Social Media Follower Counts Have Never Mattered Less, Creator Economy Execs Say
Follower counts don’t matter like they used to. In 2025, trust—not reach—is the new currency in the creator economy.
Matilda
Social Media Follower Counts Have Never Mattered Less, Creator Economy Execs Say
Follower Counts Don’t Matter Anymore—Here’s What Does Forget follower counts. In 2025, having millions of social media followers no longer guarantees visibility, influence—or income. As algorithmic feeds dominate every major platform, creators are learning a hard truth: posting content doesn’t mean your audience will see it. Industry leaders now say that raw follower numbers have lost their meaning, replaced by something far more valuable—trust. Credit: Orbon Alija / Getty Images This shift isn’t just a passing trend; it’s a structural realignment of the creator economy. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube now prioritize engagement signals and AI-curated recommendations over simple follower graphs. As a result, even creators with massive audiences can watch their views plummet overnight. “I think that 2025 was the year where the algorithm completely took over, so followings stopped mattering entirely,” said Amber Venz Box, CEO of LTK, in a recent interview with TechCrunch. The R…
