Stop Caring About Followers - The Social Media Performance Metrics That Actually Matter In Today's Algorithms

Megan Kelloway
Mar 5
3 min read

Updated: Mar 6

Once upon a time, follower count mattered—a lot. The more followers you had, the more people saw your content. But in today’s algorithm-driven landscape, follower count is a vanity metric that has little impact on your success.

If you're still obsessed with growing your follower count, it’s time to shift your focus. What actually matters now is engagement, watch time, and actions taken. Let’s break it down.

Why Follower Count No Longer Matters

Social media has evolved from a subscriber-based platform (where followers saw all your posts) to an algorithm-based system that prioritizes content quality and engagement over follower numbers.

Your content is reaching non-followers more than ever. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook push content to new audiences, not just your existing followers.
High followers ≠ high visibility. Most of your followers aren’t even seeing your posts unless the content is engaging. The algorithm favors posts that perform well, regardless of how many followers the account has.
Brands don’t care about your follower count anymore. Businesses and advertisers are more interested in engagement rates and conversions than how many people follow you.

Bottom line: A large following doesn’t guarantee success—what does is how well your content performs.

What social media performance metrics do matter?

If follower count is outdated, what should you focus on instead? Here are the key metrics that determine whether your content is actually working.

1. Attention: Are People Stopping to Watch?

Metric to track: Scroll-stopping ability (impressions vs. views OR view rate past 3 seconds)

The first goal of any social media post is to stop the scroll. If people don’t even notice your content, nothing else matters. Platforms track whether users pause on your post for even a second—so your hook is everything.

Use strong hooks in your captions and videos.
Make bold, eye-catching visuals or headlines.
Deliver value in the first 3 seconds of your content.

If your post isn't getting views, revisit your hook strategy—because people aren’t stopping to watch.

2. Watch Time: Are People Sticking Around?

Metric to track: Average watch time

The longer someone watches, the more the algorithm rewards your content. If viewers drop off quickly, it signals that your content isn’t engaging enough.

Keep content short and snappy (especially for Reels & TikToks).
Pace matters—cut out fluff and get to the point.
Use on-screen text or subtitles to keep viewers engaged.

Pro tip: If people are watching past the 3-second mark, that’s a strong signal to the algorithm that your content is valuable.

3. Engagement: Are People Interacting?

Metric to track: Likes, comments, shares, saves

Engagement is one of the strongest indicators of content performance. If people are taking the time to comment, like, or share, it means your post sparked something in them.

Ask questions in your captions to encourage comments.
Create relatable or shareable content that people want to send to friends.
Pay attention to saves—this means people found your content valuable enough to revisit.

If your post gets a lot of shares and saves, the algorithm sees it as high-value content and pushes it out to more people.

4. Action: Are People Taking the Next Step?

Metric to track: Clicks, DMs, purchases, engagement, etc.

Not every action has to be a purchase—actions can include:

Following your account (because they want to see more)
Clicking a link in your bio
Sending a DM or commenting for more info
Signing up for your email list or freebie

If your content isn’t leading to any action, it’s not doing its job. The best-performing posts move people toward something, whether it’s a sale, a conversation, or brand awareness.

Ready To Shift Your Focus & See Finally See Results

Stop chasing followers and start chasing engagement.

Create content that gets attention and holds attention.

Optimize for watch time, interaction, and action—because that’s what truly matters.

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