Social Media 101: The Importance of Organic Followers

Facebook has likes, LinkedIn has connections, and Twitter and Instagram have followers. Across all social media platforms it doesn't matter what you call them, but you there's a dedicated group of people and companies that essentially are "followers". As you grow as new business and start to develop your social media, it can be disheartening have no followers or to post and get just a few likes. It can be tempting to  "buy" followers. These are typically fake accounts that will follow you back to inflate the number and make your company seem like it has a bigger following than it does. Below are a few reasons why organic followers (users that participate based on your content and engagement) are the way to go. 

Real followers are going to like, share, retweet, and comment on your posts. Fake followers, which are bought, are simply there to increase the number of followers in your profile. Have you ever seen a profile that has 10,000 followers but gets about 10 likes on their posts? I'm not calling anyone out in particular here but that has always raised a red flag with me. To be fair, they could be experts in growing followers but lacking at getting them engaged. ​

They actually like what you're selling and promoting. Think about that for a second. Wouldn't you rather have 5 people eager to listen to you then 100 who don't care? Having fake followers is equal to giving a speech to a room full of mannequins. Also, by having organic followers who want to see your posts, it's like targeting your ads, for free!

​There's a reason YouTube and Facebook target their ads. Have you ever googled something and realized it's suddenly an ad for you on Facebook or that the YouTube ad relates to the video you clicked on? That's for good reason, and you should follow their lead. Since these users like your products and services, they're more likely to actually make a purchases. Isn't that the reason your company is on social media in the first place? 

Even though it is typically a slower growth period, it makes sense in the end for your time, company, and money. Most small businesses neglect social media because, when done right, it takes up several hours a week and sometimes a day. I have to say it is so worth it! I can speak from experience when I say I have gotten leads and customers from social media. Want some help doing this for your business? Let's chat.

Leave a comment below if you have any questions!