Ask any authors which social media metrics they deem important, they will say it’s their follower count and how many people like or share their posts.

It makes sense why many of us put so much focus on building followers on social media.

Like it or not, having the best social media strategies isn’t going to work if you barely have any followers.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the number of followers you have.

The more followers you have, the better the outcome will be, said many authors and social media experts alike.

But here’s the hard truth – follower count isn’t as important as you think.

And it’s even more so if you intend to use social media to drive traffic to your website or get people to buy your books.

The social media metrics mambo jumbo

Before we dive further, let’s be sure that we’re all on the same page about the social media metrics.

For the most part, follower count comes to mind first when we talk about metrics.

Well, it’s understandable considering it’s the first thing we see on your and someone else’s social media profile.

But there are so many things you can unpack about your social media profile specifically.

For one, you can see things like the engagement rate for each post, the number of people who like and share your post, and even the click-through rate if you have a link on your posts.

Of course, you can opt for something robust such as Buffer and Hootsuite if you want to know more about your social media profile stats.

But you can get all this information from your social media profile.

And yes, without having to sign up for any separate service.

When it comes to metrics, many authors tend to focus more on the follower count and other metrics such as likes and shares.

The problem with putting a lot of emphasis on your follower count specifically

You probably have this notion that authors with a large following must be raking the dough every time they post about their new releases on social media.

Believe me, it will be wonderful if having a large following on social media can land you on the bestseller list.

But in reality, that’s never the case at all.

For one, only a handful of people will see their posts even if they have a huge following.

What is it that causes these people not to see the post, you ask?

It can be due to the algorithm hiding their posts, causing only a tiny fraction of their followers to see the post.

Take Facebook for example. Your followers will only see the posts if you pay to boost the post. Even that doesn’t guarantee they will see the post, ever.

Another reason that causes many people to miss the post?

It can also be due to the fast-paced nature of social media itself.

That’s the whole shtick of having to post as many times as you can on social media, particularly on X.

Considering how fast-paced X is if it works the same way as Twitter, there is a big chance that your followers may have missed it the first time around.

Well, can’t blame them when fast-scrolling and a quick like and share is the name of the game.

If you think having a large following will solve your book sales dilemma, then you’re in for a rude awakening.

Social media is by far the only activity that requires you to put so much effort into such a little traction.

Do you understand now why I quit social media?

What you should be focusing on instead

If building a following on social media isn’t what you should focus on, then what you should be focusing on instead?

Well, you should be focusing on the click-through rate, of course.

After all, it’s the only metric that tells you whether the social media posts are bringing you sales or not.

You can also use the same metric to know whether people are interested enough to visit your website after stumbling upon your post on social media.

Of course, getting people to click on the link is only half the battle.

For some reason, they won’t click on any link that will pull them away from the said social media platform.

Social media followers are the toughest to convert since they prefer to remain on the said platform for as long as possible.

The only way to get these people to click on the link is to use paid ads or the platform has seamless e-commerce integration within your profile such as the TikTok shop.

When does the follower count even matter then?

If you’re thinking about doing sponsored posts or pursuing a traditional publishing book deal, then the follower count plays a major role.

In the case of getting a book deal, the number of followers doesn’t need to be huge.

What they want to see is that you already have your own platform before you get the publishing deal.

Remember that you still have to do your own marketing even if you receive a publishing deal from the Big 5 publishers.

They won’t be doing any book marketing at all for you.

It’s because of this reason having a sizeable following on social media is crucial if you want to land a publishing deal.

As for the sponsored posts, you will need to have a specific number of followers to qualify to take part in their campaigns.

The number may vary depending on which platforms they want you to promote.

But if you have a sizeable following on Instagram and TikTok, then it’s worth considering taking part in the sponsored post opportunities.

Outside of those two situations, the follower count isn’t a useful metric as much as you hope for.

Track what matters to you

While I do believe the click-through rate is what you should be focusing on especially if you want to drive traffic to your website or increase your book sales, it may not necessarily be the right metric to track in your situation.

Perhaps you find the engagement rate matters to you more since you use social media to engage with your potential readers.

As much as you want to use social media to drive sales, you prefer to use it to connect with your potential readers instead.

So, how do you know which metrics to track then?

Well, it can be as simple as asking yourself what is your end goal.

If your end goal is you want people to head over to your website to join your email list or buy your book, then you need to track your click-through rate.

Track the right metric and you’ll be sure to get the outcome you want.

It can lead you to better decision-making too.

That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?