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

redid said:

Hey nice journey!

whats your instagram reels views per day and how much usa audience %? how much subs coming from ig?

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shijin said:

Thanks! On average across all models I’m seeing roughly 20k–40k IG reel views per day combined, depending on how many posts go out and how they perform.
US audience usually sits around 60–70%, sometimes higher on better-performing reels. In terms of subs, IG is currently the top source, bringing in roughly half of daily new OF subs. It’s not perfectly consistent day to day, but over a week it’s very clear IG carries the most weight.

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shijin said:

Thanks! On average across all models I’m seeing roughly 20k–40k IG reel views per day combined, depending on how many posts go out and how they perform.
US audience usually sits around 60–70%, sometimes higher on better-performing reels. In terms of subs, IG is currently the top source, bringing in roughly half of daily new OF subs. It’s not perfectly consistent day to day, but over a week it’s very clear IG carries the most weight.

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Mercy007 said:

Hi!

Does your account status on IG generally show 'not recommendable to non followers' due to link in bio or you have some tips on dealing with that issue ? I have tried various free aggregators, all giving me the same issue, or is using paid versions of those the right move ?

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• Don’t add the OF/aggregator link immediately. Let the account age and get some engagement first.
• Use a very neutral bio at the start. No spicy words, no obvious monetization signals.
• Rotate links. Sometimes I remove the link for a few days if reach drops, then add it back.
• Stories and pinned comments work better than bio links early on.

redid said:

Wow 60-70% is really good, mine is usually around 30-45% at most, and like 15-20 canada&uk.
Do you tag reels in us cities or do you do anything special?

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• Posting in English only
• Using trending US-heavy audios
• US time zones for posting (even if I’m not in the US)
• Letting the account warm up watching and engaging with US content first

shijin said:

Yeah, that “not recommendable” warning is pretty common in this niche and it’s not always just because of the link.
A few things that helped me:

• Don’t add the OF/aggregator link immediately. Let the account age and get some engagement first.
• Use a very neutral bio at the start. No spicy words, no obvious monetization signals.
• Rotate links. Sometimes I remove the link for a few days if reach drops, then add it back.
• Stories and pinned comments work better than bio links early on.

Paid aggregators don’t magically fix it. They help a bit with stability, but timing and account trust matter way more than the tool itself.

I don’t do anything fancy like city tags. No geo tags, no “NYC” or “LA” tricks.
What seems to matter more for me:

• Posting in English only
• Using trending US-heavy audios
• US time zones for posting (even if I’m not in the US)
• Letting the account warm up watching and engaging with US content first

IG figures out the audience pretty fast if the signals are clean. Tags haven’t really moved the needle for me.

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redid said:

Do you use us sim or proxy? Im using a 4g proxy and it works good but im wondering if an us sim also might be good

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Traffic & Posting​

• Reddit:
  I cut down posting volume again. Removed low-intent subreddits completely and kept only those that consistently convert. Reposted only proven content instead of testing new stuff. Result: fewer posts, cleaner accounts, better CTR.
• Instagram:
  Tested two new reel hooks where the first 1–2 seconds are more aggressive (movement + facial expression instead of text). Views stayed roughly the same, but profile visits increased, which is what really matters.

Chats & Monetization​

• Shifted focus from speed to session depth.
  Instead of trying to close quickly, I let conversations breathe more. This reduced wasted time and increased AOV. Fewer chats overall, but better quality spenders.

Systems & Ops​

• Documented another workflow step-by-step (posting + chat handoff).
  This makes scaling or delegating way easier later. Every day I try to remove myself a little more from “manual brain work.”

Numbers​

• Revenue: stable again.
  No spikes, no drops, which honestly is a win at this stage. Consistency > randomness.

Mindset​

Mercy007 said:

shijin bro any specific brand suggestion for Virtual Card refillable with crypto & no KYC for boosting IG posts? Saw your comment on another thread to go with bigger bank backed Virtual Cards but there are just many options & don't wish to blow up the IG account testing unknown Cards.

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• Bank-backed virtual cards (real fintechs)
• One card per ad account
• Stable billing, no swapping cards

• No new ATHs, but daily baseline held without me pushing traffic harder.
• That’s important because it means systems are starting to carry some weight instead of pure effort.

