Why Follower Count Shouldn't Equal Credibility in Social Media Marketing

Catherine Mason
Jul 11
3 min read

In the world of social media marketing, we’ve been conditioned to believe that follower count = credibility. That if someone has a huge online presence, they must know what they’re doing. They must be worth listening to. They must be a leader.

But what if that isn’t the whole story?

Let me take you behind the scenes of a real moment that cracked this open for me.

The Day I Got Intimidated by a LinkedIn Following

The other day, I had a connection call with someone who had 32,000 followers on LinkedIn.

She was lovely, warm, smart, articulate. Nothing about her energy was unkind or unwelcoming.

And yet, I found myself getting nervous. Like, legit Ugly Betty with a moustache! Totally thrown off my centre. Suddenly in my head, wondering if I’d sound professional enough, articulate enough, like I “deserved” to be in the room.

And on the call? Honestly… it was kind of embarrassing.I stumbled over my words.I felt like I was being interviewed for a job I didn’t apply for.I was trying so hard to say the “right” things that I barely let myself show up.

But what really threw me off wasn’t her, it was her social media marketing presence. Her follower count.

The Pedestal Effect in Social Media Marketing and Online Visibility

Later, I sat with it. And it hit me:

Why did I put her on a pedestal?

She’s just a human, like me. But because she had a big following, I unconsciously made her more credible, more legit, more successful.

The wild part?

I’ve worked with clients who have more followers than that, 43K, 100K+.

I’ve also seen someone go from a few hundred followers to 44,000 overnight from one viral Instagram reel, and she was brand new to business.

I know what’s behind the scenes of social media marketing. I know those numbers don’t always mean depth or alignment.

So why did I shrink?

Because I’m human. Because sometimes, our nervous system responds to perceived power before our logic can catch up. Because social media has trained us to associate visibility with value.

Follower count is a vanity metric.It might reflect strong social media marketing, but it doesn’t guarantee leadership, integrity, or alignment.

You Are Not Behind

I know I’m not the only one who’s done this.I know how many of us have forgotten who we are for a moment because someone looked like a “big deal” online. It’s easy to compare.It’s easy to spiral.It’s easy to forget what we bring to the table when someone else’s numbers are louder.

But here’s what I’m coming back to, and maybe you need this too:

You don’t need to go viral to be valuable.You don’t need a massive audience to have massive impact.And you are allowed to say no, walk away, or realign, even if someone looks “important” on social media.

Let’s Talk About Smoke and Mirrors

So if you’ve ever had a moment like I did, where you put someone on a pedestal just because of their follower count, pause and ask yourself why.

What were you believing in that moment?

Because this online space is full of smoke and mirrors.Viral reels, big follower spikes, shiny branding? it’s not the whole story. Social media marketing is a tool, not a truth.

Real power doesn’t always sparkle. Real alignment doesn’t scream for attention. Real credibility isn’t built overnight.