No one cares about your follower count – and that’s a good thing

If you’ve ever obsessed over your follower count, you’re not alone.

I mean, it’s always been a bit of a popularity contest hasn’t it?

And for a long time, they mattered.

They made your business look credible. Opened doors with brand partners. Maybe even made you feel like you were doing social “right.” A nice round number to flash at networking events.

But here’s what the data is telling us in 2025:

Follower growth is slowing down – for most. In fact, Dash Social reports TikTok growth is down 27%, and Instagram down 14%.

That matches what other data is showing, especially when you break it down by account size. CreatorsJet reports that smaller accounts (<10k followers) now grow at around 1.5–3% monthly, while those with 100k+ see just 0.3–0.7% growth.

LinkedIn’s a bit of an outlier – pages with 1–5K followers are still seeing over 40% year-on-year growth, but even there, bigger pages grow more slowly.

And it’s not just followers that are plateauing – engagement rates are dropping too. Instagram is down ~28% year over year, TikTok down ~34%.  This isn’t just about growth; it’s about connection.

So why is this happening? A few reasons – and no, it’s not just you.

📌 Platforms are prioritising content that holds attention, not content that drives follows. So if someone watches your video all the way through, clicks save, or shares it? That counts more than whether they hit the follow button.

📌 There’s more competition. Everyone and their dog has a brand or a page now. With the sheer volume of creators now competing for attention, it’s no surprise that growth feels slower.

📌 Oh, and don’t forget “follower fatigue” – people are more selective these days. Instead of following everyone they enjoy, they’re more likely to just save the post or quietly lurk in Stories.

It’s not a sign your content’s off. It’s a sign the game has changed.

So yes, growth is harder to come by, but the right metrics tell the story that follows alone can’t.

If your follower count hasn’t budged in months, that doesn’t mean your content isn’t working.

It just means the way we measure success needs to evolve.

Because the smartest brands right now have stopped chasing followers and started tracking something better.

Forget follows. Focus on shares.

We’re in the era of the algorithm, not the audience.

What gets rewarded now isn’t how many people follow you – it’s how many people pass your content on.

“We believe the highest compliment someone can pay your brand is to talk about it or share it.”

– Christina Massari, Social Lead at Taco Bell

That’s the metric that matters in 2025.

Because a share isn’t just a passive scroll – it’s a reaction.

It says: “This hit home. You need to see this.”

It’s how you get discovered by new audiences.

It’s how you get remembered.

And, more than ever, it’s how you earn trust.

So… What actually gets shared in 2025?

Not your product photo with 17 hashtags. Sorry. 😬

But here’s what does get passed on:

1. Relatable content

Content that makes people say “omg, same.”

→ Behind-the-scenes truths, pain points, small biz humour, client confessions

2. Useful Content

Something that’s actually helpful.

→ Checklists, swipeable tips, how-tos, cheat codes, caption templates (you know the kind)

3. Emotional Content

Stuff that moves people.

→ A moment of honesty, humour, frustration, joy – anything that feels real and human.

So before you post, ask yourself:

Would someone send this to a friend?

If yes? You’re on the right track.

What to track instead of follower count

Follower count is a lagging metric.

It’s slow to move, easy to fake, and doesn’t tell you much about what’s working right now.

Especially since people aren’t clicking ‘like’ as much anymore, engagement is becoming quieter, more private. So we need to watch what people do behind the scenes (shares, saves, DMs)

Even LinkedIn is catching on. They’ve just introduced two new metrics – Saves and Sends – that go beyond likes and impressions – the kinds of signals that tell you your content is useful, relevant, and landing well.

If you want to understand whether your content is hitting the mark, these are the numbers to watch:

📌 1. Saves

The ultimate “quiet compliment.”

If someone saves your post, it means they want to come back to it, that’s impact.

📤 2. Shares

The most powerful engagement signal in 2025.

It boosts reach, yes, but more importantly, it shows resonance.

Are people sending your content to their friends, team, or group chat? That’s the win.

💬  3.DMs + replies

Public engagement is great. But private conversations build trust.

Pay attention to what people are asking in the DMs — that’s content gold (and often conversion gold, too). I talk more about how to spot those hidden insights in this article if you’re curious.

👀 4. Story Interactions

Polls, sliders and questions aren’t just a fun way to interact with your audience. They give you direct, usable insight into what they care about.

🔁 5. Repeat questions or comments

Noticing the same question come up again and again in your inbox or comments?

That’s a gap you can fill in your content.

And possibly a new service, offer or highlight.

📈 6. Link clicks (with tracking)

Use UTM parameters (or just track insights properly) to see which posts actually drive traffic.

Spoiler: It’s not always the ones with the most likes.

🔍 7. Branded search volume

This one’s a little more advanced – but if you’ve noticed people Googling your business name more often, it could be a result of share-worthy content doing its job.

Search intent = trust + curiosity. Both are worth celebrating.

Want a quick reference? Here’s your cheat sheet:

So, what does this mean for your business?

If follower numbers aren’t moving, it doesn’t mean something’s wrong.

Because in 2025, growth is more subtle, and more strategic.

“The algorithm rewards relevance, not just reach.”

It shows up in the saves, the shares, the private conversations that never hit the algorithm but absolutely drive trust.

We’re not chasing attention for the sake of it.

We’re building content people want to come back to.

Content they pass on.

Content that earns its place in their feed, and in their mind.

That’s the shift. And it’s one that actually works better for small, values-led businesses than anyone else.

“The best signal isn’t who follows us – it’s who forwards us.”

Why this is actually good news

If all of this feels like a shift, it is.

But it’s also an opportunity.

Because when you stop measuring your success by how many people follow you…and start focusing on the people who engage, save, share, and speak up?

Everything gets clearer.

• You don’t need to constantly chase growth.
• You don’t need to game the algorithm.
• You don’t need to go viral to make social media work.
• You just need to be relevant to the people who already care.

And if your content makes someone pause, save, or send it to a friend – that’s growth.

Maybe not the flashy kind, but the kind that actually drives trust, conversation, and customers.

Final thought…

👉 Keep showing up.

👉 Keep listening to what’s landing.

👉 Keep creating content people want to share, not just scroll past.

Your follower count might not move.

But your business will.

---

💬 Want to measure what really matters?

I help SMEs move beyond vanity metrics and use social media to drive actual results – insights, loyalty, and growth.

Drop me a message – I’d love to hear what you’re working on.