From 0 to 100,000 Followers in 12 Months

Hey there 👋

I began creating content on social media back in January 2022, starting with just 688 followers on Twitter. Fast forward one year, I managed to multiply that number to over 100,000 with a reach of 25 million monthly impressions. Here’s how I did it, and how you can do the same.

Capturing Attention

Getting eyeballs on your social media content is extremely difficult. Even if you wrote the most outstanding content on the internet, you’d still face the same challenge—getting it seen by millions. Looking back, it’s easy to see why.

Following the ‘1% Rule’ in internet culture, only 1% of users create content, 9% of users interact or comment and the other 90% only consume, or ‘lurk’.

Once I set made the switch from lurker to creator, I immediately had a deep curiosity as to what made the big creators on Twitter capture enormous amounts of attention. 5,000 likes, 10,000 likes and 50,000 likes on a Tweet. What was the secret sauce of virality? I wanted in.

The Hook is the Critical Component

I struggled for the first 4 months that I published online. I’d spend lots of time writing and little time thinking about how it would be seen by my audience. Writing content that people genuinely wanted to share was a mystery.

Then I had the 'aha' moment. 

What is a "hook" you ask? In the realm of writing and content creation, a hook is an initial sentence or phrase that catches the reader's attention and makes them want to read more. Think of it as the intriguing opening line in a book or the catchy intro in a song. The hook is the most important factor in the success of your content.

In the case of my Twitter thread above, it’s the 3 lines of the Tweet that need to stand out on someone’s timeline.

But for other platforms, it can be:

• Images on Instagram

• Questions on TikTok

• Stories on YouTube

To catch the eye of the crowd you must write a great hook.

Case Study: 7,500+ Followers in 24 Hours

Tribescaler’s hook generator made the once impossible a reality: getting 7,500+ followers and 4M impressions in 24 hours on Twitter.

The topic for the content: “McKinsey’s pyramid principle”.

In the end, I chose the hook below.

Why did this Twitter thread perform well? I'll break it down into 3 core elements:

• The hook

• The credibility

• The structure

The Hook

With a couple of tweaks to give it my voice, I immediately knew this hook had potential.

"Want to become a 10x better communicator than 95% of people?"

Whether you're persuading a customer to buy or a friend to agree, communication is a vital skill to learn.

It helps you in sales, business and life. But that wasn't enough—become a better communicator than 95% of people.

You’ll immediately be in the top 5%.

The Credibility

McKinsey is one of the most renowned consulting firms in the world. This immediately creates reassurance with your audience by supporting your statement with a brand name.

If you're 'stealing' McKinsey's framework, surely it'll make you better than 95% of people? This intrigue forces your audience to 'lean in' and read your thread.

The Structure

The body of this thread only consisted of 6 tweets. There was zero fancy language.

The takeaway: keep it simple and be direct.

Summary

Going from 688 followers to 100,000, and reaching 25M monthly impressions in one year might seem unreachable. But the secret sauce isn't just about writing great content consistently—it's about mastering the art of creating compelling hooks that capture attention and stir curiosity.

Tribescaler is here to be your co-pilot on this exciting journey. Get started today.

Happy creating,

Alex Banks
Tribescaler