upon discovering Medium in 2020, I engaged with several authors, limited to three free reads monthly. Frustrated by the restrictions, I became a member in early 2021.

In 2022, I launched my writing journey on Medium, publishing multiple articles on both Medium and Substack. Gradually, I began to attract followers.

New authors often receive the advice to write to uncover their unique “voice.” However, after many months, I found myself dissatisfied with my progress. I struggled to express my ideas effectively, establish the right tone, and discover my voice.

Ultimately, I decided my articles were not ready for public viewing and removed all of them.

I shifted to an analytical mindset, aiming to pinpoint my distinctive perspective, the value I wished to provide, and how I could approach my writing “career.” While I typically avoid New Year’s resolutions, this January, I pledged to pursue my vision. I revamped my Medium profile and publication in preparation.

I was back in the game…Where’s the Strategy?

If only I had devised the ideal plan right from the start! However, that was not the case. Life is chaotic, and planning often turns out to be even more convoluted.

As the saying goes, no plan survives its first encounter with reality.

What I had was a commitment to myself.

Sometimes life throws challenges your way, and other times it feels like a punch in the gut!

While grappling with analysis paralysis, blank page syndrome, and self-doubt, an unexpected gift arrived in my inbox: a 5-day Online Writing Challenge by Sinem Günel.

This was the boost I needed to ignite my motivation.

The first video presents insights on growing your follower base and developing effective strategies.

Participating in the challenges not only honed my skills but also instilled confidence in my commitment to my goal.

One of the key tasks involved connecting with fellow writers. Since I'm not a heavy social media user, this felt daunting.

Another task was to add my information to a Google sheet containing all Challenge participants, review their profiles, and find writers with whom I could connect. When I added my details, I was 85th on the list.

While browsing the list, a marketing epiphany struck me. Here was a collection of writers linked by the Challenge—this was my chance to follow them all!

This realization marked a significant turning point in my journey…The Chaotic Middle

The following day, I noticed a surge in my follower count!

I had inadvertently stumbled upon the essence of a plan.

Daily, I checked the Google sheet and followed everyone who had recently added themselves. This process continued even a week after the Challenge ended.

Ultimately, I followed 160 writers from the Challenge.

I should have easily surpassed 100 followers, right?

Not so fast.

Writers, like all humans, adhere to the principles of human behavior.

An object remains at rest unless influenced by an external force.

• Isaac Newton

Only a fraction of those I followed reciprocated.

Back to square one…

Around this time, I encountered an article suggesting that following other writers without expecting a follow-back could be beneficial.

You may view it as altruism; I see it as marketing!

This approach mirrors a classic sales funnel: invest heavily and reap minimal rewards!

Anyone with sales experience knows it’s a numbers game; the more you put in, the more you’ll gain.

The same principle applies to gaining followers…Executing the Strategy

My initial foray into following writers from the Challenge lacked proper tracking. Now that I had a clear daily objective, I began measuring the outcomes (yes, I'm meticulous that way!).

I categorized the follows I initiated and received based on the number of followers each writer had. As a business analyst, I aimed to determine which writers would yield the best return on my efforts.

I assumed that writers with fewer than 100 followers would be more likely to follow me back than those with hundreds. Seems reasonable, right?

Not quite—human nature proved otherwise!

Executing my plan, I followed 150 writers every other day, allowing a gap to assess my follows against the returns. I aimed to reduce data distortion from long-term trends.

When I followed writers in the morning (being in the Pacific time zone), I often received follow-backs that same day (thanks to all you engaged socialites). Most of my return follows accumulated by the following morning.

Evaluating the Outcomes

I began with 50 followers when I launched my structured plan of following 150 writers every other day. Within six days, I gained an additional 50 followers through this method.

Based on my experience, I believe it’s possible to acquire 100 followers within a week by adopting this strategy.

Stay Cynical,

TCG

Data Insights

You can derive ratios from the figures I've shared in this article. (I’m aware the mathematically inclined have already done so!)

I’ve refrained from disclosing specific statistics and ratios because numerous assumptions and variables influence them. It would be irresponsible to publish data without offering context.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

• Various attributions

It frustrates me when individuals misinterpret data and its implications due to a lack of understanding. Therefore, I will present the data I gathered in Part 3, 100 Followers: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics.

The second video delves into practical strategies for growing your Instagram following, offering further insights and tips for aspiring writers.