3170
8 min 45 sec

Q&A: “Do followers still matter in the age of algorithms?”

If algorithms decide who sees your content, do follower counts still matter? Today we dig into how “algorithmic feeds” really work and why a loyal subscriber base still gives side hustlers a competitive edge.

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What It's About

If the algorithm rules everything, do followers still give you an edge?

Notes from Chris

Episode 3170
The old playbook for social media was clear: build followers, reach those followers, sell to those followers. Then came the For You Page, Reels, and endless algorithm tweaks.

Today, even huge accounts complain that only a fraction of their audience sees any given post. So are follower counts now vanity metrics? Or do they still give you leverage in this new world?

"Lately I’ve started to wonder if followers even matter anymore. Every time I post on Instagram or TikTok, it feels like the algorithm decides whether anyone sees it—regardless of how many subscribers I have. If that’s the case, why should I bother growing a follower base at all? Has social media shifted so much that every post is basically thrown into a giant lottery for attention? I’m trying to build a real audience for my side hustle, but I’m not sure if chasing subscribers is still worth the effort."

Listen to today's episode to learn more...

 
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Yours in the revolution,

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau