Why Followers on Social Media Aren't Important

Did you know that followers on social media aren't as important as they once were?

Yep, social media isn't all about hits, fame, or "going viral". It's about building a community, establishing trust, and nurturing customer relationships.

Brands that focus on making customers feel part of a community will succeed.

Customers want to feel valued and heard.

Check out the info below and discover the secret to social media success!

The Social Media Shift

The reality is that engagement and relationships are marketing gold dust.

Gone are the days of paying for followers, promoting competitions, chasing trends or trying absolutely anything (desperate cringe videos) to go viral.

Social algorithms have shifted towards encouraging quality, engaging content.

Why? Well, the more engaging clips on a platform, the longer a user will stay on the app. It's that simple.

So, platforms like TikTok push meaningful interactions over ego metrics like followers.

Even Instagram chief Adam Mosseri says followers matter less than views and likes.

Following the explosion of TikTok's popularity, Instagram copied the FYP format with Reels, which means the most popular social channels now focus on this format instead.

Why Follower Count Doesn't Matter As Much

With front-running platforms using this algorithm style, it's safe to say engagement-based reach is here to stay.

While a large follower count is nice, it doesn't mean anything if they aren't engaged.

The main issue with follower obsession is you can end up with high followers, but low engagement. And you end up in a never-ending cycle like this:

• Work hard on an idea
• Share a post
• No engagement
• Back to the drawing board

Sound familiar? Nobody wants a social media ghost town.

Followers are useless if they are purchased or gained through meaningless competitions. It's like that guy who had thousands of friends on Facebook but didn't actually know any of them.

And to avoid being that loser, your brand must shift towards engagement.

The Power of Engagement

Engagement is the new social currency. Comments, shares, and saves beat follower count for several reasons.

People are far more likely to interact with relatable content. When people share content with their friends or family, those who receive it will trust your brand. It's more exposure.

Hopefully, the receiver then sends it to their friends and family, and so on until you have a snowball of engagement that builds brand trust and credibility.

57% of customers are far more likely to purchase from your brand if they feel a sense of personality, community, and authenticity.

How to Create Authenticity

People want to learn about the faces behind the brands. After all, social media was invented to connect with people.

So, authentic behind-the-scenes (BTS), relatable and relevant content farms engagement.

Whether it's Gen X or Boomers using Gen-Z slang or a "make the putt, leave at 3:30 pm", these videos generate high levels of engagement because it's authentic.

There are heaps of BTS ideas for you to get stuck into. Best of all, you can have fun with it, get creative, and build a community of loyal customers.

Growth by Community

Customers don't just want to buy. They want to belong.

And a customer who feels they belong to a community is a loyal customer. Highly engaging, helpful, and niche content makes customers feel this sense of belonging.

Gymshark shares tips, tricks and relatable content about fitness. This educational, entertaining approach creates a sense of community among Gymshark's customers. They provide value.

Thanks to this, Gymshark dominates the gym wear industry with a strong community of loyal customers, who probably wouldn't be seen dead working out wearing another brand.

How to Build an Engaged Social Media Community

With all of this information, it's important to understand how you can build a highly engaged social media community for success.

Interact and Converse

If it's the last thing you do, respond to every comment and direct message (DM). That's right, log on every single day and respond to everybody. Even if it's just with an emoji.

Comments

Answer in a memorable way that provides value: information, education, and guidance, or gains interactions through entertainment.

Think about Ryanair. Some of the budget airline's social media replies are hilarious.

However, if you're thinking about taking the comedy route, we suggest you build a community that understands your brand voice first.

Either way, you must prioritise responding to every comment. Remember, more comments equal more engagement. By answering every question you're helping potential buyers and adding to your engagement. Everybody wins.

DMs

DMs are key. Customers can ask questions or make requests privately, and responding quickly with helpful information will win them over.

Think of it as a one-to-one intimate conversation with a customer. DMs are about as personal as it gets on social media, so take advantage of this opportunity.

Don't leave a single DM unanswered. Personalise your responses for authentic connections.

Interactive Content

Posting relevant, entertaining, and relatable interactive content goes above and beyond; it's a hidden gem for engagement.

