When a potential follower lands on your profile, they make a split-second decision. 'Thin content'—like memes, one-line insights, or simple tips—acts as a low-friction entry point. It's easily consumed, quickly communicates your brand's personality, and reduces the barrier to hitting 'follow'.

Related Insights

In an era of information saturation, general advice leads to inaction. By providing highly specific content for a narrow niche, you make your audience feel seen and understood. This drives them to act, allowing you to achieve greater impact with a smaller audience by focusing on depth over width.

Unlike Twitter which may reward niche wit, Instagram virality depends on broad shareability. A product management meme account grew to 55k followers by focusing on relatable tropes (e.g., the PM vs. engineer dynamic) that professionals in adjacent roles would share with their peers, expanding the content's reach beyond its core audience.

Chasing followers leads to short-term hacks. Asking what makes your content worth following forces a focus on long-term value creation. It shifts your perspective from what you can get (a follow) to what you must give your audience (a reason to follow).

Prospects have minimal attention spans. To capture their interest, marketing copy in emails or social posts must be 75 words or less and contained in a single paragraph. Reserve longer, more detailed content (100-150 words) for your existing customer base, as they are already invested and more willing to read.

LinkedIn now shows impression metrics for comments, signaling their importance. Strategically leaving thoughtful, entertaining comments on others' posts can drive more page growth and followers than original feed posts. Treat comments like mini-posts to test content ideas.

Simply posting content and leaving—or 'posting and ghosting'—is ineffective. LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes posts that generate conversation. Engaging with comments, especially within the first couple of hours, is critical for signaling value and maximizing your content's reach.

As feeds become saturated, relying on shares for discovery is insufficient. Your ideal followers are actively searching for solutions. Optimizing profiles and posts with keywords to answer their questions is a more reliable and underrated path to being discovered.

To grow on platforms like Instagram, design content with a broad, intriguing hook on the first slide or in the first few seconds. This captures a wider audience beyond your niche. Then, use the subsequent content to deliver your specialized value, converting interested viewers into followers.

Instead of reactively trying to please algorithms, proactively identify the best 'doorways'—specific platforms and content formats—to reach your ideal audience. This shifts the focus from chasing reach to strategically choosing where you appear and how you present your brand.

Stop debating followers versus community. Treat followers as the first step in a conversion process where the goal is to nurture them from passive observers into active community members, brand advocates, and ultimately, customers. The real relationship-building begins post-follow.