[Journey] From $0 to… Hopefully Something – My OFM + AI Experiment

Do you use 1 account for Instagram? I'm testing vertical content on instagram, I got views, but conversion is trash!

I'm using link.me in bio (i tried removing link for reach but its the same) and inside link.me I use a deeplink so it opens in browser. I dont know what i'm doing wrong or if I need to post on 10-20 accounts to actually see results.
Yeah I’m not running 10–20 IG accounts or anything like that.
If you’re getting views but no conversions, it’s usually not about needing more accounts, it’s something in the funnel.
For me it wasn’t the bio link or link tool. The biggest difference came from not sending people straight to the link. If they just watch a reel and click bio, most of them won’t buy.
What worked better was:
• Getting them to reply to stories or DM first
• Chatting a bit / building some curiosity
• Then dropping the link
Also worth checking, a lot of viral content brings the wrong audience. Looks good on views, but they’re not buyers.
So yeah, I’d focus less on scaling accounts and more on:
is the traffic the right type + are you warming them before sending the link.
Good luck bro All the best for the journey.
thank you bro!
 
Yeah I’m not running 10–20 IG accounts or anything like that.
If you’re getting views but no conversions, it’s usually not about needing more accounts, it’s something in the funnel.
For me it wasn’t the bio link or link tool. The biggest difference came from not sending people straight to the link. If they just watch a reel and click bio, most of them won’t buy.
What worked better was:
• Getting them to reply to stories or DM first
• Chatting a bit / building some curiosity
• Then dropping the link
Also worth checking, a lot of viral content brings the wrong audience. Looks good on views, but they’re not buyers.
So yeah, I’d focus less on scaling accounts and more on:
is the traffic the right type + are you warming them before sending the link.

thank you bro!
it's safe to chat a little bit on IG?
 
it's safe to chat a little bit on IG?
Yeah it’s safe as long as you keep it natural. Just talk like a normal person, don’t rush into dropping links or pushing anything too hard. Issues usually come when people act spammy or robotic, but a bit of casual back and forth is completely fine.
 
Day 162 Update

Another strong day. Numbers keep moving up, but the biggest difference now is how controlled everything feels.

Revenue
• Total: $1,698
• Subscriptions: $412
• PPV: $1,034
• Tips: $252

Subscribers
• New subs: 116
• Rebill rate: ~86%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~48%
• Reddit: ~37%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 4
• TikToks: 2
• Reddit posts: 19
• IG Stories: 21

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I focused on tightening follow-up timing and refining how we transition from engagement → monetization.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
Transitions are where most money is made or lost.

Not the opener. Not even the offer.
But the moment between:
• Conversation → first offer
• First offer → upsell
• Engagement → reactivation

Smoother transitions = higher conversions.

Another insight:
Users need a “reason” to buy right now.
When there’s no urgency or context, they delay.
Adding light reasons (timing, availability, mood) increased immediate conversions.

Also noticed:
Momentum drops kill revenue.
If a conversation slows down too much, recovery is harder. Keeping a steady rhythm without over-messaging performed best.

On the monetization side:
Back-end is now dominating even more.
A large part of today’s revenue came from:
• Follow-ups
• Returning users
• Upsells after initial purchase

Traffic-wise:
Reddit is now close to overtaking IG in revenue contribution.
Still slightly lower in volume, but clearly stronger in monetization.

New Focus / Tests
• Optimize transition points in conversations
• Add subtle urgency triggers
• Maintain consistent conversation rhythm
• Continue expanding back-end monetization

At this point, small improvements in flow are driving the biggest gains.
 
What did your IG page for your agency look like at the start? What did you post on it? Did you have followers? How did you get followers if you had them?
 
What did your IG page for your agency look like at the start? What did you post on it? Did you have followers? How did you get followers if you had them?
At the start it was super basic, nothing fancy.
Just a normal-looking page, a few posts so it didn’t look empty, and then mostly reels from day one. No big following or anything, basically starting from zero.
Followers just came from posting consistently. Reels were doing most of the work, bringing in views → profile visits → followers. Didn’t do anything special for growth early on, just volume + consistency until something started hitting.
 
Day 163 Update

Another strong day. Growth continues, but what stands out now is how small refinements are compounding faster than before.

Revenue
• Total: $1,756
• Subscriptions: $421
• PPV: $1,072
• Tips: $263

Subscribers
• New subs: 119
• Rebill rate: ~87%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~47%
• Reddit: ~38%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 3
• TikToks: 3
• Reddit posts: 20
• IG Stories: 22

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I focused on improving reactivation flows and refining how we handle mid-intent users.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
Most users are not “cold”, they’re just unfinished.

