Why asking random people to follow your page can harm your social media strategy

I often see small businesses and creators asking random people on Facebook to follow their social profiles to boost follower numbers. This makes me want to shout “Noooooooooooo!” 🙅🏼‍♀️🛑 Why? Because it is bad for both organic and paid social strategies.

As a budding business or creator, it can be tempting to ask anyone and everyone to follow your social media pages to increase your follower count. However, this seemingly harmless tactic could have detrimental effects on both your organic and paid social strategies. Read on to understand why asking random people to follow your page is a bad idea and how it could potentially negatively impact your efforts.

A screen shot of a social post asking random people to follow a page.

Understanding Organic and Paid Social Strategies: The Basics

To effectively navigate the world of social media marketing, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of organic and paid social strategies. Organic social strategy refers to the content and engagement efforts made without any paid promotion, relying solely on organic reach and user interaction. On the other hand, paid social strategy involves the use of paid advertising and promotions to boost visibility and reach a wider audience.
Whilst both strategies have their merits, it’s important to strike a balance between the two. Organic social strategy allows for genuine connections and authentic engagement with your target audience, whilst paid social strategy can provide an additional boost in visibility and reach. By understanding the basics of both approaches, you can develop a well-rounded social media strategy that effectively promotes your business or content.

Why Increasing Follower Numbers is Not the Ultimate Goal

Many businesses and creators make the mistake of thinking that increasing follower numbers by any means available is the ultimate goal for their social media pages. However, this mindset overlooks the importance of quality over quantity. Having a large number of followers who are not genuinely interested in your content or products will not benefit your business in the long run. Instead, focusing on attracting a relevant audience who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer will lead to more meaningful interactions and potential customers.

How Does Asking Random People to Follow Your Page Negatively Impacts Social Strategy

Asking random people, friends and aunties to follow your page or profile may seem like a quick and easy way to boost your follower count, but it can have a detrimental impact on your organic social strategy. When you have followers who are not genuinely interested in your content and are unlikely to engage with your posts, comment, or share your content, this can negatively affect your organic reach and visibility. The key is to focus on attracting a relevant and engaged audience who will truly benefit from and interact with your posts.

Damages of Inauthentic Followers on Your Paid Social Strategy

Having a large number of inactive followers who are not your customers can have damaging effects on your paid social strategy. When you promote your content to a wide audience, including these followers, it will lead to wasted ad spend and poor campaign performance. These followers are unlikely to engage with your ads or make any meaningful conversions, resulting in a low return on investment. These followers will also create poor-quality lookalike audiences, thus hampering your growth scaling efforts.

Quality over Quantity: Building a Relevant Audience for Your Brand


In the world of social media, it’s important to remember that quality should always be prioritised over quantity. Building a relevant audience for your page means attracting individuals who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. These are the followers who will engage with your content, share it with their networks (creating that much-needed social proof seasoning), and potentially become loyal customers. By focusing on building a community of like-minded individuals, you can ensure that your social media presence is filled with meaningful interactions and valuable connections. Don’t be swayed by the numbers; it’s the quality of your audience that truly matters.

#organicstrategy #paidsocial #digitalmarketing #boostyourbusiness #contentstrategy #smallbusiness #creator

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