How to Grow from 0 to 10k Followers

Welcome back to Viral Examples.

Today (in 2 mins or less) we're exposing why the smartest creators stopped chasing likes months ago.

Most people optimize content for surface metrics.

Top performers know that comments are currency.

After analyzing 100+ accounts that grew from 0-10k, we noticed something fascinating:

The accounts that clearly optimize for comments and conversations grow WAY quicker than those who optimize for likes / impressions.

Here's the playbook:

1/ Start by picking 3-5 accounts slightly ahead of you in growth

Not the mega-accounts — the ones growing faster than normal but still answering comments.

Study their response patterns.

You'll notice they never just agree or thank people. They turn every comment into a micro-conversation.

2/ 15 minutes before you post your own stuff, go comment on their recent posts

But don't just engage — mirror their response pattern.

When you post, intentionally leave out the most interesting part of your take. Your first comment should be "Actually, thinking about this more..." followed by that missing piece.

This creates a pattern:

People don't just respond to your post. They respond to your self-reflection.

3/ Turn every comment into a springboard

When someone comments, don't close the loop. Open a new one.

Instead of "Great point!" → say "That worked for X company until they hit Y scale. What changed?"

Create questions that make them look smart when they answer.

4/ Build momentum windows

The 30 minutes around your post (15 before, 15 after) matter more than the other 23.5 hours combined.

Don't spread engagement throughout the day.

Concentrate it.

Algorithms measure velocity, not volume.

Remember:

The accounts that blow up aren't random.

They're engineered by people who understand this game.

Let’s Go Viral

There’s two parts to getting results from posting content:

1. High quality content

2. Relevant distribution

Megaphone, the team behind Viral Examples, helps with both.

1. Our writing team works learns your voice and delivers weekly batches of content for you to post.

2. Our creator network helps get your posts in front of the right audience.

Grab time here or just reply to this email to learn more.