A large portion of people who didn’t buy before:
• Just needed more time
• More context
• Or a better moment

Treating them as “pending” instead of “lost” increased recovered revenue significantly.

Another insight:
Timing beats persuasion.
The same offer sent at the right moment (after engagement peak) outperformed better-written offers sent at the wrong time.

Also noticed:
Users respond better to continuation than restart.
Following up as if the conversation is ongoing (not starting over) felt more natural and increased replies.

On the monetization side:
Mid-intent users are the biggest opportunity.
High spenders are obvious, low-intent are mostly noise, but the middle group converts heavily when handled correctly.

Traffic-wise:
Reddit is now almost equal to IG in both traffic and revenue.
Consistency there is starting to pay off.

New Focus / Tests
• Build structured reactivation sequences
• Improve timing of offers after engagement peaks
• Focus more on mid-intent user flows
• Keep strengthening Reddit as a core channel

System is becoming more about recovery and timing than just acquisition.
 
Day 164 Update

Another very strong day. Revenue keeps climbing, but the most interesting part is how much more efficient the system is becoming.

Revenue
• Total: $1,824
• Subscriptions: $431
• PPV: $1,116
• Tips: $277

Subscribers
• New subs: 123
• Rebill rate: ~87%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~46%
• Reddit: ~39%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 4
• TikToks: 2
• Reddit posts: 20
• IG Stories: 22

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I focused mainly on improving conversion pacing and identifying “high-potential” users earlier.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
The longer a user stays emotionally engaged, the higher the lifetime value.

Not every conversation needs an immediate conversion.
Some of the best spenders now started as:
• Slow responders
• Curious users
• People who didn’t buy on day 1

Giving conversations more room to breathe increased long-term monetization.

Another insight:
Over-selling creates invisible resistance.

Even when users keep replying, too much selling energy lowers future spending.
Pulling back slightly actually increased:
• Return conversations
• Follow-up purchases
• Overall trust

Also noticed:
Users spend more when they feel “noticed.”

Very small details made a difference:
• Remembering previous topics
• Referencing earlier conversations
• Matching their style of communication

Doesn’t scale perfectly, but dramatically improves monetization.

On the traffic side:
Reddit officially became the highest ROI platform.

Lower reach than IG, but:
• Better spenders
• Better retention
• Better response rates

New Focus / Tests
• Increase focus on long-term user value
• Reduce unnecessary selling pressure
• Improve personalization inside chats
• Continue expanding Reddit traffic carefully

The system is shifting from fast conversions → relationship-based monetization.
 
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Day 165 Update

Another strong day. Revenue keeps moving up, but the biggest difference now is how much less “random” everything feels.

Revenue
• Total: $1,897
• Subscriptions: $442
• PPV: $1,162
• Tips: $293

Subscribers
• New subs: 126
• Rebill rate: ~88%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~45%
• Reddit: ~40%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 3
• TikToks: 3
• Reddit posts: 21
• IG Stories: 23

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I focused mainly on improving user retention after the first purchase and refining follow-up timing.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
The first purchase changes user psychology completely.

Once someone spends once, resistance drops massively.
After that, the game becomes:
• Retention
• Experience
• Timing

…not persuasion.

Another insight:
Users justify bigger purchases emotionally, not logically.

The highest spenders weren’t asking:
• “Is this worth it?”

They were reacting to:
• Attention
• Exclusivity
• Momentum inside the interaction

Also noticed:
Retention starts BEFORE the first sale.

Users who experienced:
• Better pacing
• More natural conversation
• Less pressure

…were significantly more likely to return and spend again later.

On the traffic side:
Content consistency is now outperforming experimentation.

Instead of chasing random viral ideas, repeating proven formats with small variations is producing steadier results.

Another interesting point:
Returning users now generate more revenue than new users.

That’s probably the clearest sign yet that the back-end is becoming the real business.

New Focus / Tests
• Improve post-purchase experience
• Build stronger retention flows
• Keep repeating proven content structures
• Focus more on returning user monetization

The system is starting to behave less like traffic arbitrage… and more like an actual recurring business.
 
So you are now up to a 50k MRR in less than 6 months? Absolutely insane and well done man! This thread was very inspiring

A couple questions I had:

- I assume there are quite a lot of social media accounts to manage at this stage. Did you buy multiple phones for this, or are you using some kind of cloud phone provider?

- What kind of profit split is typically realistic with models, would 50/50 be a common approach, or does the model typcially get the majority of profits?
 
