Jon Irwin on Building a 5M+ Following | F&D Mastery Podcast #49

Jon Irwin and his brother Sam grew a deck and fence construction background into two social accounts (Revive Home Tips and Go Build Stuff) totaling over 5 million followers, now pulling 100+ million views a month and averaging half a million views per post.

You don't need expensive gear to start — modern smartphones (he cites the Google Pixel Pro) shoot excellent short-form content; GoPros and other equipment only matter for longer-form YouTube work.

Short-form video showing the actual process — demo, framing, laying boards, the products used — massively outperforms the before-and-after photos most home improvement companies default to.

The first three seconds are everything: a strong hook and a compelling cover photo (a screenshotted frame with brief text) must grab attention without being clickbait that disappoints.

Authenticity beats polish — some of their best videos come from showing real mistakes and surprises like poking a finger through rotten joist substructure, which feels genuine and drives engagement.

Don't reinvent the wheel: research what already works by searching a keyword on TikTok or YouTube and sorting by most views, then make your own version studying the hooks, angles, and captions.

Cross-post the same video across Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, threads, X, and Pinterest rather than making unique content per platform — go where the attention is; free Facebook 'what's happening' groups were a big early lead source.

Consistency wins over perfection — starting at once a week is realistic, engagement (even from haters) helps push videos, and dedicating a little time daily for six months to a year makes a huge difference.