Does the number of followers on social media really matter?
An analysis of why the number of followers on social media matters: why quantity isn't the most important thing, quality vs. quantity of followers, real interaction, and impact on the algorithm. Quality over quantity.
The team behind Polimake. We explore the intersection of technology, creativity, and automation.
Does the number of followers on social media really matter?
The number of followers on social media is fundamental today, since it represents the number of online users who stay tuned in and enjoy a brand's content and news. However, the number of followers isn't as important as other aspects. What matters is real engagement and how your target audience behaves on social media. Follower count should be analyzed together with other KPIs in your marketing plan to better understand how your social media strategy is performing.
The number of followers on social media is something brands can end up fighting over. Many people believe that having a large number of followers will give them far more impact and, therefore, generate more profit. Having a high number of followers on our accounts can build authority and trust. However, it isn't the main factor we should be paying attention to.
Social media is a tool full of possibilities that can boost a brand and increase its impact on its audience. So, when used correctly, it can be extremely useful.
Why isn't the number of followers the most important thing?
When using social media, we have to rethink different options, decisions, and actions—such as, for example, why we need a certain number of followers.
Having followers simply for the numerical impact they can represent is nothing but a mistake. It's common to think that the more followers, the better. This can lead various people to decide to buy followers in order to boost their popularity or other goals. This can easily backfire, since they only manage to increase the quantity of followers but not their quality and loyalty. That's why putting quality before quantity is essential. The goal should therefore be to gain followers who are genuinely interested and convinced.
The aim is to capture attention and spark curiosity among different users—creating content they enjoy and that interests them.
Quality followers on social media
Quality followers are those interested in everything shared on a social media profile. This is demonstrated through the audience's interaction with posts—whether through likes, comments, sharing and saving an account's content, etc. You can learn more about engagement.
Having followers who aren't interested in a brand doesn't benefit it at all; it can even be harmful, since they'll ignore the content, show no interest, among other things. All of these factors can cause reach to drop, and the algorithm—the one Facebook has, for example, on social networks like Instagram—will conclude that the post isn't interesting and will show that content even less.
When a profile has a high number of followers but little support and interest from them, it creates a worse impression on other users. By contrast, an account with fewer followers can create a better impression because, even though it's numerically less impressive, it shows the profile's real relationship with its audience.
Followers are just one more piece within social media management. To better understand how long it takes to gain real followers, check out our guide on how long it takes to gain followers. What matters is having a solid marketing plan that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Which metrics to review besides followers
Engagement by reach
Use this formula to assess the real quality of your posts:
(likes + comments + saves + shares) / reach x 100
Retention and content consumption
In video formats, average retention and watch time matter more than the follower counter.
Community signals
- Comments with real context (not just emojis).
- Direct messages about a product or service.
- Recurring saves on educational content.
Engagement by reach vs. by followers
- By reach (ERR): interactions ÷ post reach × 100. Useful for measuring content quality against the people who actually saw it.
- By followers: interactions ÷ followers × 100. Useful for comparing accounts when you don't have your competitors' reach; the larger the account, the more the percentage tends to drop naturally.
If your followers go up but your ERR falls for weeks, review your content's relevance before investing in more paid reach.