Good luck, bro. Just be persistent and don't overthink things. The most important thing at the beginning is to engage consistently every day and learn from feedback.
Thank you!
So you are now up to a 50k MRR in less than 6 months? Absolutely insane and well done man! This thread was very inspiring

A couple questions I had:

- I assume there are quite a lot of social media accounts to manage at this stage. Did you buy multiple phones for this, or are you using some kind of cloud phone provider?

- What kind of profit split is typically realistic with models, would 50/50 be a common approach, or does the model typcially get the majority of profits?
Appreciate it man glad the thread’s been useful.
Yeah at this point there’s definitely more to manage, but I try to keep everything as simple and controlled as possible. I’m not running some massive complicated setup, just scaling gradually and keeping accounts separated properly.
As for model splits, 50/50 is pretty common when you’re handling the traffic, management, chatting, scaling, etc. It really depends on the model though. Bigger creators usually want a better percentage, while smaller or newer ones are often more flexible. In the long run, once you’re producing consistent results, trust and stability matter more than the exact split.
 
Day 166 Update

Another strong day. Revenue keeps climbing steadily, but the biggest shift now is how much more the business depends on systems rather than raw effort.

Revenue
• Total: $1,964
• Subscriptions: $453
• PPV: $1,204
• Tips: $307

Subscribers
• New subs: 129
• Rebill rate: ~88%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~44%
• Reddit: ~41%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 4
• TikToks: 2
• Reddit posts: 21
• IG Stories: 23

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I spent most of today refining retention systems and testing ways to reduce “conversation fatigue” without hurting engagement.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
Consistency creates emotional familiarity.

Users who repeatedly see:
• Similar tone
• Similar posting rhythm
• Consistent presence

…start behaving differently over time.
Less resistance, faster trust, easier conversions.

Another insight:
The business scales faster when conversations become predictable.

Not scripted, predictable.

Meaning:
• Certain behaviors lead to certain outcomes
• Certain timing patterns repeat constantly
• Certain user types follow similar paths

Once those patterns become visible, scaling becomes far less chaotic.

Also noticed:
Too much engagement can lower perceived value.

Being constantly available reduced:
• Anticipation
• Return engagement
• Follow-up purchases

Creating a bit more space improved overall interaction quality.

On the monetization side:
Retention is now outperforming acquisition.

New traffic still matters, but:
• Returning users
• Existing spenders
• Reactivations

…are producing a larger percentage of revenue each week.

Traffic-wise:
Reddit officially became the #1 revenue source today.

Lower overall reach than IG, but significantly stronger buyer quality.

New Focus / Tests
• Improve retention systems further
• Reduce unnecessary conversation volume
• Increase focus on predictable user patterns
• Continue scaling Reddit carefully without lowering quality

The biggest shift now is that the business feels less dependent on constant pushing, and more driven by momentum + systems.
 
Hi, you've got great results

Could you please tell about the strategy you use on Reddit and Instagram?

You wrote that you brought in 129 new subscribers. Is that for one model or for everyone? You also wrote that you made 4 IG reels and 21 Reddit posts. Is that for one model or for each model's account?

Could you please tell me how you search for models?
 
Hi, you've got great results

Could you please tell about the strategy you use on Reddit and Instagram?

You wrote that you brought in 129 new subscribers. Is that for one model or for everyone? You also wrote that you made 4 IG reels and 21 Reddit posts. Is that for one model or for each model's account?

Could you please tell me how you search for models?
Appreciate it
The strategy is honestly pretty simple at the core.
IG is mostly volume + consistency. Reels are there to generate attention and profile visits, then stories + DMs do most of the conversion work. Reddit is more about positioning and conversation. Less volume than IG, but usually much higher quality traffic.
The numbers in the updates are totals across the whole operation, not one single model. Same for content, the reels/posts are total daily output, not per account.
For finding models, mostly through IG/TikTok. Usually smaller creators that already post consistently but aren’t monetizing properly yet. A lot of them already have attention, they just don’t have systems behind it.
 
Day 166 Update

Another strong day. Revenue keeps climbing steadily, but the biggest shift now is how much more the business depends on systems rather than raw effort.

Revenue
• Total: $1,964
• Subscriptions: $453
• PPV: $1,204
• Tips: $307

Subscribers
• New subs: 129
• Rebill rate: ~88%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~44%
• Reddit: ~41%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 4
• TikToks: 2
• Reddit posts: 21
• IG Stories: 23

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I spent most of today refining retention systems and testing ways to reduce “conversation fatigue” without hurting engagement.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
Consistency creates emotional familiarity.

Users who repeatedly see:
• Similar tone
• Similar posting rhythm
• Consistent presence

…start behaving differently over time.
Less resistance, faster trust, easier conversions.

Another insight:
The business scales faster when conversations become predictable.

Not scripted, predictable.

