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A
Welcome to a new special series called the Bathroom break. That extra 10 minutes you either have to listen to marking tips or use the bathroom. Or both. But I don't recommend both. But that's your choice.
B
This collab is going to be super fun. We have Daniel Murray from the Marketing Millennials and me, Jay Schwedelson from the do this, not that podcast and subjectline.com each episode in the series we are going to go over quick tips about different marketing topics. And if you want to be in the bathroom, fine, just don't tell us about it. Thanks for checking it out. It is bathroom break time. This is Jay Schwedelson from Do this. Not that I'm here with the marketing millennial Daniel Murray. And today we're getting into a hot topic. Do followers even matter anymore? But before we do that, Daniel, I'm curious about something. Is it too early to start thinking about holiday shopping for you? Are you thinking about stuff for Ari now or do you not do that until like October or something?
A
No, I, I didn't. Haven't thought about it until you just said it. So no. Are you over prepared like that?
B
On the business side, I think about like the fact I always know year end comes really fast. Like after Thanksgiving, everybody turns it off. So if we don't have like pipeline going now for Q4, I get upset. But for holiday stuff, I'm like a. I'm the. Couldn't be worse. I'm the day before. Like.
A
Well, I mean if we're talking about business stuff, I think like, like consumer. If you're not doing Black Friday sour Monday or haven't already planned for that, like in November, you're already behind. So it's like the trade off. But when it comes to shopping for something, I'm like two weeks, one week before that, sorry.
B
Well, you're a slacker. Well, let's get into it. Do followers even matter anymore? There's all the different platforms, there's all different things. It used to be followers were everything we had to grow our follower count. Is that the world anymore?
A
It's less the world. But I still think it's important because I think social proof matters on pages. And let me tell you why. Because if you're on Instagram and you're looking at a business that you want to and some of your followers or friends follow that company or that restaurant or that product, like you're more than likely to be like, oh, they think it's cool. I want to buy from that product. Also, if you Have a hundred thousand followers as a restaurant versus 10 follows a restaurant, you look like not as legit. But if we're talking about like does it matter to get more reach on platforms than other platforms and should it make you feel less important to like post? No, like the algorithms have changed to an interest based which means that like the algorithms are just feeding. If you have 10 followers, it could, could circulate in the feed because they just want to put the best content in front of the audience to keep them on, on the platform.
B
Yeah, I think that's a really important distinction. And so I do think followers matter. So for example, when I'm about to do business with a new company of any kind, I don't go to their website anymore. I go to the company page on LinkedIn and if they have like seven followers and they never post, it's a really big negative signal. They don't need to have 30,000 followers. But there is some, you know, threshold of it looking legit. And I think that's really important for your business, whether it's your Instagram page, your LinkedIn page. Listen, you personally, you want to have over 500 connections on LinkedIn should get that 500 plus there's some baseline stuff that you need to do that's really important. But I will tell you from a flipping the script when we talk about circulating stuff. So I recently launched a YouTube channel and for anybody who cares, not that you do, it's Ettleson and we are messing around lots of different formats and different things with thumbnails and, and the reality of it is my shorts are getting a lot more views in circulation even though we have barely any subscribers as compared to people that have 20x 30x the number of subscribers that we have. Because Daniel's point, it is no longer just about oh, you have a lot of followers, it's going to circulate to a lot of people. It's is this thing resonating with people and then the algorithm picks it up and runs with it. So yes, followers are important, but not from a circulation standpoint.
