Why Chasing Follower Numbers Won't Build Real Connections

Why I'm Changing My YouTube Strategy

Oct 18, 2024

Whats up everyone! 😁

Remember the days when Instagram had a chronological feed?

It was a simpler time, back when social media began to explode in popularity. With that rise, however, came one of the most irritating trends: the “follow-for-follow” strategy.

What is “Follow-for-Follow”?

The concept is straightforward. You follow someone, they follow you back, and that’s the end of the interaction. It’s all about boosting follower numbers, not genuine connection or interest.

But not all "follow-for-followers" were the same. In fact, they fell into two distinct groups:

1. The Number Chasers

These people only follow you to inflate their follower count. They’re not interested in your content, it's just a numbers game for them.

2. The Unfollowers

Even worse, these people follow you for a short time, hoping you’ll follow back, and then, boom, they unfollow you a few days later. Why? Because they're gaming the system for numbers, but they don’t want their own feed cluttered. Honestly, it’s both frustrating and manipulative.

I had an artist follow me like this once. Initially, I followed back because I genuinely enjoyed their art. But I soon noticed they’d unfollow me within days. Then, the pattern repeated, whenever I liked their posts, they’d follow me again, only to disappear shortly after. This happened at least 20 times! Needless to say, it was incredibly annoying.

Evolving Trends: The Quiet Followers

Although “follow-for-follow” still exists, it has evolved. Now, some people follow you but then vanish without ever engaging with your content again. No likes, no comments, no interaction. It’s baffling. Why follow someone if you never plan to engage?

This is one of the reasons I dislike chasing followers. Many of them don’t stick around long enough to actually see or appreciate your work. And it’s not entirely their fault, when someone is following hundreds, or even thousands, of people, it’s almost impossible to keep up with everyone’s posts.

My Personal Experience with Social Media Overload

I’ve been there too. At one point, I followed about 100 people on Twitter, but it became overwhelming. I couldn’t keep up with the constant flood of information, so I cut it down drastically. Now, across all my platforms, I follow no more than 50 people. Why? Because I want to truly engage with the content I follow, and I want to treat others with the same respect. I don’t want to be like those people who follow for show and never interact.

Why Follower Count Isn’t Everything

If you’re one of those people who follows a lot of accounts but rarely engages, consider the impact. It’s not just about numbers. It’s about respect. Ignoring someone’s content after following them is a bit like being left out of plans by a group of friends. You know the feeling, everyone goes to a party or a movie and conveniently “forgets” to invite you. Or when you make plans with someone, and they just don't follow through.

Yeah, I’ve been that person. And that’s exactly why I avoid building a huge follower count for the sake of numbers. What’s the point of followers who aren’t genuinely interested in what you do?

So, the next time you hit that follow button, think about why you’re doing it. If you're not planning to engage, maybe reconsider. Social media, at its best, is about connection, not just numbers.

🍂 Art Journey

I’m changing up my YouTube strategy a bit.

I always come up with these great ideas, work on them, and get them going. But after a while, I lose interest. At first, it was because of the voiceovers in my longer videos. Now, it’s just long-form content in general that’s not holding my attention.

So, I’ve decided to try a little experiment. For the next 30 days, I’m going to upload a short video every day, just to see what happens, start in November. Whether they do well or flop, I just want to let myself be creative and explore.

Why shorts? Well, they’re just easier for me to make. I don’t always need to do voiceovers, and if I do, it’s only for a minute. Plus, they take way less time to edit, which is a big plus.

I’ll still try to make a long-form video here and there, and I might stream once a week too, so feel free to stop by and say hello if you can!

The goal behind all this? I’m aiming to hit 3 million views within 90 days. That’s one milestone on the way to the bigger goal: 10 million views for AdSense.

Before I start this project, I’ll share all my stats with you, and then after 30 days, we can check in and see if it’s made a difference!