Meaning:
• Certain behaviors lead to certain outcomes
• Certain timing patterns repeat constantly
• Certain user types follow similar paths

Once those patterns become visible, scaling becomes far less chaotic.

Also noticed:
Too much engagement can lower perceived value.

Being constantly available reduced:
• Anticipation
• Return engagement
• Follow-up purchases

Creating a bit more space improved overall interaction quality.

On the monetization side:
Retention is now outperforming acquisition.

New traffic still matters, but:
• Returning users
• Existing spenders
• Reactivations

…are producing a larger percentage of revenue each week.

Traffic-wise:
Reddit officially became the #1 revenue source today.

Lower overall reach than IG, but significantly stronger buyer quality.

New Focus / Tests
• Improve retention systems further
• Reduce unnecessary conversation volume
• Increase focus on predictable user patterns
• Continue scaling Reddit carefully without lowering quality

The biggest shift now is that the business feels less dependent on constant pushing, and more driven by momentum + systems.
I don't know if anyone has ever asked you this question, but have you ever had your Instagram or Reddit accounts banned? And were you able to recover them? It's difficult with Reddit, but Instagram sometimes requires identity verification by taking photos and videos of your face, just like Facebook. How did you handle that verification?

And finally, what's the process for interacting and posting on Instagram and Reddit to avoid getting banned?
 
I don't know if anyone has ever asked you this question, but have you ever had your Instagram or Reddit accounts banned? And were you able to recover them? It's difficult with Reddit, but Instagram sometimes requires identity verification by taking photos and videos of your face, just like Facebook. How did you handle that verification?

And finally, what's the process for interacting and posting on Instagram and Reddit to avoid getting banned?
Yeah bans definitely happen sometimes, especially when scaling. It’s part of the game honestly.
Reddit is usually harsher long term, while IG gives more chances if the account looks natural and aged properly. Most issues come from moving too aggressively too fast.
For IG verification stuff, the main thing is keeping accounts looking like real normal accounts from day one. Natural behavior, gradual activity, normal posting, real-looking interactions. If an account already looks suspicious, verification becomes much harder.
Most bans happen because people spam actions, reuse identical patterns, push links too aggressively, or try scaling faster than the account can realistically handle. I try to keep everything slow and natural, especially early on. The safer the foundation is, the easier scaling becomes later.
 
This is amazing progress bro. One question: is the revenue posted daily revenue, or is it accumulated revenue for the month?
 
This is amazing progress bro. One question: is the revenue posted daily revenue, or is it accumulated revenue for the month?
Thank u man
Those are daily numbers, not monthly accumulated revenue. Just posting day-by-day updates so it’s easier to track growth and what changes are actually impacting results.
 
Day 167 Update

Another strong day. Revenue keeps climbing, but the most valuable thing right now is understanding exactly where leverage is coming from.

Revenue
• Total: $2,038
• Subscriptions: $465
• PPV: $1,248
• Tips: $325

Subscribers
• New subs: 133
• Rebill rate: ~88%

Traffic Sources
• Instagram: ~43%
• Reddit: ~42%
• TikTok: ~10%
• Other: ~5%

Content Posted
• IG Reels: 4
• TikToks: 3
• Reddit posts: 22
• IG Stories: 24

Operations
Chatter handled most conversations. I focused heavily on improving user segmentation and simplifying decision-making inside chats.

Observations (Important)

Big realization today:
Complexity kills scalability.

The more complicated the flows became:
• Too many offer paths
• Too many conversation variations
• Too many decisions

…the harder it became to maintain consistency.

Simplifying the system actually improved performance.

Another insight:
Users rarely need “convincing”, they need emotional momentum.

The highest-converting chats today weren’t the most persuasive.
They were simply:
• Smooth
• Natural
• Emotionally consistent

Once momentum breaks, conversions drop fast.

Also noticed:
Decision fatigue affects users too.

Giving too many options:
• Reduced response speed
• Increased hesitation
• Lowered conversion rates

Cleaner offers performed significantly better.

On the monetization side:
Retention loops are getting stronger.

A growing percentage of revenue now comes from:
• Returning spenders
• Repeat PPV buyers
• Users already familiar with the ecosystem

That changes the entire dynamic of the business.

Traffic-wise:
Reddit and IG are now nearly equal in revenue generation.

But they behave very differently:
• IG = scale + discovery
• Reddit = intent + monetization

New Focus / Tests
• Simplify conversation structures further
• Reduce unnecessary offer complexity
• Strengthen repeat buyer loops
• Continue balancing IG for reach + Reddit for monetization

The biggest shift now is that optimization is starting to outperform raw expansion.
 
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