What is follower?

A follower is a person or account that has chosen to subscribe to your social media profile so your posts can appear in their feed.

Followers are your potential regular audience. Each one has shown at least some interest in what you share, which makes them more likely to see your posts, engage with them and, eventually, become customers or fans. A growing, engaged follower base supports almost every social media goal.

The term changes slightly by network. Facebook Pages and most other networks use followers, YouTube uses subscribers, and LinkedIn uses followers for company pages and connections for some personal relationships. On networks with heavy recommendation feeds, such as TikTok, followers are only part of who sees your content.

Focus on attracting the right followers, not just more. Buying followers or using follow-for-follow tactics can damage trust and your results. Post content your ideal audience values, engage with others in your niche, and make it easy for customers to find your accounts.

Example

A local vet clinic gains new followers after sharing weekly pet care tips that pet owners find useful and pass on to friends.