How Marlo Studios Got 10k Followers on TikTok in 30 Days

We had Instagram, LinkedIn, and our website.

But TikTok? That felt like uncharted territory.

Then we noticed something interesting about our personal account, Freya & Jasmine in Tokyo.

It was performing surprisingly well.

Maybe TikTok could work for Marlo Studios too.

This is the story of how we grew from 0 to 10k followers in 30 days and made TikTok into our most reliable client acquisition channel.

30-Day TikTok Commitment

We made a commitment on March 30th, 2023.

Daily posting. No exceptions.

This wasn't a casual "let's try TikTok" decision. We treated it like the business priority it was.

Our content strategy focused on three things: our story, our design process, and our journey building Marlo Studios in Japan.

We shared behind-the-scenes moments. Design tips. The real challenges of starting a creative studio from scratch.

Our posts started gaining traction. People were genuinely interested in our journey and design insights.

But here's what we didn't realize yet—followers don't automatically become clients.

10k Followers, but Zero Clients

Within 30 days, we hit 10k followers.

The numbers looked incredible. Our excitement was through the roof.

But our bank account told a different story.

The educational content was building our audience, but it wasn't converting into clients.

We had social proof. We had engagement. What we didn't have was a clear path from viewer to client.

Something had to change.

The Breakthrough Moment

We launched a three-part series showcasing our brand identity kit process.

This wasn't just another surface-level educational post.

We walked viewers through our actual methodology step-by-step, showing them exactly how we work with clients.

The series went viral.

More importantly, it led to a significant increase in serious business inquiries.

These weren't casual viewers anymore. These were potential clients who understood our process and values.

Adding a Clear Call-To-Action

Our first consultation call came directly from that series.

A big reason is that we added a clear call-to-action (CTA) at the end of the videos: “Get a Free 15-Minute Consultation.”

After the success of that, we ended every educational video we created with the same call to action.

This simple addition changed everything.

We weren't just sharing content anymore. We were guiding viewers toward the next step.

Our initial clients, including Rare Forms, found us from the brand identity kit series on TikTok with this CTA.

The Real Results

Since June 2023, TikTok has become our primary channel for client acquisition and digital product sales.

Our Brand Identity Guidelines 2.0 Template and other digital products started selling consistently because people discovered us through TikTok first.

The combination of in-depth educational content and clear calls to action proved highly effective.

Our TikTok success eliminated the constant struggle of finding new clients. Instead, clients started finding us.

We're currently at 29.4k followers as of July 2025.

But the real success isn't in the numbers. It's in the sustainable business growth that TikTok created.

5 Lessons We Learned

1—Educational content builds trust. But without clear next steps, it won't convert into business.

2—Consistency matters more than perfection. Daily posting for 30 days taught us what worked and what didn't. You can't learn this from planning alone.

3—Show your process, not just your results. People want to understand how you work before they'll consider hiring you.

4—The algorithm rewards engagement. But engagement rewards value. Focus on creating content that genuinely helps your audience.

5—Your call to action should be specific and low-commitment. "Free 15-minute consultation" works better than "contact us".

Conclusion

TikTok isn't just for entertainment anymore. It's a legitimate business tool when used strategically.

Your audience is already there.

The question isn't whether you should be too. The question is whether you're ready to commit to showing up consistently and providing real value.

What started as 30 days of daily posting turned into a sustainable client acquisition system.

With the right strategy and commitment, you can do the same.

Follow us on TikTok to see our latest strategies in action.