When it comes to growing a social media account, the key isn’t just about creating content—it’s about focusing on one account, one persona, and one clear strategy at a time. By committing to a singular approach, you can generate the kind of engagement that drives growth and builds a meaningful network. Here’s how I’ve applied this method across different platforms and achieved consistent results.
Step 1: Choose One Account to Focus On
It’s tempting to spread your efforts across multiple platforms, but true growth happens when you commit to one account at a time. Whether it’s X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, or YouTube, make that account your sole focus for a period of time. Doing this lets you dive deep into the platform’s culture, best practices, and algorithm nuances.
Step 2: Define Your Target Persona
To truly maximize your growth, zero in on one persona to target. Who is your ideal audience? Teachers, literacy professionals, parents, entrepreneurs? Get specific. Tailor every piece of content, interaction, and engagement to resonate with that single group. This clarity helps ensure your message sticks, rather than getting lost among multiple priorities.
Case Study: X/Twitter – Growing Through Community
When I was working to grow my X/Twitter account, I focused solely on teachers and literacy professionals. Every tweet, comment, and piece of content was designed with them in mind. I began by using X to reach out to my target audience, inviting them to be guests on my podcast, The Literacy Advocate. This approach allowed me to co-create content with them, which had two benefits:
- Content Relevancy: The conversations were rich and aligned with my target audience’s interests.
- Amplified Reach: Each podcast episode led to a batch of 10+ tweets that were directly related to the interview, creating a ripple effect of engagement across networks.
By focusing exclusively on this niche and engaging in meaningful discussions, I grew my X/Twitter account from no engagement to 6,000 subscribers, with thousands of views per post and long comment chains to spark further content ideas. This focused approach not only grew my audience but also built relationships that helped me secure book tours—the ultimate goal.
Case Study: YouTube – From Book Tours to Kids’ Content
When it was time to grow my YouTube channel, I used a similar approach, but with a different persona: children and their parents. After booking book tours, I turned the visits into content opportunities, producing read-aloud videos (Longs) and short, fun 60-second interviews with kids (Shorts). Both formats resonated with pre-K to 3rd-grade readers.
By maintaining this laser-focused content strategy, I grew my YouTube channel from 300 to 4,000 subscribers, generating 250,000 combined views and thousands of watch hours. This deep dive into a single platform and persona yielded the most significant results.
Step 3: Co-Create Content to Maximize Engagement
The foundation of this growth strategy is co-creating content with your target audience. Whether it’s teachers on X, professional writers on LinkedIn, or entrepreneurs on a podcast, collaboration is key. For instance:
- LinkedIn for Writers: I applied the same focused strategy on LinkedIn when growing a network of professional writers for Stone Crest. I used my podcast, Writing Better, for interviews and then created LinkedIn content that featured each guest. This approach not only grew my LinkedIn following to 4,000 but also established relationships with almost every professional ghostwriter in the space.
- Entrepreneurs on Purpose Driven Entrepreneur: Currently, I’m using the same approach to reach business owners. The podcast Purpose Driven Entrepreneur allows me to create content with and for entrepreneurs, which then serves as a foundation for related written content on LinkedIn.
Step 4: Build a Network, Not Just an Audience
The beauty of this focused approach is that it doesn’t just build followers—it builds a network. By consistently creating content with and for your target persona, you establish credibility, trust, and long-term relationships. This network becomes a community that engages not only with your content but also with each other, amplifying your reach even further.
Final Thoughts: The Magic of Singular Focus
The secret to social media growth is singular focus—one account, one persona, one strategy. It’s easy to get distracted by the potential of being everywhere at once, but true growth happens when you commit fully to one platform and one audience at a time. This approach has helped me achieve tangible growth, build strong networks, and drive real-world results, like booking book tours, increasing sales, and growing referral networks.
By staying focused, you’ll not only grow your audience but also build lasting relationships and achieve your broader business goals.
