The Single Biggest Mistake 𝕏 Creators Make (You’ll Never Be Able To Get Followers This Way)

Here's something I see happen all the time on 𝕏:

• A writer spends 30 minutes crafting a post
• They want to sound smart & intriguing

And instead of just saying what they mean, they reach for something mysterious or sounds deep.

Just to wonder why it’s been 3 months and they’ve gotten <10 new followers.

Most of the time, we find that the issue isn’t their writing ability.

The problem is almost always that they're optimizing for "clever" when what readers actually want is "clear."

So in today's newsletter, we're going to cover:

• Why trying to be clever is secretly killing your 𝕏 engagement
• 4 tips to communicate clearly in every piece of your 𝕏 content
• Concrete examples you can steal and apply to your own posts today

Let's dive in!

The #1 mistake 𝕏 creators make

Most people think they understand what this means.

But their 𝕏 posts say otherwise.

𝕏 creators, especially, are notorious for saying:

"I want my audience to know exactly what value I provide..."

And then at the very top of their posts they decide the best way to communicate that clear message is the complete opposite.

For example, recently we saw a post that started with:

"Success isn't about the destination. It's about the journey."

Now, not to be overly dramatic or anything but…

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!?!?!?!??!?!!

It's become an epidemic how many 𝕏 writers, thought leaders, and professionals opt for clever instead of clear.

And it has quite literally only gotten worse lately because bad writers have outsourced their writing to AI.

Here’s why:

• They think their "profound" hook is what will stop the scroll.
• They believe the reader will pause mid-feed, hypnotized by their "mysterious insight."
• They make the assumption that what 𝕏 users want is to be entertained (more than they want to be educated, informed, or given clear takeaways).

And all of these are wrong.

For example:

Imagine you are scrolling 𝕏 during your lunch break.

You're looking for insights that can help you in your career or business.

Except every post in your feed says things like, "The secret sauce to success" and "This one trick changed everything." At first, you're mildly curious.

And then after scrolling past 5-10 posts like this, you start to get frustrated.

WHY WON'T THESE CREATORS JUST TELL ME WHAT THEY LEARNED?!

You start to get annoyed.

But you keep scrolling:

• "Unlock your potential..." What?
• "The game-changer you've been waiting for..." STOP IT!
• "Insights so powerful, they'll transform your business..." JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU LEARNED!!!

Eventually, you get so frustrated you start unfollowing or blocking people.

You stop engaging with vague content and only follow creators who give you clear, actionable value.

Because at least with them, you know what you're going to learn.

There, the content is CLEAR—not "clever."

This is exactly what happens every single day, every time someone:

• Reads your 𝕏 post
• Checks out your profile
• Or tries to understand what you actually do for work

So, here's a good rule of thumb for you to follow:

If the reader starts reading your 𝕏 post and realizes you are trying to be "clever" for clever's sake, they're not going to stick around.

Why?

Because they don't understand what you're trying to say. They are that professional just trying to learn something useful during their busy day, and no matter how far they scroll through your content, they can't seem to get a straight answer. So, they unfollow and move on.

Nothing kills more 𝕏 engagement, or costs a creator more followers, than the diseased desire to be "clever" instead of clear.

Remember that.

Embedded post:

Author: Nicolas Cole 🚢👻 (@Nicolascole77) Post ID: 2030712762905563285 Source: https://x.com/Nicolascole77/status/2030712762905563285 Posted: 2026-03-08T18:30:26.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> Digital Writers, > > Repeat after me: > > • I will not be clever. I will be clear. > > • I will not be clever. I will be clear. > > • I will not be clever. I will be clear. > > • I will not be clever. I will be clear. > > • I will not be clever. I will be clear.

So, now that you understand the urgency of the problem, let's talk about how to solve it.

Tip #1: Be clear about the category.

The very first thing you need to make crystal clear to readers is "what it is."

Doesn't matter if you're selling a product, a service, or an idea, your reader needs to know what it "is" before they can decide how they feel about it.

What are you writing about?

• About a gasoline-powered car or an electric car?
• About a manual vacuum cleaner or a robot vacuum cleaner?
• About regular bottled water or carbonated bottled water?
• About a home air mattress or a camping air mattress?
• About a collectible watch or a smartwatch?

Notice how changing the modifier word in front of "the thing" drastically changes your perception of it.

Before you can care about a company or individual's brand you need to know what CATEGORY the "thing" is in.

And in order to make that category crystal clear, you need to use modifier words to get more and more specific for your readers.

• Is this a book on money?
• Or a book on investing money?
• Or a book on investing money for teenagers?

Specificity is what tells people WHAT they're looking at.