• I spent a good chunk of the day cleaning and standardizing everything:
  
  • Content folders (naming, dates, formats)
  • Clear separation between Reddit / IG / TikTok assets
  • Simple SOP notes so future delegation doesn’t turn into chaos
• This stuff is boring, but every time I skipped it in past projects, scaling hurt later.

• Reduced posting slightly and focused on better timing + stronger hooks instead of volume.
• Early signals:
  
  • Slightly higher watch time
  • Fewer “dead” reels
• Still volatile, but feels healthier than spam-posting.

• I stopped trying to rescue weak accounts.
• If an account feels throttled, shadowed, or “off” → I cut it.
• Fewer accounts, higher quality posting, less mental overhead.

• Made small tweaks to late-night chat flows:
  
  • Less pushy
  • More natural pacing
• Result:
  
  • Better replies
  • No drop in upsell rate
• Confirms again that tone matters more than speed.

Scaling is less about adding tools and more about removing friction.

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• Revenue: Flat-to-slight up. No spikes, but consistency is holding, which is honestly what I care about more right now.
• Traffic:
  
  • IG still doing the heavy lifting. A couple reels showed delayed pickup (almost dead first 6–8 hours, then pushed).
  • Reddit steady. Fewer posts, but better placement and less stress.
• Accounts: Pruned again. I’m fully in the mindset of quality > quantity now. If an account feels “cursed,” I don’t try to outsmart the platform anymore.
• Content: Noticed that simpler clips outperform over-edited ones. Less text, more natural movement. Easy win.
• Chat: Let things breathe more. Slower replies late night actually increased session length. Counter-intuitive, but repeatable.
• Big realization today:
  Once the basics are solid, pushing harder often hurts more than it helps. Stability first, scale second.

shijin said:

Hey BHW,

I’ve been lurking for months, reading other people’s “journey” threads, feeling simultaneously inspired and terrified. And then I realized… if I don’t start now, I’ll just keep scrolling forever. So here we go.

About Me
I’m not a marketer. I’m not an influencer. I’m just a regular person who’s burned money on dropshipping, affiliate nonsense, and a few “get rich quick” schemes that were anything but. But OFM caught my attention — it’s part sales, part psychology, part chaos… basically the perfect storm for someone like me.

Also, AI is my new “silent partner.” I don’t have a team. I don’t have experience. But I do have ChatGPT, MidJourney, and a stubborn desire to not fail spectacularly.

Why AI?
Because I’m lazy, obviously. But also because it’s kind of fun.

• ChatGPT writes outreach messages that sound slightly less like a robot.
• MidJourney/Stable Diffusion creates promo content while I’m still scouting models.
• AI helps me brainstorm captions, TikTok scripts, and… honestly, some very questionable flirting lines.

It’s a little scary, but also empowering — like having a cofounder who never sleeps, never complains, and occasionally says something ridiculous.

Current Situation

• Models signed: 0
• Budget: ~$600 (all I can spare this month)
• Platforms: Reddit, TikTok, IG — starting from scratch
• Time: 4–6 hours/day (mostly nights because daytime = “responsible adult mode”)

Goals

• Short-term: sign my first model in 2 weeks.
• Medium-term: $1K/month.
• Long-term: $5K/month, a small roster, and a system that doesn’t make me lose my mind.

Plan of Attack

• Outreach – 20–30 DMs/day. AI helps me sound human-ish and slightly charming.
• Content – a mix of real posts + AI-generated SFW promos to keep socials alive.
• Traffic – Reddit first, TikTok second. Paid ads only if ROI makes sense.
• Monetization – chatting starts with me. AI templates speed up follow-ups. Eventually, maybe I’ll hire humans.

Why I’m Posting
For accountability, mainly. But also because maybe sharing my mistakes will help someone else avoid them. Or at least make them feel better when they fail too.

Next step: outreach starts today. Coffee is ready. AI is ready. Ego… mostly intact.

Let’s see if stubbornness + AI can turn into something real.

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networkpal said:

This is very inspiring....Have you been able to cover the model signing part...If not, I think I should be able to help with that.

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shijin said:

Hey BHW,

I’ve been lurking for months, reading other people’s “journey” threads, feeling simultaneously inspired and terrified. And then I realized… if I don’t start now, I’ll just keep scrolling forever. So here we go.

