Don't Go Chasing Followers!
Please stick to the content and the quality you're proud to make
Have you seen those articles, too?
The ones encouraging people to subscribe to them on Vocal and promising a reciprocal subscription? They are chasing the vision of 10k followers that drive wanna-be influencers.
The ones blathering about the rush to achieve a THOUSAND subscribers in a month... or a year! The ones going on about the glories of TEN THOUSAND followers as the next hill to climb!
If you’ve missed any of this hootenanny shenanigans and snake oil, do a key word search on your favorite search engine for “10K +followers” and see what the fuss is all about. There are pages and pages of them. I’ve added a link below to one of the results so you don’t have to do the typing yourself, because that’s just the type of writer I am… even if you aren’t a subscriber/follower….
What’s With 10k Followers?
If you are an influencer on social media you already know this, but for those readers in the back: there is a Tier System for influencers. Nano-and Micro-influencers are consumed with adding followers so they can start making money on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Because I love my readers and just KNOW that some of you aren't going to click the links I share; here's what you'd find regarding these tiers:
A micro-influencer is an influencer with a follower count within the range of 10,000–100,000 followers.
Influencers are typically broken down into four main types based on their follower count:
- Nano-influencers: 1K–10K followers.
- Micro-influencers: 10K–100K followers.
- Macro-influencers:100k-1M followers.
- Mega or Celebrity influencers: 1M+ followers
Don’t get me wrong; there is serious money for -some- people to make in this manner. And if that’s your jam then chasing the followers make sense.
So Are You Saying I DON’T Want 10k Follower/Subscribers on Vocal?
No; I’m not saying that at all. Vocal’s platform is wonderful, and part of the satisfaction I receive as a writer is having more people subscribe, read, and engage with what I write.
But; that’s the thing: the rush for subscribers ignores the importance of the reading and engaging with content.
Follow for follow (a different way of stating subscribe for subscribe... and a heck of a lot easier to spell/type) is nothing but a rush of dopamine and an illusion of making money.
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Subscribers. Readers. What’s the Difference?
There’s a BIG difference, and it’s important for many reasons:
SUBSCRIBERS are tracked on your stats page.
- You know the number, but (currently, that is. Hello, Vocal?) have no way of knowing who they are.
- They get Notifications (that little bell icon at the top right of the Vocal pages) whenever your content is posted/live.
READERS can be Vocal members or not.
- ALL Readers contribute to a writer’s earning when they read content on the website, even if they aren't Vocal members. They can also share your content on their social media.
- They can be friends and family, but can't leave you comments or hearts unless they are Vocal members.
- Readers that ARE Vocal Members can provide comments on your content, click on the heart, and give you tips and/or pledges.
Here’s the thing, the BIG thing, the HUGE thing:
A subscriber that is not a reader has no positive financial impact on a writer.
Here’s the same sentence, just not italicized:
A subscriber that is not a reader has no positive financial impact on a writer.
My Advice
- Keep your eye on writing quality content, and do so as often as makes sense for you.
- Interact with the comments readers leave on your content.
- Interact with other writers that encourage you, challenge you, and motivate you.
- Share your content thoughtfully. Use your own posts to do that: don't hijack someone else's work with a curt 'Nice!' and add a link to your own stuff. Not on social media, and not here on the Vocal platform.
Unless you are seeking that dopamine hit, chasing the numbers, notching your belt, or inflating your resume by seeking 10k followers in a get-big-quick scheme; you may find these articles of mine useful to help you maximize the Vocal platform and social media:
Did you know that I wrote the updated content in Creator 101? There's a LOT there, so if you haven't read it before, please check it out. here's a link to the page that has them all:
and because that is 'BLAH' and looks like a mistake, and I certainly would never blame you for not clicking on it: here's the link to the FAQs, which is (slightly) more colorful and the last of the 10 articles:
And because, in the United States, next week is Thanksgiving and maybe you love new recipes, too: here is something that can happen when Vocal Creators work together. I think you'll recognize some familiar names and find some new favorites. It's one of the things I'm most proud of creating on Vocal, made possible once they introduced Quick Edit for Vocal+ members.
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Whew! That's a lot! Still with me? If so, please leave a comment. What did I miss? What would you have added?
About the Creator
Judey Kalchik
It's my time to find and use my voice.
Poetry, short stories, memories, and a lot of things I think and wish I'd known a long time ago.
You can also find me on Medium
And please follow me on Threads, too!
