Who Should Your Fashion Brand Follow on Social Media?
Most of us are so concerned with the follower count on social media channels, but what about the number of accounts we follow back? I think about this all the time. So much so, that I reduced my “Following” count on Instagram from about 750 to 343. You’re probably asking why I did this. Well, there were a few reasons:
My feed was getting way too cluttered with content that didn’t benefit me or my business
I was missing out on some amazing content from brands that I genuinely cared about
I was afraid that since my “Following” count was much higher than my “Follower” count, it was giving off the impression that my brand didn’t produce quality content and only followed other accounts in hopes that they would follow back
The Follower Ratio Indicator
The last point is basically the definition of the Follower/Following Ratio. To calculate your Follower/Following Ratio, take your number of followers, then divide it by your total following. Your ratio can be broken down into five categories:
< 0.5: Spammer
0.5 to 1: Suspicious
1 to 2: Normal (or what I like to call, the sweet spot)
2 to 10: Micro-Influencer
10+: Influencer
*It’s recommended to use this ratio formula if you have between 1,000 and 15,000 followers, but it works the same for accounts with any number of followers.
Pro Tip: Use this ratio to categorize influencers before you decide to collaborate with them.
So before, I edited my following count, the ratio was 0.49 and after I edited my count, the ratio increased to 1.09. I moved up from the “Spammer” category to the sweet spot!
If you’re looking at your social channels wondering if it’s time for a “Following purge, do it. It couldn’t hurt. But if you’re not sure who to keep and who to remove from your list, here are three questions to help you decide.
“Is the brand/person related to my industry?”
Simple. Great minds think alike. This also leads to perfect opportunities for engagement. By following relevant accounts, you’ll be able to get up-to-date news on what’s happening in the industry on a global scale and develop content that speaks to your audience related to those issues.
“Can the brand/person expand my network?”
Consider following influencers, complementary brands, and suppliers that align with your brand’s aesthetic. Engage with these accounts frequently to build relationships that may be beneficial to all parties in the future.
So when you’re ready to incorporate influencer marketing into your digital strategy, develop a collaborative pop-up shop concept, or even increase manufacturing efforts, you’ll have a quality list of people to reach out to.
“Does the person fit one of my buyer personas?”
I’m not a huge fan of following a ton of personal accounts via your business accounts, but I would definitely consider making an exception for your most engaging followers, clients, and customers. If you’ve got a handful of customers who actively respond to your emails, consistently engage with your social content, and are always the first to purchase from you, hit that “Follow” button.
I hope this gives you a little more insight into how to handle these metrics. Please don’t feel bad about unfollowing a ton of accounts. It’s not personal. It’s just business.
Comment Below
What’s your Follower/Following Ratio and what are some criteria you consider before pushing the “Follow” button?
