Most people think building a social media following is all about racking up likes, views, and viral moments. But those numbers mean shit if people aren’t actually connecting with you.

Think about it: Everyone can get an answer from ChatGPT in seconds. If you’re just sharing random facts or generic self-help tips, you’re likely to get lost in the noise.

People aren’t just looking to follow another boring teacher or a generic motivator. What draws them in is someone who feels like a true leader. A person with a vision who understands them and offers something meaningful. It’s like when you’re chatting with a friend in the park. You’re not there for a lecture. You’re there for a genuine conversation.

So, it’s not about those intimidating numbers. It’s about building real connections with people who trust and believe in what you have to say.

The Info Overload Trap

Picture this: you sit in class, the teacher talks, and half the room zones out. Everyone is scrolling their phones and you’re all bored. That’s most content online. Boring teachers. The mistake? Thinking you’re “educating” when nobody even gives a shit.

There’s a reason why getting views doesn’t mean getting followers. Someone reads, learns, and moves on. No need to follow. No need to stay. They got what they wanted.

Now, picture that one teacher who was actually real with you. The one who cracked jokes, had fun with the class, and actually talked to you outside of school. I had a teacher like that. She even helped me get into a relationship with a girl I liked. She was our English teacher, and she was the best. By the time we graduated, 80% of our class finished with excellent grades.

That’s the kind of teacher people want to see online. Not the boring one spitting facts, but the one who’s real. The one who educates, entertains, inspires, and challenges.

If you wanna grow, you gotta stop feeding the brain and start hitting people in the gut. People follow the ones who make them feel something:

• Hope
• Truth
• Depth
• Power
• Clarity
• Freedom
• Belonging
• Transformation

We are emotional beings. And emotional beings connect with emotional beings.

If you’re out here trying to sound like a search engine, congrats… you’ve made yourself as exciting as a terms & conditions page.

The Stand Out Formula

To build a loyal following, you must lean into authenticity, draw from your own experiences, and show your true self. Even if that means admitting you wear mismatched socks (I don’t know where that came from).

So, if I started social media from scratch, here’s exactly what I’d do to stand out and gain my first 1,000 followers:

1) Thought Leadership

Escape competition through authenticity.

– Naval Ravikant

If you want 1,000 followers, you need to shift the way your ideal audience sees the world.

Most people are stuck doing the same stuff. Failing the same way. And wondering why nothing changes. A real leader comes in and flips their whole mindset.

Every movement has an enemy:

• Tesla fights boring cars
• Apple fights complexity
• Dan Koe fights the education system
• Justin Welsh fights the corporate ladder
• Jeff Nippard fights gym bros with his science-backed workouts

What do you fight?

What myth do you destroy?

What’s the bullshit belief that’s keeping people stuck?

Be the one who shakes people awake.

2) Skin in the Game

You can’t just talk the talk.

You need to walk it, trip over it, get back up, and walk it again.

It’s easy to sound smart on the internet. Harder to actually be smart. If you’ve never done the thing you’re teaching, you’re a tour guide who’s never been to the destination. Sure. You’ve seen photos. But can you help people get there without leading them off a cliff?

Real expertise is earned in the trenches. It shows in the tiny details. Fixing mistakes they didn’t even know they were making. Answering questions before they ask. Helping them avoid the dumb things you did.

You don’t need to flex. Drop knowledge so good it makes people wonder if you can see the future. A real expert doesn’t say they know the way. They’ve got the scars to prove it.

3) Vulnerability

I like to think of it this way:

Be the person they wanna grab a beer with.

People don’t vibe with faceless brands. They might with some, but that’s usually because those brands post reels of David Goggins and Andrew Tate. Which proves that people follow people, not brands.

People trust you when they feel like they actually know you. That means dropping the perfect “expert” act and keeping it real. Talk about your screw-ups. Your losses. The stuff you had to unlearn. Let people see themselves in you.

Why do the biggest artists in the world have insane cult followings? Because they let people in. Taylor Swift isn’t just a singer. She makes people feel like she’s living their life with them.

And let’s not forget. Humor goes a long way. Crack jokes. Talk like you actually talk. Make your audience feel like they’re just chopping it up with you, not sitting through some boring-ass lecture.

The 1,000 Followers Protocol

If I started social media from scratch, I’d forget about chasing views and virality.

I’d focus on building value and depth:

• Share the battle scars
• Challenge the status quo
• Study viral structures and hooks
• Say the stuff nobody else is saying
• Build a content strategy you can stick to
• Stay consistent for 365 days before complaining

Make people feel like you’re in the trenches with them.

Because people don’t follow brands.

They follow people.

See you at 1,000.

Thank you for reading!

J

P.S. Let me leave you with something to keep you moving forward.

Brother Brett just reached 1,000 followers. Not because he got lucky. But because he showed up. Day after day. When no one was watching.

That’s the difference between those who make it and those who don’t. The ones who win aren’t waiting for permission. They’re building brick by brick.

Your moment is coming too.

If you stay in the game.

• Keep creating
• Keep learning
• Keep pushing

Momentum is slow at first.

Then suddenly…

Unstoppable.