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Comments (21)
Mike shared this in the VSS and that's how I found this, Judey. I really didn't know anything about influencers. I was slow to get myself together on Vocal after being away an extensive time. My seizures wreck my focus, so several months I basically worked excessively on my own stories and never read. I still have more than a half dozen stories brewing in my head right now. But I read a lot more than I used to, and I learn from others and I'm inspired by others. I'm so glad to have found this! Thanks, Mike (we should be able to tag others on Vocal too, like we can on FB. 😉) ⚡💙⚡
Highly informative… loved that you spelt it out, so we’re without excuse!🤣
Tru dat! 😁 Well expressed Judey!
I sang that title just so you know xx
Subscribers and followers are just numbers. It means nothing if there's no quality in the content.
Strongly agree with your statements here and I love the song reference in your title and subtitle. I’m not that competitive by nature, so I’m pretty chill about the numbers. I’m here for the writing and I assume most of my favorite Vocal creators are too 💖
You are spot on as usual. Great article Judey. There is no way I could counter read and support all that subscribed to me. It’s more like 25-30 that consistently read and comment and even then I get behind. And if all my subscribers read every vocal piece I post I might could retire. Lol
As always, sage counsel, Judey.
I have been writing on Wattpad, and I also have Instagram and YouTube. I learned that other factors attract people to your page. It's your work's quality, your interactions with people, your evaluation, and your activity. I never get the influencer power or challenges. Sometimes, I feel it makes people become clout chasers and make some dumb decisions. I was taught work rarely explodes overnight, so don't expect it, just work your way up. Nicely done and appreciate this work.
l LOVE that you wrote this. A lot of young people who are trying to become internet famous or internet rich don't realize that having a bunch of followers that aren't engaged in their content is worthless. You can't just go around spamming links and saying oh follow and expect people to acknowledge or care. If you're trying to do something that you want to be known for, work hard for it, don't take short cuts. This was a FANTASTIC article Judey! <3
Agree. A large number of subscribers does not equal a large number of reads. Mine equate to approx 5% on a non TS. Great article.
Fabulous advice, smooth as ice!!! 💕❤️❤️ If only those subscribers/followers were readers!!!
I know of the influencer thing but I'm literally the one at the back! Thanks for sharing this -really insightful. I try to read as much as I can of my subscribed to list -but its impossible to do and then I stress and worry that they think I'm arrogant or something. It's lovely when someone comments and engages genuinely and that always makes my day-whether it is in response to my own or a comment I've made on their work. Either way 🤍
Very informative! I always mentally beat myself up for not having enough subscribers but my number of reads is going up (some days) and I never thought of any of what you mentioned.
If I shout into a gale-force wind, it makes little difference to me. Nobody reads my articles, some of which are excellent. I don't run a popularity contest; I started out doing "noise music," if that tells you anything. If someone discovers me great; if not, ah well. Money is nice, but I can make money in other ways. I write what I write because I have a voice in my head, and it occurs to me to do so. I have to make this "reality" correspond with the inner reality, or even the dream reality. So I do, creatively, as I am directed by the bigger consciousness. Otherwise, everyone and their ego is an illusion, and will disappear after a brief interval in the neural network. Bourgeois conventions pale on me, I'm afraid. They never offered me a seat at the table. At least, not one that I could occupy. Love and napalm.
Good points, Judey! Also, your subscribers on Vocal belong to Vocal - that means if Vocal goes under, or you lose your account, you lose your "list." Reads are where the value is!
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I mean, I'm sub sub nano. I have about 125 subscribers. But this is meaningless. I have about eight or nine readers. "I'm doing it wrong!" I think to myself. Because when someone I subscribe to published a story, about 80% of the time, I read it. Here I am now! What this means is that I often DONT have so much time for reading new people, other books, or for, you know, writing. I'm a conscientious subscriber! But my subscribers are, 90%, less so. So this can't be about the reciprocal deal. But I WANT to read so many of the people I subscribe to. I need to rebalance the way I use the site. I've been on the same book for months now!
This is a great article, Judey! I prefer getting subscribers the old fashioned way, by writing content that appeals to people who enjoy my writing. This way when I do get a new subscriber, I can feel good about that dopamine hit.
Very informative article, as always, Judey. Shared to V+A
Love your work! Now, I'm going back to read what I missed! 💖💜
Congratulations on your forthcoming Top Story. I am not even a nano influencer and the fact the Vocal has ignored my resource pieces screams what they think about my work (Joke Lol), I just write and hope that people read. I never ask people to check out my work or subscribe and hope my work is good enough to attract readers. I have a good number of subscribers but if 10% read my stories I would be getting a lot more reads than I do. Excellent work Judey