Polls

Uploading polls on your story gives your customers a voice. Because the truth is that humans love to talk about themselves and express opinions.

In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie says to show genuine interest in people's thoughts and opinions, and they will feel valued.

Again, this is what attracts people to social media in the first place; it provides people with a vehicle to share thoughts.

By posting polls, you give people a platform to voice their opinions and show that you value your community. Plus, this is a top hack to gain new product recommendations or suggestions from customers.

Quizzes

Posting a quiz on your story is a top-tier method for driving authentic, meaningful engagement. Quizzes are fun ways to interact and challenge your customers.

Thought-provoking questions will likely drive engagement through the roof. Quiz them on a subject in your field, ask them about your products or test their knowledge for a mini giveaway.

Q&As

The real winner is a live Q&A, and you can do this in two ways: on your story or by starting a live stream.

Either way, there's nothing more authentic than answering customers and providing value in real time.

Post a question on your story, watch the replies roll in, and answer them. Repost your answers on your story and allow everybody to see them.

Alternatively, hosting a live on Instagram or TikTok is an excellent option. Live has greater reach (non-followers can view them) and you can answer questions directly, offering a more authentic experience.

To build hype around the Q&A, post about it beforehand and make it an event. Invite followers to come along and bring any questions they have about your product.

Staying engaged daily keeps your customers interested and goes beyond typical social media marketing. It's the foundation for social media success.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC might just be the ultimate authenticity and credibility booster. 79% of people say UGC influences their purchasing and engagement behaviour.

Think about it: if you see real people enjoying a product, you're far more likely to purchase it.

Share stories where customers review your products or invest in UGC influencers to boost your brand's trustworthiness. In the age of AI, people value genuine social proof from real people.

Don't ignore the power of UGC, as it's a mistake plenty of businesses make in social media marketing.

Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes

We've got your back. Here is a list of social media marketing mistakes to avoid, so you don't have to suffer any major setbacks.

• Posting lots of sales-focused content without value.
• Ignoring DMs or comments.
• Not adapting content for different platforms.
• Focusing on pushing products over authenticity.
• Faceless accounts.
• Buying followers, which kills engagement.

Steer clear of these quick hacks and invest in long-term strategies for guaranteed success.

How Long Does Building a Community Take?

Community building is a long-term strategy, but don't ignore it. Fostering relationships with customers is an investment that generates leads and sales.

Expect several months of consistent engagement and quality content creation before seeing significant results.

Daily interaction, content creation, stories, and a mix of short and long-form posts will increase engagement over time.

That said, it's important to remember quality over quantity. Don't post for the sake of it. Produce consistently helpful, entertaining, and engaging content that social media algorithms will push.

The more authentic your interactions are with customers, the quicker the growth. By investing time into engagement and content creation, you will gain a loyal community of customers, and potential buyers.

How to Measure Engagement Success?

These statistics are what really matter when analysing engagement success:

• Engagement Rate - How people interact with your content (likes, comments, shares).
• Saves and Shares - This shows if your content is valuable.
• DMs - How many people reach out to your brand directly.
• Retention Metrics - Those who consistently engage with your social media account, posts, stories, and lives.
• Conversion Rates - The click-through rate to your website and purchases made from your social media account.

But how do you gather these statistics? Collecting data is essential for measuring your brand's engagement success.

Plenty of social media software platforms like Hootsuite, Sprout Social or Buffer offer tools to keep track of your social media stats and measure your ROI.

However, it's sometimes best to trust statistics straight from the horse's mouth. Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) offer analytics in-app.

In-app analysis is likely the most accurate reflection, allowing you to measure your engagement statistics against your KPIs for the year. On top of this, you can discover audience interaction trends and evaluate what works and what doesn't.

This allows you to reinvest and focus on what truly works for your customers, and in turn, your brand's social media strategy.

Let CreateTheWeb Revolutionise Your Socials

At CreateTheWeb, we're not like every other agency that claims to know their stuff. We have first-hand experience growing socials.

Our founders Otis and Luke have both won Gold and Silver YouTube Play Button Awards.

That's right, you have access to social media marketing gurus with a proven track record of successfully growing brands through socials.

Join the many other businesses that have exploded on social media with CreateTheWeb and turn social media users into paying customers.