One week since starting Threads. Things I noticed before reaching 100 followers

When I first started Threads,
I was constantly worried about the numbers on the screen.

After posting, I would open Threads over and over,

wondering, "Did anyone see it?"

"Did I get any likes?"

"Did my follower count go up?"

I would keep checking.

Looking back now, I think I was quite
swayed by the numbers.

My purpose for starting Threads was
to get people to know about my posts on note.

That is precisely why,
"I have to increase my followers first, otherwise
no one will read my note either."
That is how I was thinking.

However,
about a week after starting Threads,
thankfully,
I reached 100 followers,
and I started to feel something a little different.

Of course, I was happy about the number 100 followers.
But what made me even happier was


that behind those numbers,there were people I had actually exchanged words with.

I thought I had to post a lot every day to be seen

Before starting Threads,
I knew almost nothing
about posting on social media 😢

When I look at Threads,
there are many people who post multiple times a day.

Because of that,

"Do I have to post a lot
every day too?"

"If I don't post often,
maybe no one will find me."

I thought.

Even though I am on maternity leave,
it does not mean I have
a lot of free time.

Even if I think I will write a note
while my child is napping,
there are days when they just won't fall asleep.

When I finally think they are asleep,
there is housework left to do,
or I accidentally fall asleep with them... 💦

There were times when I couldn't think of anything to post,
and just held my smartphone
as time passed by.

Even so, at the beginning,
"I have to post something"
was a strong feeling.

Since I went to the trouble of starting it,
I want to get results as soon as possible.

I think that is what I was thinking.

I thought I had to write "useful things"

Another thing I was worried about was the content of my posts.

If I am going to post about Threads and note,
I have to write some useful information.

If it is not content that makes people think,
"I learned something,"
there is no point in posting.

That is what I thought.

But when I actually posted,
it was the unexpected posts that got reactions.

That I am writing notes in between childcare.

That work was not progressing as I had hoped.

That I was nervous about my first post.

That I was full of anxiety
until I published the note.

I received comments on such things,
my daily life, and my honest feelings.

In fact,
there are some things I wrote
while wondering, "Is it okay to post this?"

Even so,

being told, "I am the same,"
"Let's do our best together,"

made me truly happy ☺️

I felt that being able to share the same feelings as someone else is also
one of the good things about Threads.

The interactions right in front of me were more important than the number of posts

When I received comments, I tried to
reply as carefully as possible.
That said,

at first, I was nervous just replying.

“Is this way of replying rude?”

Even for a short reply,
there were times I read it over and over before sending it.

Even so, after interacting a few times,
I began to understand the other person little by little.

Someone who is writing on note
while raising children just like me.

Someone who started Threads at the same time as me.

Someone who is much further ahead than me, but
speaks to me kindly.

There were also times when someone who commented before
came to my next post as well.

“Oh, it’s the person I talked to the other day😊”

Every time I realized that,
it felt like the number of people I knew was increasing little by little,
and I felt happy.

Not only replying to comments on my own posts,
I also started reading other people's posts myself.

Conveying things I empathized with or thought were wonderful
in my own words.

While doing that,
my purpose for opening Threads also changed.

Even though I opened it at first
to check the number of followers,

Before I knew it,
“I wonder what everyone is posting
today🌸”
became something I looked forward to seeing.

Things I realized before reaching 100 people

At first,
I thought that posting a lot
was the most important thing.

But, after continuing for about a week, what I felt was
that it wasn't just about the number of posts.

Replying carefully
when receiving comments.

Going to read other people's posts myself.

Not trying to look good,
but writing what I felt at that moment in my own words.

Those small interactions
gradually expanded my connections with people.

I am not well-versed in
ways to increase followers.

Even now, I am in the middle of trial and error
regarding what kind of posts will reach people.

Therefore,
“If you do this, you can reach 100 people in a week”
is not what I want to convey.

I, who only cared about numbers,
started to see the people behind the numbers.

That was the biggest change in the first week.

What made me happier than the number 100

When I saw the screen showing I had 100 followers,
I couldn't help but check it over and over again.

There are 100 people who found me just as I started Threads
and chose to follow me.

Thinking about that
made me feel truly grateful.😌

But what stays in my heart
isn't just the number.

It's that I received comments on my posts.

That I was able to have a conversation with someone I'd spoken to once
on a different post as well.

That people read the note I published.

That I was told
“I’m rooting for you✨”
regarding my challenge.

And that, for the first time, someone
purchased a paid note.

I have had the experience before of releasing a paid note
and not selling a single copy.

So, when I first saw the notification of a purchase,
I was happy, but also felt a bit of disbelief.

Of course,
just because I reached 100 followers,
it doesn't mean my note sold automatically.

I don't think that just increasing your follower count
means your note will be read.

However, through my daily posts and comments,
people got to know me.

That accumulation
might have been one of the reasons
they opened my note.

I want to cherish the people behind the numbers

Even now, I care about the reactions to my posts and
my follower count.

If the numbers go up, I am happy, of course.😊

Conversely, if a post I spent time writing
doesn't get much of a reaction, I sometimes feel a bit down.

So,
I don't intend to try not to care about the numbers.

Because the numbers exist,
there are times I can look back on my own output.

However, compared to when I was only looking at the numbers,
my feelings are a bit lighter now.

It's okay if I can't post perfectly every day.

It's okay if I can't write amazing things.

First, I will cherish the interaction with the person right in front of me.

The follower count might just be a number that follows
after that accumulation.

I have only just started Threads.

I am sure there will be many times
when things don't go as I hope.

Even so, I want to keep in mind that behind the numbers,
there is an individual person.

Those who followed me.

Those who read my posts.

Those who exchanged words with me in the comments.

While cherishing each and every one of those connections,
I want to continue posting at my own pace from here on out.🍀

A little before I started Threads,
I sold a paid note I wrote about parenting.

It was an article I spent time writing,
but the result was that not a single copy sold.

Why wasn't it read?

What was I missing back then?

Looking back on that experience,
I have summarized the things I felt
“I wish I had known before starting”
in this article.

If you are interested in reading about my failures before starting Threads
and what I thought about them,
I would be happy if you took a look at this as well.🌷

▶︎ “My first paid note didn't sell a single copy...”