Facebook’s “Follow” feature allows users to subscribe to the public posts of other users without being friends. This allows you to see someone’s public posts in your News Feed without them seeing all of your posts in return.
If someone is following you on Facebook, it typically means they are interested in your content and updates, even if you don’t have an established friendship. There are a few key things to know about what it means when someone follows you:
They can see your public posts
When someone follows you, they are able to see any posts you share publicly on your profile. This includes your status updates, photos, videos, links, or any other content you post without using the privacy settings to limit your audience. So be aware that your followers are able to keep up with anything you broadcast to the public at large.
They want access to your updates
In most cases, someone will follow you because they have some interest in your life or thoughts. This could be someone who knows you peripherally in real life, an old acquaintance you’ve lost touch with, or even a stranger who shares a common interest or finds you entertaining. By following you, they are expressing a desire to have your public updates appear in their feed.
It’s one-way access to your content
When someone follows your profile, it does not mean you automatically have access to their posts as well. Following only goes one way, so your followers get to see your posts, but you will not see theirs unless you also follow them back. You remain in control over whose updates appear in your own News Feed.
You don’t have to follow them back
You are under no obligation to follow someone just because they have followed you. Some people follow strategically in hopes that you will follow them back to gain access to their updates too. But it’s completely your choice whether to return a follow or not. You can enjoy the “one-way” nature of their subscription to your updates.
You can see a list of your followers
Facebook does allow you to see a list of all users who are following your profile. To access it, go to your profile page and click “Followers” in the left sidebar. This will show you the full list of people who will see your public posts.
You can block followers
If you are uncomfortable with someone following you, you can block them. This prevents them from seeing your profile or posts. Simply go to your Follower list, click on the user you want to block, and select “Block.” This removes their follow access.
It can expand your audience
Gaining followers means more people see your Facebook posts automatically. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase engagement with your content. People who actively follow profiles tend to be more engaged users.
It shows people are interested in you
Having a steady or growing group of followers points to you having some level of influence. The more followers you have, the more people find you interesting enough to subscribe to your updates. A high follower count represents your ability to produce content your audience wants to see in their feeds.
Why Do People Follow Others on Facebook?
There are a variety of reasons someone may follow another user on Facebook. Some of the most common motivations include:
Staying connected with acquaintances
Following allows you to keep up with the lives of acquaintances, old classmates, former coworkers or other casual contacts without having to add them as friends. It lets you continue the connection from a distance.
Reconnecting with old friends
People often follow former friends or colleagues they have lost touch with over the years. This allows them to get occasional updates and keep a passive awareness of what is going on in each other’s lives.
Following celebrities/influencers
Many public figures, artists, influencers and thought leaders have public profiles. Following them is a common way for fans to get updates on their work and activities.
Following family members
Some relatives or in-laws prefer to maintain boundaries and privacy settings on Facebook. Following allows for basic updates without full friendship access.
Staying updated on brands/companies
Following an organization, business, brand or community page you support is a good way to get updates on new products, events or causes you care about.
Discovering new content
People often follow users who frequently share content related to topics of interest like hobby groups, fan sites, news sources, bloggers etc. It serves as a content discovery mechanism.
Finding support communities
Those dealing with particular health conditions, life challenges or niche interests can follow related support groups and advocates to get encouragement and advice.
Seeing a specific person’s updates
You may want to routinely see the posts of someone you admire or have feelings for, even if you don’t directly interact often. Following them ensures visibility of their activities.
Lurking anonymously
For some, following a person allows them to passively keep tabs on their life without them knowing. The follower sees their posts, but the followed person may be unaware.
Who Is Most Likely to Follow You?
Certain categories of people are more inclined to follow others on Facebook rather than directly friend them. Some archetypes to expect gaining followers from include:
Distant contacts
This includes old high school or college friends, former coworkers, distant relatives, neighbors you’ve moved away from, etc. They want just enough connection to peek into your life occasionally.
Recent acquaintances
After meeting someone new in class, at a party, through a friend or in any social setting, following lets them continue the fledgling connection.
Romantic interests
Someone who is interested in you romantically may follow you to get regular updates on your life and activities outside of direct interactions. It also avoids putting pressure on a new relationship by initiating a friend request.
Friends of friends
Your wider social network of friends, the friends of your friends and beyond, may follow you once they discover your profile to extend their social graph.
