When Do Instagram Followers Matter?
We're about to drop an unpopular opinion, and it might not be what you expect: followers don’t really matter.
A big follower count looks impressive, but it’s often just a vanity metric that shows how many people are glancing at your brand. Many accounts even buy followers to boost their perceived influence, which isn’t a great strategy for long-term success.
While the number itself isn’t everything, having a solid follower base can increase your brand’s credibility. People tend to trust businesses with more followers because it signals popularity and reliability.
It’s like the social proof we see in real life. If a restaurant has a long line out the door, we assume the food must be good.
In this post, we will break down when and why followers matter. We’ll also introduce other metrics that can be even more valuable for your business. Let’s get started!
Where does the craze around followers come from?
In the early days of Instagram, building awareness was simple: post frequently, and your content will show up in the feeds of those you follow. This put a strong emphasis on making a lot of content and growing your follower base to make sure you get seen.
However, in March 2016 the platform got a makeover and introduced its propriety algorithm. Switching from the reverse chronological order model forever changed how we create content. After that, Instagram started showing you photos and videos it thinks you’ll care about most from the people you follow, right at the top of your feed—no matter when they posted.
Fast-forward to today and some users speculate between 20-33% of posts in the Instagram feed are ads. With the platform’s ad revenue jumping 16% year-over-year (from $61.1 billion in 2023 to $70.9 billion in 2024), it’s no surprise that they prioritize brands that pay up over your friend’s cute Saint Bernard pics.
Though the algorithm is different on TikTok, it's relationship with advertisers is similar. It’s expected to reach $10.42 billion in 2024—which over 38% growth from 2023.
Still not all is lost. By playing to their algorithm and producing high-quality content, it is possible to break through and grow your brand's following.
When to care about followers
Whether you're a brand new company or have been around for decades, Instagram followers add legitimacy to your digital presence. As the fifth most-visited site on the internet—right behind Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Wikipedia—it’s just as easy to search within the platform as it is to Google something. Since it’s so visually focused, it helps potential customers quickly see if the brand fits their style or if it’s even a legitimate business.
The question is, who do you want to appear legitimate to? Regular everyday people? Other business people who you want to work with you? Highly technical, professional people? While a case can be made for any target audience, a large following typically appeals to regular everyday people (consumers) and other businesses wanting to partner or collaborate with you.
Also, remember that followers do not correlate to multi-outlet sales or high purchase intent customers. It means someone somewhere decided they like your posts enough that they want to see more of them in the future. That means that followers could be valuable for measuring brand sentiment or positive perception over another brand. It can also signal your popularity in the market. By borrowing from the old marketing playbook, this bandwagon tactic can make it look like you have many customers, making your business seem more appealing and less risky.
If you're new to the platform, aim to increase your following by a certain percentage month-over-month. From our experience, steady growth over time results in more long-lasting followers than gaining thousands overnight.
Gain quality followers
Here are some strategies for ethically growing your Instagram followers:
Consistently Post High-Quality Content: Rather than posting lots of content, aim to post high-quality content consistently, like weekly or biweekly. Research the types of content that your audience might be interested in by exploring what’s trending on the platform. You could also try answering commonly asked questions or give them a behind-the-scenes view of your business.
Leverage Instagram Features: The platform is well-known for rolling out new features and giving them priority in the feed. Right now, Threads are the new kid on the block, and they're a goldmine for quippy meme-like content and relatable quotes. Reels (the vertical video format, similar to TikTok) are great for storytelling and building that personal connection. Features change all the time, so it’s best to follow a trusted social media newsletter to stay on top of updates.
Use Relevant Hashtags Strategically: Hashtags are still a powerhouse for discovery. The trick is to do your research and use a mix of popular and niche hashtags—this helps your posts gain visibility in natural, unbranded searches. But don't go overboard. Stick to 5-15 hashtags per post to avoid looking spammy.
Engage with Your Community: If you want to grow a following, engaging authentically with your community is non-negotiable. Take the time to respond to comments on your posts, even if it's just a quick emoji. Engage with your followers' content, too, liking their posts and leaving thoughtful comments. It's all about creating a two-way street of communication that makes your followers feel valued and heard.
Collaborate with Others: Partnering with complementary businesses for cross-promotion can expose you to new audiences. And don't overlook micro-influencers in your niche—they often have highly engaged followers who trust their recommendations. Featuring your customers' posts (with permission, of course) can provide you with great content and make your followers feel like stars.
Run Contests and Giveaways: Who doesn't love free stuff? Running contests and giveaways can be a great way to boost engagement and attract new followers. But make sure you're playing by the rules. When setting up your contest, it's okay to make sharing or tagging friends a condition of entry, but don't require it. The key is to offer prizes that are relevant to your target audience. After all, you want to attract potential customers, not just freebie hunters.
Other metrics to consider
Try these other performance metrics to measure the success of your social media efforts.
Views: This one-second impression shows how many unique users see your content, helping you understand post visibility. Page insights break down views from followers versus non-followers, allowing you to assess the effectiveness of reach-extending strategies like hashtags or location tagging.
Interactions: Interactions, formerly known as engagement rate, indicate how well your content resonates with your audience. Comments, saves, shares, and likes are all positive signals. Aim for an engagement rate above 1.22%-4.59%, which is the platform average.
Sales Data or New Leads Generated: Tracking sales data or new leads (such as form fills or newsletter sign-ups) directly links your social efforts to business outcomes. While challenging to measure, especially for widely distributed brands, it's crucial for evaluating your social media impact. Instagram and TikTok's integrated shopping tools can turn your feed into a digital storefront, enabling direct purchases from your posts.