X remains one of the most powerful platforms for building influence and generating revenue. But most people are still using outdated strategies that the algorithm actively penalizes.

We analyzed top accounts and reverse-engineered X's algorithm, and distilled exactly what you need to do to achieve exponential growth today.

"For You" feed changed everything

In late 2023, X implemented the "For You" feed and fundamentally changed how content is distributed. Your content gets surfaced to viewers based on their specific interests within topic clusters called SimClusters, not because they followed you years ago.

• What worked before that's now dead:
  ❌ Text-only tweets with links: The algorithm now deprioritizes tweets containing external links
  ❌ Hashtag spamming: Once a growth hack, now signals low-quality content
  ❌ Posting sporadically: The algorithm now rewards consistent, high-frequency posting
  ❌ Random posting across niches: The algorithm now pushes accounts into topic-specific "SimClusters"
  ❌ Optimizing for likes and retweets: These are now significantly less valuable than profile clicks and dwell time
  ❌ Focusing solely on follower count: The algorithm prioritizes engagement metrics over follower numbers

• Current realities and what matters:
  ✅ SimClusters: X places every account into community clusters of approximately 145,000 people
  ✅ Stick to your topic: Your content is primarily shown to people within your topical community
  ✅ Video-first approach: X is pushing to become a video-centric platform like TikTok
  ✅ Time-spent matters more: Content that keeps users on the platform longer gets prioritized
  ✅ External link penalties: Content with external links gets significantly less distribution

Best ways to grow with the new algorithm

There are three simple principles that you should follow to grow and monetize fast on X today:

1. Stay in a niche
2. Posting a ton of video content
3. Be first to create video content around trending topics in your niche

Why? Because X's algorithm operates on three core principles that determine content distribution:

• Time spent (dwell time)
  
  • This is the single most important metric on X today. Elon made it clear that the algorithm optimizes for time spent first.
  • If someone spends over 2 minutes on your tweet, it's 22x more powerful than a like
  • If someone clicks through to your profile, it's 24x more powerful than a like

• Video first
  X is transitioning to a “video-first platform” since video drives both time spent and ad spend. As a result, the algorithm heavily favors video content:
  
  • Native videos get 10x more distribution than text-only posts
  • Horizontal format videos under 2:20 perform best for retention
  • Long-form videos (over 2 minutes) are currently being pushed aggressively

• Real-time topics
  X remains the go-to platform for real-time discussions and breaking news, and the algorithm rewards recency:
  • Posts about trending topics get 5x more distribution
  • The first-mover advantage is massive—being early to a trend can drive exponential reach

5 top tips to grow on X with videos

Video content is the fastest path to growth on X in 2025. Here's how to execute:

1. Ride the trends

The fastest way to grow on X is posting videos about trending topics right as they happen. X loves real-time conversations, especially for news, finance, or other time-sensitive topics. Monitor trending topics in your niche and create video responses within minutes/hours. The sooner your video gets engaged, the more X shows it to people—so timing is everything.

2. Prioritize quantity over perfection

On X, posting frequency often outweighs video perfection, as the algorithm favors accounts that post frequently and consistently. Aim to post between 1-5 videos each day to boost your visibility, and keep your audience consistently engaged.

3. Stay in your niche

Stick to your niche to maintain relevance and audience engagement, and consistently create content your audience actually wants to see. The more your posts match your viewers’ interests, the faster you’ll grow and the more engagement you’ll get.

4. Find your best posting time

To reach more people on X, check your analytics to identify when your audience is most active. Schedule your regular video posts during these peak hours to boost engagement and visibility.

5. Monetize smartly

Don’t put links directly in your tweet, as this can hurt your reach. Instead, post your link as a comment under your own tweet. This keeps the original post clean and ensures that the algorithm doesn’t penalize you.

How to catch trends without creating new videos with OpusSearch

Creating high-quality, trendy video content at scale has been the biggest barrier to growth on X—but OpusSearch changes the game. It helps you:

• Monitor real-time trends: OpusSearch's Trend Agent recommends trending topics in your niche to help you get into the conversation ASAP
• Auto-search relevant videos: OpusSearch instantly searches your entire video archive for relevant, social-ready clips that aligned with trending topics on X
• Maintain brand consistency: OpusSearch automatically repurposes all your content into on-brand and platform-optimized video clips
• Produce and test faster: Easily create multiple video versions from one trend to test and maximize performance.
• Boost monetization: Insert ad read in 1 click to get monetized, and build X as your new monetization platform

Here is the result of TFTC, a prominent Bitcoin and finance creator on X, after using OpusSearch in just a month:

"OpusSearch makes all our content valuable forever. It’s the most valuable tool I have seen since starting podcast 7 years ago."

Marty Bent, host of TFTC

If you are a professional creator who wants to win the X game by turning your video catalog into a money printer, OpusSearch is for you. Book a demo to see how our tool can help you build your media empire.