About Me
I’m not a marketer. I’m not an influencer. I’m just a regular person who’s burned money on dropshipping, affiliate nonsense, and a few “get rich quick” schemes that were anything but. But OFM caught my attention — it’s part sales, part psychology, part chaos… basically the perfect storm for someone like me.

Also, AI is my new “silent partner.” I don’t have a team. I don’t have experience. But I do have ChatGPT, MidJourney, and a stubborn desire to not fail spectacularly.

Why AI?
Because I’m lazy, obviously. But also because it’s kind of fun.

• ChatGPT writes outreach messages that sound slightly less like a robot.
• MidJourney/Stable Diffusion creates promo content while I’m still scouting models.
• AI helps me brainstorm captions, TikTok scripts, and… honestly, some very questionable flirting lines.

It’s a little scary, but also empowering — like having a cofounder who never sleeps, never complains, and occasionally says something ridiculous.

Current Situation

• Models signed: 0
• Budget: ~$600 (all I can spare this month)
• Platforms: Reddit, TikTok, IG — starting from scratch
• Time: 4–6 hours/day (mostly nights because daytime = “responsible adult mode”)

Goals

• Short-term: sign my first model in 2 weeks.
• Medium-term: $1K/month.
• Long-term: $5K/month, a small roster, and a system that doesn’t make me lose my mind.

Plan of Attack

• Outreach – 20–30 DMs/day. AI helps me sound human-ish and slightly charming.
• Content – a mix of real posts + AI-generated SFW promos to keep socials alive.
• Traffic – Reddit first, TikTok second. Paid ads only if ROI makes sense.
• Monetization – chatting starts with me. AI templates speed up follow-ups. Eventually, maybe I’ll hire humans.

Why I’m Posting
For accountability, mainly. But also because maybe sharing my mistakes will help someone else avoid them. Or at least make them feel better when they fail too.

Next step: outreach starts today. Coffee is ready. AI is ready. Ego… mostly intact.

Let’s see if stubbornness + AI can turn into something real.

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• First 2 seconds > captions > hashtags > everything else
  I tested the exact same clip with two different hooks on two accounts. One flopped, one pushed. Same video. Hook carried it.

• Fewer removals
• Fewer bans
• Better traffic quality
  Reddit rewards restraint more than volume.

• Better hooks
• Better filtering
• Better pacing
• Cleaner systems

asocialguy said:

do u still using chatbot for OF ? I'm trying to create chatbots that match the personalities of two different models. Could you give me a few suggestions? I have a powerful computer. It can work locally.

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• Revenue stayed stable (no lucky spikes), which is actually a win.
• Conversion rate improved slightly — fewer chats, but higher intent fans.
• Less time wasted on low-quality talkers, more focus on people who actually spend.

• Instagram:
  I reduced volume again and focused on quality + pacing. Reels are holding views longer, and profile clicks are more consistent. This confirmed (again) that spamming hurts more than it helps.
• Reddit:
  I paused weaker accounts completely and focused only on 2 strong, aged accounts.
  Result: fewer removals, better karma growth, and way less mental overhead.

• Chat flow feels much more natural now.
• Shorter replies, more back-and-forth, less “AI stiffness.”
• Fans respond better when the convo breathes instead of being over-optimized.
• AI is now mostly drafting + assisting, not leading.

• tightening what already works
• removing noisy tactics
• preparing mentally and operationally for scale

• Revenue is no longer “random” — it’s predictable within a range.
• Traffic → chat → spend flow is finally consistent.
• Even on slower days, the system holds. That alone is huge.

• I stopped chasing hacks and started building processes.
• Less accounts, fewer tools, more control.
• Quality traffic > volume every single time.
• Chatting went from chaotic to structured, with AI as support, not replacement.

• Instagram: now a core pillar, not an experiment. Reels compound if you don’t reset accounts.
• Reddit: still powerful, but only when you respect account aging and don’t get greedy.
• Other sources: tested, parked, or paused. Focus wins.

• Consistency beats intensity.
• Automation too early kills intuition.
• Whales come from trust, not scripts.
• Most people quit right before things stabilize.

• refine
• document
• scale carefully