Photo Credit: Mover Magazine
THE TOP REASONS BRANDS CRAVE A LARGE AUDIENCE ONLINE AND HOW IT SHAPES SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGIES
The simple Google search, “Do social media followers matter?” results in marketing experts claiming whether they do or don’t. Most explanations boast the best strategies or metrics and how to boost followings organically. Yet, few dare to question if a large social media following is the ultimate authority over success for brands. More importantly, no one asks, why or why not?”
The technology entrepreneur and author of “The Social Media Bible,” Lon Sakfo, posed:
“Can a salesperson’s success be measured by sales? Sure. Can an attorney’s productivity be measured by billable hours? Certainly. Can a professor’s contribution be measured by the number of books published? Maybe. But can someone’s impact be measured by social media followers? No. Nope. Never.”
The negative reputation of social media runs rampant in the marketing sphere, but its influence isn’t so black and white. Even if a large following is just a guise of coveted clout, its power is unmistakably prevalent. Beneath the surface level, past the scheming strategies, and beyond the bold follower counts, is where the real answers lie.
The Psychology of Social Media
Scrolling on social media seems harmless, especially when a comedic TikTok brings tears to one’s eyes or a new follower leaves a nice comment. Even after putting the phone down, something within always begs for more. Psychology proves that no one, follower or influencer, leaves a round with social media unscathed.
Scrolling for Validation
Photo Credit: Morgan Getty Makeup
People are motivated to perceive themselves as valuable and ethical, and the psychological notion of self-affirmation theory proves it. In this theory, people judge themselves in six categories: roles, values, group identities, central beliefs, goals, and relationships. Gregory Serapio-García, a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge, believes that social media is an avenue that pleases all those categories.
“When you’re interacting so much with social media, it feeds you a lot of information that shapes your perception of the self and your identity,” Serapio-Garcia said.
In addition to the human mind’s internal egoic and self-affirming nature, it constantly seeks external validation. The need to be respected, recognized, and admired by others is intrinsic in humans, creating the perfect storm for social media and the human ego.
“Social media reactions feel like a hyped-up, magnified version of the validation you would experience in person,” he said.
The Concept of Social Proof
More followers equal more validation and credibility in the human mind. People are subject to the false notion that anyone with a large following on social media must also be worthy. Dr. Leilani Carver, the director of Graduate Strategic Communication and Leadership at Maryville University, explains that the culprit is a persuasive strategy called social proof.
“Social proof is the idea that if someone is unsure about what they should do, they will look to others to see what they do. Then, if many people complete an action or believe something, they will likely do the same,” Carver said.
Psychology helps explain people’s interactions with social media, but it doesn’t validate the credibility of those with large followings. The divergence between social media users like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Kylie Jenner proves that follower count and expertise are not linear. Instagram influencers, psychologists, scientists, and celebrities generate millions of followers, but not all are sound sources. The human mind may perceive people with a large social media following as an authority, but that doesn’t always mean they are.
The Perception of Success
The human mind is responsible for addiction to social media followers and interactions, but perception determines whether they matter on paper. Older generations respect in-person interactions and tend to ignore social media proof, while younger generations rely solely on social media for information about a brand. Even marketers have dualistic opinions on whether or not social media followers matter. None of them are right or wrong. These duplicitous perceptions forge a grey area where an honest answer materializes.
Why Social Media Followers Matter
Photo Credit: Lane 201
Regardless of its reputation, follower count attracts attention and generates value with the public — therefore, it is essential.
Lon Safko, author and technology entrepreneur, said, “Today, the first thing an individual checks before doing business with you is your social footprint.”
Consumers increasingly look to social media to decide if brands hold weight or can be trusted. Whether an account is credible, that bold follower count number pleads for attention and confirms the social proof people seek.
The benefits of a large following materialize in various marketing tactics. Organic follower growth can positively influence all social media metrics, such as engagement, conversion, or virality rates.
Valuable followers can also help to reduce advertising costs — interested followers are more likely to share and interact with posts. A high follower count combined with a high engagement rate proves validity and success across social media platforms. With an organic and engaged audience, businesses can use their large following to build longevity and brand loyalty.
Why Social Media Followers Don’t Matter
High numbers of followers are not always authentic, rendering follower count unable to stand alone as a social media metric.
“There are ways to cheat the system and inflate your numbers — e.g., buying followers — so follower engagement is actually a much better read of influence regarding marketing strategy,” said Carver.
Buying followers is taboo and against most social media platforms’ guidelines, but the atmosphere of validation followers supply is irresistible to some. Regardless, they can skew analytics and key metrics that help businesses measure growth and achievement. Paid followers usually only engage by liking posts; when they comment, it’s seldom authentic. No matter how high a follower count is, it will fall flat without a high engagement rate and follower-to-following ratio.
Many associate a high follower count with a high conversion rate, but this is not always true. High follower growth rates are not always linear to engagement and sales. Plus, brands can still be victorious without social media support.
How to Be a Leader in a World of Followers
Social media followers matter, but they are not the most critical metric. The power of social media followers is in the hands of those who grow them organically. Learning how to optimize a large social media following generates real authority and influence.
Research the Competition
Competition is always a source of inspiration, especially on social media. The way brands maneuver social media signals to other brands in the same category what works best. Analyzing how similar accounts strategize content and interact with their followers pays off.
Graphic designers do well sharing their creations as static posts that users can share with their friends or on their Instagram stories and repost. The cooking community generates followers by sharing short-form video content that gets shown to a broader audience.
Define the Target Audience
Brands that spend time exploring their target audience are the best at growing and retaining them. Demographics like age, gender, and occupation help brands understand where they spend the most time online. Users’ interests tell brands what products or services they may be looking for. The more brands know about their audience, the easier it is to formulate content encouraging them to click the follow button.
Produce Diverse On-Brand Content
Social Media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok offer a diverse range of content to users. Algorithms push short-form video content out to broader audiences, making it the best way to grow followers. Carousel posts engage and satisfy current followers. Stories allow users to share all forms of content with their followers, making it an ideal avenue for more exposure to target communities. Taking advantage of all the different content formats will place brands in front of various audiences, including current followers.
Content production must balance between the needs of followers and the rules of brand identity. Brands must decide where trends fit into the balance. If they do fit, they must obey style guides. Followers want to see content that reflects their taste. When they’re not satisfied, followers are more likely to unfollow. Social media content has the potential to produce engagement and increase reach when brands mindfully tailor it.
Reward the Engagers
Gaining new followers isn’t enough to keep the momentum needed to go viral. Brands must nurture their followers to prevent them from hitting the unfollow button a week later. People who consistently interact with posts are the most likely to share those posts with other like-minded people in their communities. Engaging with followers through genuine comment replies, direct messages, and giveaways will enhance the value of their social media relationship with a brand.
Build a Customized Social Media Marketing Strategy
Knowing the audience and the competition enables businesses to curate a social media marketing strategy that best aligns with their brand and goals. Brands can formulate posting schedules that fit into their followers’ scrolling patterns, boosting the performance of their posts. Results and metrics like follower growth and engagement rates help optimize every aspect of the social media marketing plan. The supreme trick is to explore all social media metrics and how they work together, not the singular metric of followers.
Call in a Social Media Agency
POLA Marketing’s talented team is well-versed in the importance of social media marketing methods. Our team mindfully and artistically creates thought-provoking marketing strategies for businesses to increase followers and engagement organically. For more information, contact us at (www.polamarketing.com/contact/).
