Last week I created my account and set out to join the Partner Program.

2 days later, I reached the prerequisite 100 follower minimum. I didn’t lie, cheat, or steal — and there wasn’t any magic involved.

Here’s exactly how I did it.

And how you can too.

The philosophy behind my strategy

100 followers in under 5 days — it’s a bold statement.

But, I’m sticking to it.

There’s a lot of advice on how to gain your first 100 followers. The problem is knowing who to listen to.

Although my account is brand new, I’ve been preparing in the shadows for quite some time. I’ve read every “How To Gain 100 Followers” article I could find. And compared with conflicting posts.

What I learned is, you can’t hack the system.

Your first 100 friends create the basis for your development on this platform.

Here’s how to make 100 friends in under 5 days— the right way. From someone who has just done it.

Step #1: fill out these key aspects of your profile

When filling out your profile, make sure you include these 2 components:

1. Profile picture:

Many people will not follow you back if you don’t have a picture or bio.

2. Your bio:

If you’re not sure what to write, use this template: “I’m _______. I write about _______.” Don’t think too hard, you can always change it.

Step #2: Publish a story

Any story.

Having at least one story published is a prerequisite to joining the Partner Program.

Plus, it shows that you’re a real human.

Many people will not follow you back if you haven’t written any stories. If you’re not sure what to write about, introduce yourself with an About Me story. Here’s mine:

**Formatting is really important on this platform too, so feel free to copy my formatting.

Step #3: Apply to this publication

When you post a story, it gets shown to your followers. The problem is, you might not have any.

A great way to gain exposure is to publish with publications. This publication, New Writers Welcome, accepts all writers — even if you have 0 followers.

Here’s how you can apply:

1. Click here (open in a new tab).
2. Leave a comment (on the story above) saying “I want to write for New Writers Welcome”.
3. Once Robert Ralph responds saying you’ve been added, you can submit your stories to be published in their publication.

Publishing stories with a publication puts your stories in front of all of their followers — in this case, 8K+ readers.

As you’re waiting to get accepted, do this…

Step #4: Follow these types of profiles

The groundwork has been laid. Now, it’s time to actually start making friends.

The truth is, you will need to follow a lot of accounts to reach the 100 follower mark. Some people call it the follow-for-follow method.

But in reality, it’s just being practical.

Imagine walking into a room of strangers, standing up on a chair and telling a story. Yes, it could be so captivating that people stop what they’re doing to listen.

But more likely, they’ll be thinking,

“Who’s this weirdo? ”.

This is not to say that publishing a story without followers makes you a weirdo (it doesn’t). But, in order to have people listen, you need to make friends.

Here’s how to make friends that will follow you back:

1. Enter this into the search bar:

“100 followers”

What you’ll find a list of “How To Get Your First 100 Followers” stories. Click on one.

2. Go to the comments:

At the top, you’ll see a tab that says “Most Relevant”. Click on it and adjust to “Most Recent.”

This will give you a list of the most recent people commenting on the stories. You’ll see people saying things like, “I need 100 followers!” These people are in the same boat as you.

3. Go to their profiles:

Follow them after authentically engaging with their content.

Step #5: How to properly engage with others

Following others gives your profile exposure. Like walking up to a stranger and saying,

“Hi, do you want to be friends?”

But, once again, doing this alone risks the response of,

“Who is this weirdo?”

So, instead of spam-following hundreds of accounts, create a connection.

Here is the hierarchy of engagement (from most valuable to least):

• Comments
• Highlights
• 50 claps
• 1 clap
• No engagement

We’re wired to love attention. So, the more the better. Engaging with others’ content not only gives you more exposure but shows that you genuinely want to be friends.

That you’re not just hunting for followers.

The best form of engagement is to comment, highlight, and clap. But, if you don’t have time, work your way down the list.

**Commenting is best, then highlighting, then clapping (50 times). Most people look at single claps as a slap in the face.

You can follow a maximum of 125 people per day.

I recommend using all 125 each day. The quicker your reach 100 followers, the quicker you can begin earning from your stories.

Here are 2 ways to expedite the process

Steps 1–3 are your foundation.

Steps 4 & 5 are the tools.

But the process doesn’t have to take 5 days.

Personally, I did it in 2 and have heard of people gaining their first 100 followers in 24 hours. Here’s how to expedite the process:

1. Keep publishing stories:

This platform rewards consistency — plus, practice makes perfect.

The more stories you write, the more opportunities you have to experiment. If you’re not sure what to write about, write about that.

The beautiful thing about joining New Writers Welcome is that you can share your journey with a group of like-minded people.

I wrote this story on my first day, simply outlining how I was feeling.

2. Be a real human:

Playing the numbers game is exhausting — plus this platform doesn’t like robotic behaviour.

Copy + pasting comments can result in disciplinarian action being taken on your account. Plus, you can tell when you’re being inauthentic (example: “Great story. Thanks for sharing”)

Be thoughtful and comment on how a story made you feel. If you don’t have the energy, a simple follow with 50 claps will be received better than generic comments.

What to do after reaching 100 followers

First, congratulate yourself, that’s amazing!

Then, apply to the Partner Program.

It takes 4–5 business days for your application to be reviewed, so in the meantime apply to some more publications.

This one is a great place to start.

They accept writing on any topic plus will add you as a writer for 5 of their sister publications as well. Here’s the sign-up form to be added as a writer.

Good luck!