Length: 2,355 words

Read time: 9m 25s

I wrote in my elementaty school's yearbook that I wanted to be an astronaut.

Now the kids write that they want to be Youtubers.

This is real. Being a creator online is not delusional anymore.

Work is digital. School is digital. Shopping is digital. Life is digital.

Society is moving to the digital cloud and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

You see the potential in the digital world since you are subscribed to this letter.

Not everyone is here.

I have been creating content since Tumblr days in 2009.

Crazy that I've been a creator for more than a decade.

Even if you don't want to be a "content creator" and prefer a job — growing a social media following is still beneficial because:

• It will help you land better jobs: I got hired at my previous remote job at $135k/year because they were impressed with my brand. It showed initiative and creativity which hiring managers eat up.

• It will give you entry into the digital society: I get invited to events and contacted by high-value people who didn't know I existed before.

• It will help you land clients: People started messaging for video editing and graphic design.

• It will allow a creative income: It opens doors to earn a creative income later should you want.

• It will give you an avenue to impact the world: Messages I've received over the years keep me moving forward.

Building an audience online is a no-brainer, no matter what your goal is.

You can impact parts of the world that were unreachable before.

Personal brands are now resumes.

I left my 9-5 because I built a following online.

So why don't more people do it?

To be transparent: It isn't easy.

But it's simpler than you think.

In this letter I'll talk about:

• What slowed my growth (and what you can do differently)

• How to leverage the authority of others to build your own

• Why you need to treat social media like a MMORPG video game

• How to get started even if you have zero confidence and don't want to show your face

I didn't think about making money online until I got fed up from my 9 to 5 (which was a few years into content creating)

I thought "Heck I have more than 20k followers might as well give it a shot."

Life was never the same after that.

Let's get into it.

1) By The Pen — Writing.

The Qur'an wasn't put together into a single book during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime.

It was memorized by people and written on various materials like palm leaves and parchment.

After the Battle of Yamama, many huffādh (those who had memorized the Qur'an) were killed, raising concerns that parts of it might be lost.

This led to the first official compilation.

Writing in the digital age helps preserve and spread knowledge and ideas.

I used to post aesthetic stock photos with Qur'an, hadith, or other peoples islāmic quotes.

This method (similar to theme pages) works but is slow because many people do it. It's hard to differentiate yourself unless you put your own style that no one has done or seen yet.

It took me about two years to grow to 100K followers.

Then I pivoted to fast advice videos.

These videos (with quick screen changes) kept people from scrolling away.

Once you hook people in, they need to close that curiosity loop. They stay until they've read every piece of advice on the screen.

Looking back, those videos were so annoying. It worked though. I repurposed other viral fast advice content into my own words and added my perspective. I gained 20K followers in a few months.

For the most part, I was just collecting content that did well.

I kept scrolling my feed for viral content. It burnt me out. I got bored. I'm the type to get bored easily and quickly lose interest and disengage with whatever it is.

Creating content is not just about growing. If you don't have fun while doing it what's the point? I didn't want this to be another job I hated.

I started studying other creators and content and wondered why I was more drawn to one over the other even though they both talked about the same thing.

It was because of HOW they were talking about topics with their own style and worldviews.

So naturally I tried to do the same.

• I opened up about my life and experiences.

• I challenged the conventional advice and way of living.

• I spoke about topics in a way people haven't really thought about before.

I noticed people with less experience than me were speaking out about topics I knew so much about. Why couldn't I do the same?

It started with writing.

I started to write on Threads and X.

I sat down with my thoughts and wrote out my content.

I was intentional with what I said and how I said it.

I consciously scrolled alert for what type of content did well.

That's when my growth skyrocketed.

Now most of my videos start with writing out a script first and I use topics that are proven to do well.

Bottom line: If I were to start all over again, I would start writing online.

It will suck at first.

My first writing pieces were trash. But with more reps, I got exponentially better.

I used my expertise of aesthetics + video editing + writing to create addicting reels.

If you're not ready for creating videos then create text content and post it as a reel (they get more exposure for non-followers).

Use a hook in the reel and write a juicy caption.

Sign up for Threads or X.

See what type of content does well and adapt it to your interests.

It will feel like you are shouting into a dark hole at first. Maybe for a while.

Don’t be embarrassed to start. Treat it like an online diary. Who cares what people think.

One day millions will show up.

And it'll hit you. Hard.

2) Be Nice To The Internet Mom — Algorithm

You want to get on her good side if you want to succeed.

Post 3x per week, 2x stories a day, 10x engagement comments, follow 20x accounts.

No.

You need content that resonates with your audience.

Start by looking at what topics your favorite mentors cover.

Check the explore page and see which topics gain traction.

Which topics clicked the most with you? Which topics do you want to be associated with?

Create content around those topics first to gain traction.

Get known for one thing.

For my Islamic brand @eternah our focus was creating top-quality Islamic infographics.

4 years later people instantly recognize our style and associate it with us — no matter who creates them.

Your current audience is like a tiny snowflake on a mountain.

You start rolling it into a snowball, waiting for other snowflakes to stick.

As more snowflakes stick, the snowball grows bigger and gains momentum.

Once the snowball starts going downhill, it becomes unstoppable.

You need to gain traction with the algorithm first.

Then you can afford to branch out into other topics without slowing your growth.

Put out 100 ideas. 1 is bound to do well even if the other 99 flop.

Threads or TikTok are good for this because you don't get penalized for posting 10x a day.