A
Yes, you nailed it. I think we're in an age where you can be any size company and beat any big company by putting out better content. And I like that. That way you competitive enough, you can compete now on a level playing field, especially on Instagram YouTube shorts. Tick tock. Like that's why people are doing strategies now. If you see companies or creators, they'll create multiple accounts so they'll have like their main account and they'll have like clips and they'll have this and they'll have that because they know that like they can put like four different clips and the five follow count account is going to get more reach and they're trying to get as many eyeballs. And it's a great marketing strategy to stay top of mind as a, a marketing team. But I do think that like for purchasing decisions, like, one thing I also think about is many of you are running meta ads. Instagram, Instagram ads, LinkedIn ads. Like when people are running ads, they will click on your profile to see if like you have a good company. And if you don't have followers, like they're gonna think like you're not as credible as some account that does have followers. So that is a big thing for that. And then also, like, we could talk about this too. Like LinkedIn and Instagram have broadcast channels now. And like LinkedIn has newsletter which like if you have followers like you, it blasts and you have more traffic traction to get these. The private community group, which you can have as well. So that's also a plus for followers is these broadcast channels for Instagram and then newsletters for LinkedIn.
B
Yeah. And I think in general with the big takeaway, at least from my side, in terms of followers, regardless of platform, you know, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, whatever is get very focused on what is the minimum number that you need to have to not embarrass your company. Right? So when someone goes to the page like, all right, they're legit. And rather than focus on how do we get a zillion people on this platform, whatever, make sure that you have the baseline across all platforms so you don't have a negative signal out there when people are checking you out, you don't even know about it. And then you could figure out which one do you want to double down on and really build it up and blah, blah, blah. But don't allow, don't lose business, consumer or business meaning whatever category you're in because you are looking like you don't have anything going on, your business is not legit because you don't have some baseline numbers. So back to what we were originally talking about. What were we originally talking about?
A
That's a great question. I have no idea what we talked about at the beginning of the podcast.
B
Let me ask you this though. So we just ordered lunch. Daniel and I are actually live in person with each other, staring at each other. You went wrap, I went salad. Are you never. I don't mean like salad. Like I'm Throwing you shade. Like, you should be getting salads or something. But it's the same idea. You could put a wrap in a salad. Do you ever just get the salad?
A
Yeah, of course. I feel like it depends. Depends how healthy I want. Like, you. You're trying to shame me and have a. A Greek salad while I get, like, a messy wrap in a salad, which is. It's okay. It's. But. And it also depends on the place. Like, sometimes you just. You want a salad.
B
When I eat in front of other people, I don't like making a mess. Like, I don't order, like, ribs or something like that neither. I order ribs a lot, so I like to eat something. I can control what's going to happen. Obviously, you don't care. You'll just have it free for all. Like, it's food. Like, it's like a food fight.
A
No, that's what knives and forks are for.
B
Well, I don't know. Once again, we've covered a lot of very important information. Listen, if you're awesome, throw this up on your story on Instagram. Daniel is at the market Millennials and I am at J Wson. We will reshare the story. You are cool. Keep it real, Daniel. Come on, man. I gotta get back to work. Get out of there. All right, while he's still in there. This is Jay. Check out my podcast, do this, not that for Marketers. Each week we share really quick tips on stuff that can improve your marketing and hope you give it a try. Oh, here's Daniel. He's finally out.
A
Back from my bathroom break. This is Daniel. Go follow the Mark and Millennials podcast, but also tune into this series. It's once a week, the Bathroom Break. We talk about marketing tips that we just spew out. And it could be anything from email subject line to any marketing tips in the world. We'll talk about it. Just give us a shout on LinkedIn and tell us what you want to hear. Peace out.
B
Later.
Episode Summary: "Does Follower Count Even Matter? | Bathroom Break #66 🚽"
Released on July 28, 2025
In this engaging episode of The Marketing Millennials, host Daniel Murray teams up with guest Jay Schwedelson from the Do This, Not That Podcast for a special installment of the Bathroom Break series. This episode delves into the pivotal question for modern marketers: Do follower counts still matter?
The episode kicks off with a lighthearted introduction to the Bathroom Break series, a collaboration between Daniel Murray and Jay Schwedelson. They humorously highlight the dual-purpose nature of the series—offering quick marketing tips perfect for a short break.
