The Social Media Metric Brands Love Most Is Quickly Becoming Meaningless

Graza shows why social momentum now comes from participation, not passive audience totals—and why vanity metrics are starting to fail brands.

EXPERT OPINION BY JASON MITCHELL, CEO, MOVEMENT STRATEGY @MOVEMENTS

Illustration: Inc; Photo: Adobe Stock, Graza

Still tracking follower counts? For most of social media’s history, that was the easiest metric to understand. Platforms displayed it prominently. Brands reported it to executives. Agencies used it to demonstrate growth. And in the early days of Facebook, X, and Instagram, having more followers genuinely meant more people would see your content. 

Follower counts were social media’s version of circulation numbers. The larger your audience, the more influence you were assumed to........

© Inc.com