Embedded post:

Author: Nicolas Cole 🚢👻 (@Nicolascole77) Post ID: 2080632877751095535 Source: https://x.com/Nicolascole77/status/2080632877751095535 Posted: 2026-07-24T12:35:09.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> http://x.com/i/article/2080629870300901376

Tip #2: Be clear about the problem.

The second thing you need to be clear about is the problem.

• What’s the problem?
• Why is it a problem?
• Have others tried to solve the problem (and failed)?
• Why is solving this problem so urgent & important?

Readers don’t care about ideas on their own.

And customers don’t care about products or services on their own.

They only care once they sufficiently understand the context within which the product, service, or idea sits.

So, don’t beat around the bush.

And don’t just say something “clever” like “Big Problem? You Betcha.”

Be specific.

Tell the reader exactly what the problem is, why it’s a problem, and drive home the urgency they should feel in solving it.

Embedded post:

Author: Nicolas Cole 🚢👻 (@Nicolascole77) Post ID: 2083893074271375507 Source: https://x.com/Nicolascole77/status/2083893074271375507 Posted: 2026-08-02T12:30:00.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> The biggest reason most newsletters never: > > • Hit 1,000 subscribers > > • Turn readers into customers > > • Generate $10,000 (or more) per month > > Is so simple, it's complicated. > > They aren't built like a book that never ends. > > Once I understood this, I was able to build 4x incredibly profitable newsletters: > > • Write With AI ($25K/month paid newsletter) > > • Category Pirates ($16K/month paid newsletter) > > • Start Ghostwriting ($300K/month free newsletter) > > • Start Writing Online ($80,000/month free newsletter) > > Check out this FREE mini-training I did for a room full of writers to build a successful free or paid newsletter in 2026: > > Then, use this free crash course to accelerate the growth of your email list: https://x.startwritingonline.com/?el=ColeP20260802&htrafficsource=twitter_organic&utm_source=ColeXP20260802 > > It has everything you need to: > > • Create endless content ideas > > • Attract subscribers > > • Dominate a niche > > And more!

Media:

• video:

Tip #3: Be clear about the solution.

“We deliver asynchronous reporting data and analytics to integrate your business into the creator economy’s growing community.”

Blah. Blah. Blah.

This is B2B speak for “we have no idea what we’re saying,” and unfortunately it exists everywhere. It’s just another variation of “clever”—except instead of trying to sound funny the company is trying to sound “smart.”

Instead, just say:

Sales Analytics For Creators.

Boom. Done.

A good exercise to push yourself to be clear about the solution is to try to get it down to 5 words or less.

If you can’t say “what you do” in 5 words or less, you don’t actually know what it is you do.

You might know all the things you help with, but you don’t have clarity around what it is your reader/customer values most about your product, service, or idea.

5 words or less.

Tip #4: Be clear about the transformation.

And finally, you need to be clear about the transformation.

Give the reader a full story arc to hold onto.

• [Beginning] Where are they starting?
• [Conflict] What’s the problem—and why does it matter?
• [Solution] How do they solve this problem?
• [Transformation] And how is their life different as a result?

Contrary to popular belief, customers don’t buy products or services—just like how readers don’t buy books.

Embedded post:

Author: Nicolas Cole 🚢👻 (@Nicolascole77) Post ID: 2081358806408106390 Source: https://x.com/Nicolascole77/status/2081358806408106390 Posted: 2026-07-26T12:39:43.000Z Reply to: none

Text:

> http://x.com/i/article/2080703138332659712

Customers buy solutions to urgent problems.

More importantly, they buy transformations in their lives.

They want to buy your product or service because of who and what they believe they will BE “on the other side.” Just like how readers want to buy your book or course because of who and what they believe they will BE “on the other side.”

So, don’t make them guess.

Help them imagine their own future.

Paint them a picture of what they will feel like after going on this journey with you.

And if a 3rd grader couldn’t understand the story arc you're telling them, then you need to start back at the beginning. The goods news is you’ll have more clarity on what to write about than 99% of 𝕏 users by the end of this newsletter.

Why?

Because you’ll have successfully positioned yourself in your industry/market and planted your flag right in your bio.

For example:

• Category: Copywriting
• Problem: Most people don’t know how to write copy
• Solution: Do these exercises to get better at this skill
• Transformation: Go from beginner to top 1% copywriter

And that’s a wrap!

I hope this helps you level-up your 𝕏 content, so you can start attracting more followers (and finally build a massive audience this year).

Nicolas Cole

Co-founder of:

• Write With AI
• Ship 30 For 30
• Premium Ghostwriting Academy
• Typeshare
• Ghostbase

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