Keep in mind: you are not the niche (yet).

Gain a following first with general topics and styles that do well. Then as you build your audience, you can start to introduce more niche content and unique perspectives.

3) The Power of Perspective — Use It In Your Content

I remember hanging out with some friends at Central Park when I was in high school.

We were hungry after walking a while and one of them pulled out a box of strawberries.

I thought: "These strawberries are going to be so refreshing and cold" so when I put it in my mouth that's exactly how it felt.

Two seconds later — "Ugh these strawberries are so warm and gross."

What in the actual heck! How did I find those same strawberries cold and she found them warm?!

That's when I realized perspective is everything.

Reality is what you make of it.

It's what makes you, YOU.

Your thoughts, pov, experiences, problems, beliefs, values, and interests make you one of a kind.

It is impossible for someone to copy and paste your brain.

This is your advantage on social media.

Become a chef.

Cooking has many variations to make one dish.

That's why you have things like the viral "Dubai chocolate," a knafeh chocolate adaptation of a Middle Eastern dessert.

You need to do the same with content to stand out.

Take a proven topic (chocolate) and put your spin on it (knafeh).

Two people can talk about productivity but from different viewpoints.

A woman could discuss how menstrual cycles affect productivity, while a mother could talk about scheduling routines for her baby to maximize productivity.

Do you see how your experiences can shape a popular topic and resonate with others who have the same experiences?

We're all human. Our experiences are not that different.

That's why stories of the Prophets hit deep.

4) Getting Eyeballs — Visibility

You need eyeballs on your work.

You can do this in a few ways:

Interact With Authorities

• Find an authority: Identify key figures in your desired circles.

• Comment usefully: Post insightful and different comments on their posts. Avoid simply reiterating what they said; this won't spark interest. Unique comments have a higher chance of gaining followers.

Leverage Popular Ideas

• Write about well performing ideas: Find popular ideas, write about them, and tag the original creators. Creators love when their ideas are attributed to them.

• Merge ideas: Combine ideas from multiple creators and tag them all. At least one is likely to engage, and they may even repost if your content is good enough.

Shareability Factor

Ask before posting:

• Is this content shareable?

• Would I want to associate with it?

• Would I want to share this with a friend?

Answering these questions will help filter out low-quality content and ensure you're posting engaging and valuable material.

5) Hook ‘Em — The First 3 Seconds

The hook. The hook. The hook.

I can't stress enough how important this is.

The first 3 seconds of any content will determine its success.

The perfect hook + topic + traffic = massive growth.

My top-performing reels have gained me anywhere from 10k to 100k followers from just ONE reel.

I will be dissecting why and how content goes viral in my upcoming course this month — stay tuned.

Keep the following in mind for the different platforms:

• Threads & Tweets: The first sentence is your hook.

• Instagram & TikTok: The first sentence + first 3 seconds is your hook.

• YouTube: The headline + thumbnail + first 10 seconds is your hook.

Social media growth is not linear.

It is very random.

One day, it just happens.

One day, you double your followers.

One day, your notifications blow up.

The key is to stay consistent during the zero days and cast a wide net.

You need to talk about broad topics that at least 10M people can relate to.

Think productivity versus time blocking for stay-at-home dads.

Which can more people relate to?

6) Build Your Skill Stack — Level Up

I don't play games anymore.

But once upon a time, I was obsessed with a game called RuneScape.

I mentioned it briefly in my last letter.

I saw my brother playing it today and it took me back into a nostalgia cave.

You could work on different skills while you play: cooking, fishing, archery, woodcutting, gardening, mining, strength, running, and much more.

These skills made you, you. Your character was unique.

People focused on different things depending on their interests.

In the same way, you also have a skill stack as a creator online:

• Sales

• Writing

• Funnels

• Video editing

• Graphic design

• Email marketing

• Generating leads

• Building websites

• Social media growth

• Product photography

• Product development

You need to constantly add to this skill stack solo.

But RuneScape worked as an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) — meaning you needed other people to thrive.

Sometimes I needed to re-up my health during a quest and someone with a 90+ cooking level could chef up something potent and delicious to help me recover.

It's the same deal online.

You need other people to grow through AAA.

Attention, audience, or association.

Get Their Attention By:

• Posting similar content

• Grow a following in the same niches

• Have a shared goal towards something bigger

Get Their Audience By:

• Commenting on their posts

• Reposting each other's work

• Talk about them in your content

Get Their Association By:

• Forming group chats

• Messaging them directly

• Collaborating on projects

• Meeting up at events or meetups

You start to create a tribe. People follow a tribe because they have a similar goal they all want to work towards.

I used to live in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn.

They are a very close-knit community.

They had their own grocery stores, schools, hospitals, banks.

They only bought from each other and kept the money flowing through their community.

They were a strong tribe.

This is why the Jews in that neighborhood — and overall — are prosperous.

They support each other.

If only the Muslims were as united… but that's a topic for another time.

Make internet friends.

Building connections online is incredibly valuable.

My internet friends are more supportive than my real-life friends (no offense if any of you are reading this)

A few years back an online hosted me in Egypt during a 4-day layover and that's when we first met in person.

I'm still in contact with her today and we are currently working on a few projects together.

One of them being Quranic Du'as.

May Allah bless her always.

You never know how the people online can play a role in your life.

That's all I got folks.

Thank you for reading this letter.

And as always:

مع حبي (with love)

— Saufiyah ♡