Yesterday I published a long post titled: “Cannon Fire on the X Algorithm: It Claims to Reward High-Quality Original Content, Yet Leaves Long-Form Pieces Ignored.”
Link: https://x.com/zhuweisha2/status/2038421127559864397?s=20
I followed up with two more posts: “Follow-up on the Algorithm Critique” and “Real Feedback After Posting the Main Cannon Fire Article.” Through these, I deeply experienced the flaws in X’s current algorithm. The two follow-up pieces should logically have been pushed to people who had already seen the first one — but clearly that didn’t happen, as their click-through rates were completely different. For AI, judging this should be almost effortless.
X (Twitter) excels at fast news and real-time discussion. Long-form content has a different nature and shouldn’t be treated with the same mechanics.
At its core, posting long-form content on X is equivalent to WeChat Public Accounts. The success of Public Accounts relies on article quality and fans’ organic forwarding. With AI’s judgment capability, this can now be replaced. AI has comprehensive understanding of target audiences. Whoever takes the lead in content evaluation will dominate the space. Platforms like Instagram, Medium, and Reddit will tremble — those who can’t keep up will be left behind.
When content quality speaks for itself, my in-depth discussion piece “Comments on the SEC’s ‘Application of Federal Securities Laws to Certain Types of Crypto Assets and Transactions Involving Crypto Assets’”
Link: https://x.com/zhuweisha2/status/2035158764962320825?s=20
was fully read and scored by Grok at 92/100. This article directly critiques the authoritative SEC and deserves to compete for a million-dollar bounty, yet under the current algorithm, it has almost no chance of gaining visibility.
Strategically, X is on the right path. Tactically, there are some small flaws that need refinement. Users should work together to maintain this free public square.
As promised, here is the advice Grok gave me. The human brain only has about 25 watts of computing power — we can’t be experts in every field. This method was useful in the pre-AI era.
Grok’s Advice:
“Your issue is very common: the content is deep and thoughtful, but it gets stuck in the ‘cold start’ phase.
I reviewed your recent posts from @zhuweisha2 (long-form pieces on Bitcoin, Satoshi, and the Bitcoin Standard). The quality is genuinely high, but you mostly post pure article links, resulting in only dozens of views and almost zero engagement. This isn’t because your content lacks value — it’s because the distribution mechanism isn’t activated. Like WeChat, Xiaohongshu, or Toutiao, X’s algorithm first looks at ‘initial signals’ (open rate, dwell time, likes, reposts, comments). Only when those look good does it push the content to larger traffic pools.
Here’s the fastest-acting core solution + a 5-step actionable plan designed specifically for your current posting habits (mainly X long-form). You should see noticeable traffic improvement in 7–14 days.
Core Solution: Shift from “one-way broadcasting” to “hook-driven + interaction-sparking social content packages.”
Stop simply dropping an article link. Turn every thoughtful long-form piece into an “X thread + core visual assets + strong CTA.” Test with small traffic first, then let the algorithm amplify it naturally. The key is making readers want to click, stay, repost, and reply the moment they see it.
5 Steps You Can Start Today:
1. Rewrite the title and first sentence as a strong hook (most important — determines ~80% of open rate). Your current titles are too academic. Change them to question/contrast/number formats:
- “Is Bitcoin truly ‘decentralized’? How much BTC has the U.S. government secretly accumulated?”
“After Satoshi’s identity is exposed, will Bitcoin still be ‘digital gold’? My 3 new conclusions.” - First sentence: Immediately state a bold view or pain point, e.g., “After 5 years studying the Bitcoin Standard, I discovered a fatal flaw that most people overlook…”
- → This can easily 2–3x your open rate, giving the algorithm better initial signals.
2. Break the long article into an X Thread + visual impact (don’t just post the article)
- Post 1: Hook title + one highly attractive cover image (create with Canva — e.g., golden Bitcoin background with bold text).
- Posts 2–6: One core point per post + one image/chart/meme (e.g., BTC price trends, Satoshi timeline).
- Final post: Full article link + strong CTA (“What do you think? Feel free to discuss in the comments — I’ll reply to every one.”)
- X’s algorithm loves threads because they generate higher interaction data and are more likely to enter the “For You” page.
3. Actively borrow momentum from big accounts and communities (fastest way to break cold start). Spend 15 minutes daily:
- Search #Bitcoin #BTC #SatoshiNakamoto #BitcoinStandard, find 3–5 hot posts from big accounts (100k+ views), and reply with valuable comments (not just “agree”).
- Example: “I’ve been researching the Bitcoin Standard and found that regulation is actually a double-edged sword… (brief insight). Full analysis in my latest thread.”
- Follow 20–30 active accounts in the same space (crypto KOLs, Bitcoin maximalists) and engage mutually. The algorithm will start pushing you to their followers.
- Right now you have almost zero interaction — that’s your traffic ceiling. After one week of consistency, single-post views can jump from 20 to 200+.
4. Fixed posting schedule + cross-platform seeding (make traffic snowball)
- Best times for X (targeting Hong Kong/Asia users): 8–11 PM Beijing time on weekdays, or 10 AM–12 PM on weekends.
- Post each thread simultaneously on:
- Xiaohongshu (more lifestyle-style title, easier to get recommended)
- Zhihu (as an answer with X link)
- WeChat Moments/Video Account (screenshots + link)
- This creates multi-platform initial data, and X’s algorithm will give extra weight when it detects “external heat.”
5. Data review & iteration (sustain and amplify good content)
- After 24 hours, check X Analytics (enable it in settings):
- Which thread had the longest dwell time? → Use that structure more.
- Which image got the most likes? → Reuse that style.
- Every week, take your best-performing piece, slightly revise the title, and repost (X allows minor edits). Traffic can easily double again.
Expected Results
Follow this for 7 days: single-post views jumping from 20 to 200+ is very likely. After 14 days, with daily threads + consistent engagement, you’ll probably get 1–2 “seed posts” with 1k+ views. The algorithm will then start proactively pushing your content to precise Bitcoin/crypto audiences.
You already have the most valuable assets — strong content and real ideas. You just need to shift the presentation from “academic paper” to “social conversation.”
If you want, send me the link to one of your recent articles and I’ll immediately turn it into a ready-to-use thread template, optimize the title, or create a cover.
Keep going! Your content is solid — traffic is just a delayed reward. Once you break through the distribution barrier, the snowball will start rolling fast!
