How many followers did you gain in 2024? Have you ever managed to reach all your followers by posting on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or LinkedIn?
The reality is that we already know you have never reached all your followers on these platforms because, quite simply, YOU CAN’T. Right now, algorithms rule these networks: you cannot ensure that all your content reaches your followers, neither organically nor through paid promotion.
If I can’t reach them, do my current followers even matter? Is there any reason to keep gaining followers?
The followers who interact with you the most likely do receive your posts and help amplify your content. From now on, we must rethink how much effort we dedicate to acquiring followers. When you gain followers, you’re not just building an audience; you’re creating an ecosystem:
- Your followers are the first step in driving traffic to channels where you can guarantee impact (such as newsletters, WhatsApp, or Telegram).
- They help build authority, generate trust, and position your brand. Your followers are people interested in something you did or in your field of content. They influence your reputation and give you visibility and reach opportunities.
From our recent experience, we managed to transition 63% of users to another channel (between 30% and 70% is typical). Example: “Do you want to stay updated on all our news? Join our WhatsApp channel!”
So why invest in gaining followers? Why haven’t brands and agencies reacted to the gradual loss of value that we considered a given after investing year after year?
The reality is that the number of followers you have today does not mean you can access that community whenever you want. Imagine wanting to give away a product, say thank you, or issue a security warning to all your followers. Well, you can’t!
To be clear: While some platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp do guarantee 100% reach to your followers (yes, precisely those where you’re not yet active…), platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn do not ensure your content reaches all your followers. In fact, you can be almost certain that it won’t. Algorithms prioritize relevance, not quantity or the fact that someone followed you at some point for whatever reason.
If you are paying for promotions on accounts with large audiences—whether influencers or media—you need to know what percentage of their followers they actually reach and what kind of engagement they achieve. But more importantly, you need to understand why they achieve it. Is their motivation valuable for your brand or not? If they don’t reach a significant portion of their followers, analyzing their audience demographics might not be as meaningful. Instead, they may be reaching other key users outside their following who align with your goals. In any case, don’t let them sell you what they don’t have: neither media nor creators can guarantee reaching their entire community.
In 2025, measure the success of influencer campaigns and your own publications based on:
- Reach within your target audience
- Quality of interactions (comments, shares)
- Accept that follower count is just one parameter, but not a KPI that accurately calculates ROI.
Speaking of investment and return, it’s worth clarifying that having a large number of followers may inflate your ego or make you look good in a presentation, but it won’t necessarily benefit your business results or bank account.
The result: You can achieve massive reach but minimal conversions if your audience doesn’t align with your target. Prioritize segmented audiences and campaigns focused on clear objectives, whether for branding or more quantitative goals like lead generation or sales.
Can you do anything to reach more users beyond your existing followers?
Yes, you can ‘influence’ the algorithm with various techniques if you understand how each one works:
Instagram 📸
- The algorithm prioritizes what each user finds most relevant based on previous interactions with you (likes, comments, messages), timing, and the type of content they consume most (stories, reels, posts).
- 💡 Post at key hours and encourage interaction within the first minutes. Use reels and stories. Leverage analytics not just to track progress but to make strategic decisions.
TikTok 🎵
- Visibility depends less on your followers and more on the ‘For You’ algorithm, which factors in watch time, likes, comments, shares, and trending hashtags.
- 💡 Engage with trends, use high-quality content, learn from past successes, and monitor content trends that interest your target audience.
LinkedIn 💼
- The algorithm filters content by relevance and quality, based on past interactions with your network, your relationship level (first, second, or third-degree connections), and the engagement your post generates in the first few minutes.
- 💡 Post news or insights that appeal to specific professionals. Ensure agency members and team members interact with your posts. Respond quickly and have your agency engage with other profiles on your behalf.
Pinterest is a unique space with incredible conversion potential—we’ve covered it in a separate article.
Platforms that allow you to capitalize on your followers also require a proper strategy:
Twitter/X (“Following” tab) 🐦
- If your followers are in the “Following” tab, they will see all your tweets in chronological order.
- 💡 Twitter demands frequent posts and high-value reactive engagement (opinions, insights, real contributions).
Telegram 📲
- In Telegram channels, every post automatically reaches all subscribers.
- 💡 If you post too frequently or without relevance, users may mute your channel.
WhatsApp Broadcasts & Channels 📩
- In broadcast lists or news channels, content reaches subscribers’ chats directly.
- 💡 For broadcasts, use them for key updates, not spam. For channels, frequent posts help maintain relevance and encourage sharing.
Messaging platforms like Discord 🎙️
- In communities or servers, posts reach all members in chronological order.
- 💡 Segment messages into specific channels to maintain relevance.
Conclusion:
Algorithms now hold power in major social networks, forcing us to complement strategies with platforms where we can achieve better ROI.
It’s absurd, but users have willingly accepted that our preferences are ignored. We’ve allowed algorithms to decide for us. The old concept of following a friend to stay updated on their life is history—you’ll only see their posts if they generate interest. It seems like social networks care more about their own growth than about serving users’ needs.
This year, we must update our dashboards, adapt our metrics and goals to this new social media reality, and evaluate our brand’s position within this algorithm-centric paradigm. Ultimately, we should spend our time selling to customers—not algorithms. Or should we?
