6 Steps to 100: Please, Pay The (Polite) Follow For Follow Game
Read the rules to ensure your actions are intentional
There are several articles against the follow-for-follow game.
Heck.
I’ve also spoken against the practice in my social media advice articles. Plus, I’ve even agreed with other writers as I commented on their stories.
So why would I say go for it now?
It is because you will politely play the game on this platform.
Please note, I’m saying do it with intention. This article contains tips to help you take follow-for-follow action with purpose.
Here are the rules for the best outcome.
#1. Write first.
Instagram coaches encourage new pages to create at least nine posts. The advice says to make the nine pieces of content before you engage with other profiles. Why? When you clap, highlight, and comment on people’s stories, they might visit your blog page. The action is impulsive. Most humans return kindness or get curious about who is reading their stories.
Ensure when they visit your page, nine stories are there for them to read. Nine is a good number. It shows commitment. Plus, it gives you nine chances to make headlines that spark intrigue. Curiosity leads to reading. Reading leads to interest and a potential organic follow.
#2. Clam down and interact for a month
It is scary. You see, the headlines of how much one article could make. It whips you into a frenzy. You get desperate. Thinking I need to be in the program right now. Calm down. I experienced the fear and the feeling of rush twice — here and on NewsBreak.
After you hit publish, lift your head up. Read people’s stories. Make sure they get notifications because you leave claps, highlights, and genuine comments. Don’t be spam. People will know. Here are some comment ideas: Make it relevant to the article’s primary focus. Talk about a characteristic you notice in the author’s writing style. Or how amazed you are that they keep finding fresh angles on mundane topics. These statements show you are a regular reader and care about the writer’s work.
#3. Niche all your stories before 100 followers
You can break from your niche after you get 105 community members. But when on the road to 100 followers, stick to one topic.
You have your passions. Write about it, and people will feel your passion through your tone and word choice. But. If you don’t know what to type about, some topics do well on this site. These five topics are wealth, health, self-development, technology, and relationships.
#4. Debatable choice
A publication’s approval does two things.
- It validates the worth of a story.
- It places the story in front of regular readers.
Publications have aided my quest to get 100 fans. These include The Startup, Writer’s Blokke (now closed), Illumination, The Side Hustle Club. Plus, this one.
Some writers craft great headlines. Publish stories in the morning and have the algorithm pick up and push their posts. It’s up to you to choose the route you want to take. Try one way or use both to achieve your goal.
#5. Look for your tribe
Look at someone’s profile; notice their follower count. If it is under 100, leave them a note.
Your note: I saw you have less than 100 followers. I have a community below 100 as well. It would be mutually beneficial if we followed each other because we share the same goal. I followed you. Please follow back. I would appreciate it.
How to send private notes on this platform:
- open a story.
- highlight a word or phrase with your cursor.
- options will pop up; click on the lock icon.
- enter your message and send.
#6. A polite ask without expectations
No one owes you (or me) a follow or a read. No publication owes you (or me) submission approval. It was a hard lesson to learn. All we can do is ask and hope for the best. But have zero expectations to avoid filling your body with negative emotions.
A polite ask in the comment section: Hey, I love your articles. We write stories in the same niche and publish them in the same publications. We will see a lot of each other here. I followed you. And I hope you follow me back. If you don’t, that’s fine. Great post today, by the way.
Who said you have to declare your 100 follower goal in every ask? Remember, no one owes you anything. Try the mutually beneficial route — the likelihood of success is higher.
Thank you for reading!
P.S.: If you like to experience Medium, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership.
It only costs $5 per month, it supports us, writers, greatly, and you have the chance to make money with your writing as well. When I started, I made my first $100 in 2 months. By signing up with this link, you’ll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won’t cost you more. If you do so, thank you plenty!
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