Jay Schwedelson (00:02):
"That extra 10 minutes you either have to listen to marketing tips or use the bathroom. Or both. But I don't recommend both. But that's your choice."
Daniel Murray emphasizes the enduring importance of follower counts as a measure of social proof. He argues that a substantial follower base enhances credibility and influences purchasing decisions.
Daniel Murray (01:55):
"It's less the world. But I still think it's important because I think social proof matters on pages. And let me tell you why. Because if you're on Instagram and you're looking at a business that you want and some of your followers or friends follow that company or that restaurant or that product, like you're more than likely to be like, oh, they think it's cool. I want to buy from that product."
He further explains that a higher follower count makes a business appear more legitimate compared to those with minimal followers.
Jay Schwedelson adds a nuanced perspective, distinguishing between follower counts and content reach. He shares his personal experience with YouTube, noting that shorts can achieve significant circulation regardless of the subscriber base.
Jay Schwedelson (02:55):
"Because Daniel's point, it is no longer just about oh, you have a lot of followers, it's going to circulate to a lot of people. It's this thing resonating with people and then the algorithm picks it up and runs with it."
This highlights the shift towards algorithms prioritizing engaging content over sheer follower numbers.
Daniel concurs, pointing out that modern algorithms are interest-based, allowing high-quality content to reach broader audiences irrespective of follower counts.
Daniel Murray (02:55):
"The algorithms have changed to an interest based which means that like the algorithms are just feeding. If you have 10 followers, it could, could circulate in the feed because they just want to put like the best content in front of the audience to keep them on, on the platform."
Both Daniel and Jay emphasize the importance of content quality in leveling the playing field. Daniel mentions how companies and creators are adopting strategies like managing multiple accounts to maximize reach.
Daniel Murray (04:20):
"I think we're in an age where you can be any size company and beat any big company by putting out better content. [...] You can compete now on a level playing field, especially on Instagram, YouTube shorts, TikTok."
Jay reinforces this by sharing his YouTube channel experience, where shorts garner more views despite having fewer subscribers compared to larger channels.
Both hosts agree on the necessity of maintaining a baseline follower count to avoid negative perceptions. Jay advises ensuring your social media profiles have enough followers to appear legitimate, especially when potential clients or customers evaluate your business.
Jay Schwedelson (05:56):
"Get very focused on what is the minimum number that you need to have to not embarrass your company. Right? So when someone goes to the page like, all right, they're legit."
Daniel adds that maintaining this baseline is crucial for the effectiveness of new features like broadcast channels and newsletters on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.
The conversation takes a playful turn as Daniel and Jay discuss their lunch choices, adding a personal touch to the professional dialogue. This segment humanizes the hosts, making the discussion more relatable.
Jay Schwedelson (06:52):
"Let me ask you this though. So we just ordered lunch. Daniel and I are actually live in person with each other, staring at each other. You went wrap, I went salad."
As the episode wraps up, Daniel and Jay encourage listeners to engage with their content on social media platforms. They reiterate the importance of balancing follower counts with content quality to establish and maintain credibility in the digital landscape.
Daniel Murray (08:25):
"Go follow the Marketing Millennials podcast, but also tune into this series. It's once a week, the Bathroom Break. We talk about marketing tips that we just spew out."
Follower Counts as Social Proof: While algorithms now prioritize engaging content, a substantial follower base remains crucial for building trust and legitimacy.
Content Quality Drives Reach: High-quality, resonant content can achieve significant circulation even with a smaller follower base, thanks to interest-based algorithms.
Baseline Follower Thresholds: Establishing a minimum follower count across platforms is essential to avoid negative perceptions and enhance business credibility.
Strategic Content Management: Utilizing multiple accounts and leveraging new platform features like shorts and newsletters can optimize reach and engagement.
Balancing Act: Marketers should focus on both growing their follower counts to maintain legitimacy and producing high-quality content to maximize reach and engagement.
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