It’s easy to think a large number of followers is what you need on Facebook or Twitter for those efforts to be successful…you see a competitor who has 5 times the number of followers you do on Facebook and start thinking if you just double what they have, leads and revenue from Facebook will start rolling in.
But when you start thinking this way, social media can devolve into a giant spam-fest…the “more=better” line of thinking generally doesn’t work for very long…this “social media spam” stems from a long held belief that a bigger network of customers is always better.
In all likelihood though, the more people you add who are not really interested in what you offer will actually reduce the value of every other member on your network. See the chart below:
So the question remains – how does someone with only a third of the followers get twice as many or more clicks?
The answer lies in what’s known as the multiplier effect, which can be defined according to Conversation Marketing blogger Ian Lurie as “each additional quality friend or follower in your network increases the value of all other people on your network.”
Consider this when adding followers to your network instead of just thinking about how many you’ve got.
When you approach social media marketing this way, the people you add to your followers can serve as potential amplifiers for your message. They do this because all of these followers will talk to one another and more importantly, to their friends who likely haven’t heard of you. When they’re all interacting and talking to each other, they reinforce the value of your online community.
This chart gives a visual representation of the multiplier effect – while quantity is still good, quality is more important.
So to ensure you draw in quality followers who will benefit your social media marketing, keep in touch with all of your followers and answer all of their questions. Reward loyalty through discounts or some preferred customer program and never waste their time with spammy messages.
Manage a social media rolodex like you do for emails and phone numbers and only contribute to places online you are comfortable with and think benefits from will circle back around to you. And garner more interest by posting comments on other people’s blogs. Don’t just say “great post” but offer constructive criticism or ask questions.
Don’t fret too much if you don’t have a high number of followers. Keep in mind that quality is better quantity so focus on drawing in high-quality, engaging followers who will be more likely to spread your name around.
