It’s been a long time coming.
Social media went from social to anti-social and back to social again. People, for a while, stopped caring about what it was they shared so long as it garnered them with more followers. The problem then became that the followers weren’t real people. There were ghost followers on every platform inflating following numbers to an outrageous degree.
It’s about quality not quantity
Finally we’re back to caring about who it is we follow, what it is we share and who is following us.
Even two years ago places like Planoly were warning against the quantity versus quality argument. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have so long as they’re genuinely interested in what it is you’re doing and what you have to say:
“The number of followers you have on social media might have been the key indicator of success a year ago [as in 2016], but more and more brands are starting to take detailed follower stats into consideration when looking to partner with influencers. Brands are now focusing on the one thing that is hardest to control: engagement.”
Engagement is harder but essential
Like actual engagement in the real world, it takes commitment. It takes someone to go in and care about what’s going on and who is looking in. If no one is liking your content or responding in anyway how can you improve things to make it more engaging? Engagement is actual work. You can’t passively engage with customers or potential clients. It’s like a sales meeting. If you aren’t invested in what’s going on you aren’t going to land the sale.
With social media platforms cracking down on ghost followers or abandoned accounts, follower counts are suffering. They either aren’t growing as quickly, they aren’t growing at all or they’re decreasing. While on the surface it looks like a failure, not being so caught up in how many followers you have can be a positive thing.
Check in with your loyal followers
Think about the folks who have been with you since the beginning, those loyal followers.
Are they still interacting with your work? Are they still commenting, liking or sharing your posts? Why? Why not? If they have been with you for the long haul it’s worth knowing the answers to the ‘why.’
Reach out to them directly. Ask them what it is they are looking for that you aren’t providing anymore or, on the flip side, why they’re still interacting after all this time. Let them know you appreciate their sticking by you for so long. Acknowledge that their presence matters.
Most importantly, don’t get so wrapped up in how many people are following you.
It’s better to have 100 interactive followers than 1,000 inactive ones. How will your business grow with ghosts?
It won’t.
Should you want to find new innovative ways to grow and engage with your followers or a way to reward your loyal followers, contact Unleashed Mobile Apps to get more information or get started on some mobile app development for your business.
