Just hit 2K followers here on Devto (signed up in April) with normal activity (👈). Not chasing followers. Twitter is up about 30 in the same period (similar effort) 😳🤣. In return I put a big dev logo in my footer.
If there is any interest/benefit, I'll publish numbers so far.
Thanks everyone & nice to meet you all.
Top comments (6)
Congrats! I'm sitting at about 1400. Getting on here early definitely helped boost and it just seems like a more organic place to grow a following. Commenting, asking questions, joining in on random discussions and posting have all netted me way more followers here than on Twitter.
Thanks & congrats on 1400.
Twitter is very late/mature in the lifecycle so people have already signed up & followed who they will follow/ cliqued up. 08-11 (ish?) was kind of peak time to get on. It can still be done, but it's much more effort.
Devto is giving you followers when active "if online & posting then show to new signups" (something like that) so constant activity will grow the number faster than binges I expect. Post interesting questions is probably the most efficient method (if that's the goal).
The main issue with suggested user lists is that it breeds "weak connections". When you signup to twitter & it recs "The Smithsonian" or "jack-the-founder" on the SUL, those accounts grow very big but engagement goes right down. A while later you have 4.2M followers but only 3 likes on each post. The algo struggles with the duplicity & talented newcomers feel defeated, try less hard.
It is much better to try to build 'strong connections' with lower numbers (unless showing off high follower count helps) but high engagement. I like a small group of experts usually as that helps me the most with almost no noise (or drama).
I am absolutely amazed at the community on here. They are so supportive. Since I posted last, my following has jumped over 500 people.
So yeah I would love to see your numbers.
2010 since that post. I have a 1/2 stats posts sitting in draft (not high numbers but enough detail). I'll finish when less lazy.
I wrote a page of tips to game it too. Not sure if I pub (ben prob already has enough on). 👀 I'm not manipulating anything. 2K is real from: "constant activity" (post/comment/like/engage). Most are "day 1" (they just signed up) which means I am appearing on a suggested user list (SUL) for a while after activity. The key activity (most points in algo) is writing a post & commenting.
Always join sites at this stage in the cycle. If you join later, it's all inefficient catchup. Gold rush now (grow), relax later. That's how the 80K twitter crowd got there (a bunch do follow-unfollow & some hit the zeitgeist, like devto twit but most turned up in 08-09). My 08 accounts grow auto. My 12 not much, my 18 = worthless.
You can counter, but meh. Here now = better. The majority are real devs, from everywhere which is super nice (better than numbers is quality).
Congrats 🎉
Thanks Asyraf.