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The X Audience Building System
How to Grow Without Being That Guy
HighStakes HumanSkills
November 06, 2025
In partnership with
10,000 random followers = noise.
1,000 engaged followers = leverage.
Most X growth advice teaches you to game the algorithm, automate DMs, or post motivational nonsense twelve times daily. This works until it doesn't, shadowbans, dead accounts, zero trust.
Here's what changed everything for me: building real relationships with people in my niche who care about what I have to say.
I grew to 8,200+ engaged followers on X using relationship-first tactics. No bots. No automation. No being "that guy" everyone mutes. Unfortunately a whole bunch of those have since quit X for political reasons but that’s how these things go in rented platforms
This is the system.
Why Relationship-First Beats Algorithm Hacks
The cost of growth hacks? Your account gets flagged. Your engagement tanks. People block you because you're annoying.
The benefit of relationship-first growth? Real connections that become collaborations, clients, and opportunities. People who actually read what you write and respond when you need help.
Most creators optimize for follower count. Elite creators optimize for relationship depth.
Follower count is vanity. Engaged community is business.
When you focus on relationships instead of algorithms, three things happen:
First, your engagement rate stays high. Real people respond to real content. The algorithm rewards this, giving you more reach.
Second, opportunities multiply. Podcast invitations. Collaboration proposals. Client inquiries. These come from relationships, not follower counts.
Third, your business grows. People buy from people they know and trust. You can't automate trust. You build it through consistent, authentic engagement.
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The X Audience Building System
This is a 3-phase framework to grow your X audience strategically.
Phase 1: Discovery (Finding Your People)
You can't build relationships with people you haven't found yet.
The Comment Mining Strategy:
Identify 5-10 large accounts in your niche (10K+ followers who consistently post about your topics).
Turn on notifications for these accounts.
When they post, be first to comment with real insight—not "Great post!" but actual value that advances the conversation.
Why this works: Their engaged audience sees your comment. If your insight is valuable, they check your profile. If your profile is clear, they follow you.
Do this consistently for 30 days. You'll grow 200-500 engaged followers without posting your own content.
The key: Your comments must be better than most people's posts. Show your thinking. Add perspective. Make the original poster think "Who is this person?"
Phase 2: Relationship Building (Converting Followers to Friends)
Growing followers is easy. Building relationships is where most people fail.
The Private List System:
Create two private lists on X:
List 1: Prospects (people you want to build relationships with)
Add 20-30 people from comment mining who engage back
Check this list daily
Engage authentically on their content first
List 2: Community (mutual relationships you've established)
Move people here after consistent engagement + DM conversation
These are your real connections
Engage consistently, celebrate wins, offer help
The DM Protocol:
After engaging on someone's content 3-5 times and they've engaged back, send a personalized DM.
Bad DM: "Hey! Love your content. Would love to connect!"
Good DM: "Your thread about [specific topic] hit hard. I've been working on [related thing] and your perspective helped me see [insight]. Appreciate you sharing that."
Notice: No ask. No pitch. Just genuine appreciation with specificity.
The response rate difference: 5% vs. 60%.
Phase 3: Community Growth (Letting Content Emerge from Relationships)
Once you have 50-100 real relationships, your content changes.
You're not shouting into the void. You're continuing conversations you've already started.
Your posts reference discussions you've had. Your threads answer questions your community asked. Your DMs turn into collaborative projects.
The engagement flywheel: Better relationships → Better content → More engagement → More relationships
The business outcome: Your community becomes your clients, your collaborators, your champions.
All things explained on this video
The Comment Mining Starter Checklist (Free Implementation Tool)
This is your foundation. Start here this week.
5-Step Quick Start:
Step 1: Identify Your Big Accounts
Find 5 accounts in your niche with 10K+ followers
Must post consistently (daily or multiple times weekly)
Their audience = your ideal audience
Step 2: Turn On Notifications
Go to each account profile
Click the bell icon
Select "All posts"
You'll get notified immediately when they post
Step 3: Be First to Comment
When notification hits, read the post carefully
Add valuable insight (2-3 sentences minimum)
Advance the conversation, don't just agree
Post your comment within first 5 minutes if possible
Step 4: Engage with Other Valuable Commenters
Read other people's comments
Identify 3-5 people adding real value
Reply to their comments with additional insight
Check their profiles, follow if relevant
Step 5: Track Who Engages Back
Note who likes your comments
Note who replies to your comments
Add consistent engagers to your Prospects list
Build relationships with these people
Do this daily for 30 days. You'll grow 200-500 engaged followers.
The time investment: 30-45 minutes per day. Less than most people spend scrolling.
Where This System Lives
You've learned the relationship-first approach. You have the starter checklist.
But there's more to this system—the advanced tactics, the troubleshooting, the exact DM scripts, the list management strategies, the content integration.
That's what's launching Saturday.
Two options:
Quick Start Guide ($3.50): The 10-step simplified system to start building your X audience this weekend. Perfect for testing the approach without overwhelm. Globally accessible impulse pricing.
Complete System ($TBD): The 20-step comprehensive playbook with everything—advanced list management, relationship deepening tactics, content strategy integration, success metrics. Your reference guide for mastering X growth.
Both teach relationship-first audience building. No bots. No hacks. Just authentic engagement that builds real business.
Why I'm launching these guides: Because comment mining and private lists changed my business. Because relationship-first growth works when growth hacks fail. Because X is the best platform for thought leaders who want to build authority and income—but only if you build the right way.
Saturday morning, both guides go live.
Less than coffee for Quick Start. Two coffees for Complete System. Globally accessible pricing for everyone.
Want to get notified when they launch? Subscribe to this newsletter. Saturday's email will include both links, clear explanations, and implementation support.
What's Behind the Paywall
Ready to master X audience building? The Founder Tier implementation system includes:
✅ The Complete DM Script Library: 10 proven DM templates for different scenarios (introduction, collaboration, feedback, reconnection)
✅ The Advanced List Segmentation System: How to manage 100+ relationships without losing track or burning out
✅ The Content-From-Community Framework: Turn your X conversations into high-performing content systematically
🎯 The Implementation Advantage
Founder members get the advanced relationship tactics that turn followers into business opportunities.
Plus: 25% off both X audience building guides launching Saturday (Quick Start + Complete System).
Join the entrepreneurs building real audiences through strategic relationships.
Not sure yet? Take the 7 day free trial
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