Followers vs. Community
Reaching a wide audience is every brand’s goal. Irrespective of you being a person or an organisation, there’s a certain gravitas your voice carries when you have an x number of followers on a social channel. The bigger this number, the more the number of people your message reaches. Right? Wrong.
Your Message & Its AudienceThe algorithm used by popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram ensures between 10-20% of your followers actually see your content on their timelines. Images featuring the user’s face get a wider audience of up to 80% of the followers seeing it.
In the past 5 years, platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have given rise to a tribe of influencers like never before. People with lower follower count have become famous overnight, based on a video or a meme they created, that got shared across ranks continuously. Brands want to piggyback on this wave of popularity and have authentic content made for them by the influencer.
Brands operational in the areas of clothing & fashion, make-up, personal style, travel, food, and even consumer goods have collaborated with influencers to tap into the potential offered by social media and how easily one commands the attention of thousands, and sometimes, millions of followers.
Given this reality, Instagram’s announcement in 2019 that they were deleting “inauthentic likes and follows”, caused mass panic. It is an open secret that several popular figures buy fake followers to increase their clout online. From fledgeling influencers to business leaders to actors and models, everyone desirous of using their fame has paid money to amass a bot army that boosts their follower count and likes.
When you’re a young brand starting out on your social media journey, it can be intimidating to see larger businesses with thousands of followers, and to question your presence on the platform. It is tempting to fall into the honeytrap of paying out a service for a good-looking number on your follower count. We just have a word of advice for you. Don’t.
The key difference between followers and community is that you ‘get’ followers, but you build a community. And to build a community, you need engagement. People engage with visual and verbal messages that draw their interest. When you offer a product or service that adds value to the user’s life, you need to communicate it effectively to them, in ways that catch, and hold their attention. An engaged community is one of the biggest assets for a brand in the digital space.
Get in touch with us, through comments, or reach out directly to understand how we can help your brand build an engaged community online.
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