I Gained 5,000,000+ Followers with this Secret Method

Summary

The speaker shares a unique method for rapidly growing an audience on social media platforms, which he successfully applied to increase his followers from under 10,000 to 5 million in 24 months. He emphasizes the importance of overcoming skill deficiencies quickly by either investing time or money. The speaker details his strategy of engaging with advertising agencies to learn and replicate their processes, with the ultimate goal of bringing these skills in-house to build a valuable business while avoiding the common 'agency trap'.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The speaker grew their audience to 5 million in 24 months using a method not commonly discussed.
• 📈 They started with less than 10,000 followers and no knowledge of social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter.
• 💡 To overcome skill deficiency quickly, the speaker chose to invest money to save time, rather than learning through time investment alone.
• 🤝 They hired advertising agencies to run ads and manage content, aiming to learn from professionals and then bring those skills in-house.
• 🔑 The first phase involved hiring a basic agency to establish a content creation cadence and learn the basics of the platform.
• 📚 After gaining context, the speaker moved to a more advanced agency to learn nuanced strategies from top creators.
• 📈 The speaker proposed a six-month learning period with the advanced agency, paying extra for insights into their decision-making process.
• 🛠️ They documented the agency's processes and started training their in-house team to replicate and eventually surpass the agency's output.
• 📉 The speaker set a clear deadline for transitioning to an in-house team to avoid over-reliance on the agency and potential price gouging.
• 🔗 They transitioned to a lower-cost consulting agreement with the agency once their in-house team was proficient, for ongoing support if needed.
• 🔄 The speaker applied the same strategy to other platforms, leveraging agencies to learn and then scaling with their in-house team.
• ⚠️ The speaker warns of the 'agency trap' where businesses become too reliant on an agency, leading to potential issues if the relationship ends.
• 💼 The speaker emphasizes the importance of having more time and context on your brand as reasons why an in-house team can outperform an agency.

Q & A

What method did the speaker use to grow their audience to 5 million in less than 24 months?

The speaker used a method involving the strategic use of advertising agencies to shortcut their learning path and gain expertise in various platforms.

Why did the speaker choose to work with advertising agencies instead of celebrities or coaches?

The speaker chose advertising agencies because celebrities provided personalized strategies that didn't apply to their situation, and coaches might be using outdated tactics.

What are the different tiers of agencies mentioned in the script?

The different tiers of agencies include those who just create content and the more advanced ones who are pros in a specific context for one brand on one platform, with costs ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 a month for basic agencies and $15,000 to $30,000 a month for advanced ones.

What is the 'agency trap' the speaker refers to and how can it be avoided?

The 'agency trap' refers to the situation where a business becomes overly reliant on an agency, leading to high costs and potential loss of control. It can be avoided by setting clear intentions, learning from the agency, and eventually bringing the expertise in-house.

What is the first phase in the speaker's approach to working with an agency?

The first phase involves hiring a basic agency to help with the fundamentals of content creation, such as editing and distribution, and establishing a regular content cadence.

How does the speaker decide to transition from working with an agency to having an in-house team?

The speaker decides to transition once their in-house team has the same or more expertise as the agency, and when they can produce content as good as or better than the agency.

What is the purpose of setting a clear deadline for the transition from agency to in-house team?

Setting a clear deadline helps to set expectations with the agency, drives the in-house team to learn faster, and ensures a focused effort towards achieving the outcome of becoming self-sufficient.

How does the speaker approach learning from an advanced agency?

The speaker works with the advanced agency for a limited time, paying them to break down their decision-making process and steps, and then documents these processes internally to train their own team.

What is the speaker's strategy for dealing with platforms they initially do not understand, such as TikTok?

The speaker's strategy involves allowing an agency to repurpose existing content for the new platform, learning from their process, and then scaling the output with the help of an in-house expert who has a deep history in short-form content.

How does the speaker ensure that the in-house team matches or exceeds the agency's performance?

The speaker ensures this by having the in-house team co-create content alongside the agency, documenting the agency's processes, and continuously training the in-house team until their output matches or exceeds that of the agency.

What is the 'cycle of insanity' the speaker refers to in the context of agency experiences?

The 'cycle of insanity' refers to the recurring pattern of initial success with an agency, followed by a decline in results as the agency shifts focus to new clients, leading to dissatisfaction and the search for another agency.