I Built an Audience of 10,000 in One Year

One of the reasons I've had success as a copywriter these past 5 years?

I don't just write copy.

I build audiences.

I helped one art print brand reach 100,000+ email subscribers.

I helped another craft brand grow to 30,000 subscribers.

And in the past year, I've built my own copywriting audience from zero to 10,000.

Here’s my first tweet, email, and YouTube video:

It all started with zero followers and zero subscribers.

Now, I’m at 10,000 (with a split of 3,000 email subscribers and 7,000 followers).

That’s a 42.8% subscriber-to-follower ratio.

And this is despite the fact that I have a list-cleaning automation in place. In it, I remove any unengaged subscribers (who aren’t opening or clicking my emails) every 90 days.

So these aren’t unengaged subs.

Sure, I may not have a massive audience like some guys.

But, I don’t know many others with a subscriber-to-follower ratio that high.

I don’t say this to boast in any way. I say this to show you what’s possible when it comes to leveraging your copy to grow businesses.

It's hard to get by as a one-trick pony nowadays. You can't just write copy to hit $100,000 per year.

You need to learn marketing.

This means understanding how to:

• Attract audiences

• Nurture audiences

• Convert audiences

See the pattern there?

It’s all about your audience.

Great copy isn’t just about hooking people.

It's about 'wowing' people over and over again to keep them coming back for more.

Yes, you need to give people a reason to open your email, click your ad, or convert on your landing page.

But, you'll make far more money for you (and your clients) when you learn how to write engaging copy day in and day out, provide practical help to your audience, and focus on retention.

The best copywriters I know don't just write copy. They’re audience-builders.

They build brands. They build relationships. And they do the little things right over and over again.

That's what it takes to become a six-figure copywriter.

-Brandon “10,000 friends” Storey

P.S. I just hit 2,000 subscribers on YouTube. If you haven’t watched my videos yet, subscribe now (I’ll be posting a lot more video content in 2025).