It's not as it seems
Social media has changed how brands connect and interact with their customers. Its accessibility has bloomed many new businesses and brands growth worldwide, but its oversaturation has left many stuck in a rut. Especially when you look at all the successful brands with a high follower count within a short time, their product could be more interesting, or their content could be more engaging! You might be tempted to buy followers since they’re doing it – why shouldn’t you? STOP! When you start to think like this, you’ve already lost the social media game. Mindlessly chasing followers can hurt your brand’s social media growth. A raw follow count shouldn’t correlate with the focus of your brand’s primary objective.
Don't be a ghost
I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying “quantity over quality”. What is the point in a high pool of followers when only 2% of them regularly engage with your content? The people who don’t engage with your content are- what we call… ghost followers. You may be asking yourself, “How can this hurt my brand? The more, the merrier, right? Well, fellow reader, here are a few reasons they hurt your brand and staggering real growth.
1. Legitimacy
People are smart. When they encounter a profile with plenty of followers but low engagement, they will question the brand’s legitimacy. It’s like the American Candy stores on Oxford Street in London. From the outside, the shops look exciting, but once you enter, you’re greeted with expensive, expired and cheaply branded candy with fake labels.
The point of social media is to build trust with your potential audience, and chasing followers will blind you of that. On average, consumers will need to spend at least 7 hours interacting with a brand online before they make a purchase. It’s time we focus on creating long-term quality content.
2. Comparing Followers
I alluded to this earlier, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your follow count to a similar brand. This attitude will distract you from the primary goal. Generating real customers that will engage with your brand. You may come across A page that has a 15k follower count, but ask yourself – How many of those followers have been converted to actual customers or actually engage with that brand’s content? Followers will lead to customers if you create engaging content that will drive them to engage with your brand’s channels consistently.
3. Diluted Brand Identity
Chasing followers often leads brands to cater to broad, generic trends that might not align with their core values. This can dilute their unique identity and message, causing confusion about the brand’s purpose and weakening its connection with its target audience.
Conclusion
Building your brand on social media is a complex process that requires experimentation, dedication, research, and lots of patience. But you’ll discover it improves your overall brand SEO, credibility, and success.