Do Followers Even Matter Anymore on Social Media?

Amanda Hughes
Apr 13
4 min read

Updated: May 12

Do Followers Even Matter Anymore? “Why am I not growing on social media?”

A few years ago, a low follower count on Instagram could make small business owners feel embarrassed.

Like they somehow looked:

less successful
less trustworthy
less established

And it seems a lot of business owners still carry that fear around now. I get it, it's hard not to compare yourself when you’re watching accounts grow faster than yours every single day but..

The way people view followers on social media has completely changed. Listen Now

🎧 Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

What Does a Follower Count Actually Mean?

At its core, a follower is simply someone who has chosen to see your content.

That’s it.

It doesn’t mean they:

Trust you
Will buy from you
Even remember who you are

And it definitely doesn’t mean your business is more successful than someone with fewer followers.

For years, small business owners were conditioned to believe:

👉 More followers = more credibility

👉 More followers = more success

But social media (and how people use it) has shifted massively. Learn more about that in this Growth Addicts Podcast episode about User Behaviour

And with this shift… the meaning of a “big social media following” has changed too.

Why Big Follower Counts Don’t Impress Like They Used To

Let’s say you land on a small business page with 25,000 followers.

A few years ago, you’d probably think: “Wow, they must be doing really well.”

Now?

Your brain might go somewhere very different:

Did they run ads to grow that follower number?
How many of those followers actually buy from this business?
Is this all just for show?

And that’s the shift.

We’ve become more aware as users. More sceptical. More interested in what’s behind the number.

We now know that these possibilities exist…

👉 A big following can be built through ads

👉 It can come from viral content that doesn’t convert

👉 It can include loads of people who will never buy

So it’s no longer a clear trust signal.

amanda hughes white female long brown hair sat in front of podcast mic with headphones on smiling at camera

Why Smaller Accounts Can Feel MORE Trustworthy

Here’s where it gets interesting…

A smaller or “moderate” following (think a few hundred to a few thousand) can actually feel more trustworthy now.

Why?

Because people assume:

You’re not chasing vanity metrics on Instagram
You’re focused on real customers, real connection, not just numbers
You’re building something genuine

And when they see:

✔️ Customer reviews

✔️ Real conversations

✔️ Consistent, helpful content

That builds trust in your small business far more than a follower number ever could.

Listen Now

🎧 Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

So… Do Followers Matter at All?

Short answer?

👉 Yes… but not in the way you might think.

Follower growth does matter because it’s a sign you’re reaching new people and as a business, you need new people coming into your world.

Otherwise?

You’re relying on the same small group of people over and over again.

The “Leaky Bucket” Problem

Imagine your business like a bucket.

Your ideal clients are inside it.

But over time, that bucket naturally leaks:

People lose interest
Their needs change
They move on

That’s completely normal.

But if you’re not bringing new ideal clients in (learn how to do that here)

Your bucket slowly empties.

And so does your income. This is actually one of the biggest things we work on inside The Small Business Community helping business owners create content that consistently brings NEW ideal clients into their world instead of relying on the same people over and over again.”

This Is Why “Attract” Content Is So Important

Within The Small Business Community you'll also have access to my my Get Seen Get Sales Method® we focus on three types of content:

Attract → bringing new ideal clients in
Nurture → building trust with your audience
Convert → turning followers into sales

And here’s the key…

👉 Around 50% of your content should be Attract content

Business growth isn’t about chasing big social media follower numbers, it’s about consistently bringing the right people into your world, ideal clients.

The Real Problem: Chasing the WRONG Followers

A lot of small business owners are still stuck in this loop:

“I just need more followers…”

But what they actually need is:

👉 More ideal clients

Because 500 right people > 10,000 random ones wins every single time.

Listen Now

🎧 Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

What Actually Builds Trust in 2026

If follower count isn’t the main trust signal anymore… what is?

Here’s what people are really looking for:

✔️ Customer reviews

✔️ Real results

✔️ Consistent posting

✔️ Clear messaging

✔️ Content that actually helps

And most importantly…

👉 Do I feel like this person understands me?

That’s what converts.

Not your follower number.

So… What Should You Focus On Instead?

Instead of chasing follower numbers, focus on:

👉 Bringing in the right people i.e. ideal clients

👉 Creating content that builds trust

👉 Converting followers into paying customers

That’s it.

Want Help Turning Followers Into Sales?

This is a huge part of the reason why I created The Small Business Community by Amanda Hughes, because so many small business owners are stuck in this exhausting cycle of: