Why Too Many Followers Can RUIN Your Business

“I have a lot of followers!”
Pfft!

I’ve seen business owners being so narcissistic about having so many followers while their business fails. Not writing this blog to roast their ego real quick (well, maybe a little).

But here’s the thing: Your business growth does not hinge on the number of followers you have.
Rather, it might be the opposite. Having too many ‘followers’ can RUIN your business. YES!

And when’s the last time you’ve heard that having a lot of followers can damage your reputation? Well, they don’t teach you this. But I will.

Two Common Scenarios

• You don’t have a lot of followers – Not to worry; You can still bring sales. I’ll tell you how.

• You have a lot of followers, but your business is failing. The blame is on your followers themselves.

Before diving further in, I want you to spend 60 seconds reading these 3 names and their businesses. Take 60 seconds and see if something’s ringing a bell:

• Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics

• Drake’s Virginia Black Whiskey

• Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi

These three influencing giants had two things in common: Fame and Failure.

You see, influencers like Kylie and Drake have so many followers. However, they still failed to sell their products to their customers.

Why They Failed

• Kylie Cosmetics: Initially a success, it failed due to bad consumer interest, failed rebranding, and more.

• Virginia Black Whiskey: Drake targeted the wrong audience. Youngsters didn’t have the money to buy whiskey.

• Quibi: Despite massive celebrity support, it failed to align with audience needs. Shut down after just six months.

Wear Their Shoes for a Minute

Imagine you’ve launched these amazing, super-comfy maternity leggings. You’ve got 10,000 followers. But 95% of your followers are teenagers who are not even pregnant.

Result? Not much of a sale.

Now, imagine you’ve got 1,000 followers, and most of them are pregnant women.

Result? Sales beyond your expectations.

In the first scenario, the Wrong audience.
In the second scenario: Right audience, even with fewer numbers.

But sometimes, even with the right audience, you might fail because you haven’t engaged them properly or built the relationship well.

Real Examples of Engagement Failure

H&M

In 2018, H&M posted an image of a young Black boy wearing a hoodie with the slogan: ‘Coolest Monkey in the Jungle’.

Even though they reached the right audience, their engagement strategy backfired.

Many people saw it as racially insensitive. The term “monkey” has historically been used as a racial slur against Black people.

Fyre Festival

• Marketed as a luxury music festival with celebrity promotion

• Hype was strong

• But attendees found poor accommodation, a lack of customer service, and bad food

• Engagement was high, but no real relationship was built

Lessons:

• H&M had the right audience but poor engagement.

• Fyre Festival had both targeting and engagement, but failed in relationship-building.

Audience Targeting, Engagement & Relationship-Building

You probably already know what audience targeting is. But just in case:

Audience Targeting

Identifying specific groups most likely to be interested in your product or service based on:

• Demographics

• Interests

• Behaviors

Audience Engagement

The level of interaction and communication a business has with its audience.

Goal: Spark attention and drive action (likes, shares, comments, etc.)

Focus: Short-term interactions

Example:

A fitness brand running a hashtag campaign, responding to user posts, and encouraging feedback.

Relationship-Building

Creating a long-term, meaningful connection.

Goal: Turn engagement into loyalty and advocacy

Focus: Long-term relationship maintenance

Example:

The fitness brand offers personalized workout plans, member discounts, special event invites, and empathetic customer service.

Glossier: The Best Example

1. Audience Targeting

• Targeted young, beauty-conscious women who prefer minimalist skincare

• Focused on social-media-active users

2. Engagement

• Used Instagram to share user-generated content

• Created interactive campaigns like #GlossierPink

3. Relationship-Building

• Listened to customer feedback

• Shared suggestions and updates via blog and social media

Result:

Casual buyers became loyal advocates.

How Too Many Followers Can Backfire

Inactive Followers

• They don’t engage

• Don’t purchase

• Lower your engagement rate

Impact:

• Algorithms reduce your visibility

• Low trust from potential customers (they judge by likes/comments)

Somewhat Active Followers

• Like/comment occasionally

• Don’t convert because they’re not deeply connected

Scale Problem

• Personal connection with 1,000 is doable

• But not with 1,000,000

Also:

• Bigger audience = Bigger risk of criticism

• Harder to maintain a positive brand image

So, What’s the Solution?

1. Remove inactive followers

2. Segment active ones into private groups/funnels

3. Keep preaching your message

4. Expect 2–10% conversion

Final Thoughts

You need:

• Audience targeting

• Engagement

• Relationship-building

Only then will followers truly convert into customers.