Teammates/activity partners
People you interact with through sports teams, volunteering projects, group activities or other organizations may follow each other to coordinate plans and share related content.
Celebrity fans
If your account is public and you have developed a noticeable level of influence, you may gain a follower base of fans who appreciate your work.
Brands/organizations
Businesses and communities focused on topics relevant to your interests or identity are likely to follow you based on your social profile and engagement with related content.
Anonymous lurkers
There may be some followers in your list who you don’t recognize and don’t seem to fit into any of these archetypes. These could simply be random users who found your profile interesting enough to follow anonymously.
How Many Followers is a Lot?
How many followers is considered a high amount on Facebook? Here are some benchmarks to evaluate the size of your follower count:
0-50 followers
This is a very limited follower base, signaling your updates are likely only being seen by those you know personally and a handful of wider connections.
50-500 followers
Once you get into the hundreds of followers, you’ve extended your reach beyond close friends and family. But 500 is still a relatively niche audience.
500-2,000 followers
Thousands of followers represents a solid base of engaged people interested in your content. This shows you’ve built up some visibility and influence on Facebook.
2,000-10,000 followers
Gaining over 10,000 followers is an impressive achievement on Facebook. At this level you have a self-sustaining audience that likely grows organically by sharing your content.
10,000-100,000 followers
Very few everyday users reach the tens of thousands. Celebrities, thought leaders and brands may gain this substantial following. It reflects a highly visible personal brand or platform.
100,000+ followers
Only the top influencers, artists and public figures on Facebook will reach into the millions of followers. This gives them immense reach for their posts.
How to Gain More Facebook Followers
If you want to expand your follower base and visibility on Facebook, here are some tips:
Share engaging content frequently
Post updates your target audience would find interesting – whether informative, entertaining or thought-provoking. Consistency is key.
Use relevant hashtags
This helps your content be discovered by people searching for specific topics or keywords.
Engage with your followers
Reply to comments, answer messages and acknowledge people who are engaging with your posts to foster a relationship.
Run follower contests/giveaways
Offer prizes or rewards to people who follow you to incentive gaining more subscribers.
Cross-promote your profile
Share your Facebook page on other social networks, your website, email newsletters etc. to expand reach.
Invite friends to follow you
Leveraging your existing social and professional circles can provide an initial base of followers. Then ask satisfied followers to invite their networks.
Advertise strategically
Use Facebook’s advertising tools to promote your account to targeted demographics who would find your brand appealing.
Partner with other pages
Work collaboratively on content and campaigns with partners who can expose your profile to new audiences primed to follow.
Analyze follower demographics
Study the age, gender, location and interests of those following you to optimize your content for that crowd.
Pros of Gaining Facebook Followers
Here are some of the advantages that come with building up a robust base of followers:
Increased reach for your posts
Your updates will automatically appear in more feeds rather than only being visible to direct friends. A broader audience sees your content.
Ability to build an audience
Followers represent an engaged subgroup of people who have specifically opted into your updates. This can become a go-to audience.
Measurable social proof
A high count of followers serves as a metric of influence and interest in your brand. It’s a benchmark for perceived value.
Gateway for generating leads
Once people follow you, they often more readily engage further by visiting your website, signing up for products, or taking desired actions.
Opportunity to monetize
Accounts with large, targeted followings can leverage that audience to generate income through sponsorships, affiliates, advertisers and other monetization avenues.
Insight into fan interests
You can learn what resonates with your niche audience based on the types of content they engage with and share from your profile.
Improved search visibility
Facebook’s algorithm may show profiles with more followers higher in certain search rankings and suggestions to help you gain more visibility.
Cons of Gaining Facebook Followers
However, there are also some potential downsides to having an expanded follower list:
Dealing with trolls
The more reach your account has, the more likely you’ll encounter trolls trying to start arguments or post negative comments to provoke reactions.
Invasion of privacy
With an unknown mix of followers, you may feel your updates are being seen by people you’d rather not share certain life moments with.
Pressure to create viral content
Catering to a wider audience can create stress around trying to deliberately manufacture popular viral posts.
Time commitment to manage followers
Having more notifications and followers to respond to cuts into the time needed to create new content that continues fueling follower growth.
Impersonators and fake accounts
Your expanded visibility makes it more likely impersonator accounts get created to mislead followers or share inappropriate content.
Dealing with haters
A larger audience increases your exposure to abusive speech from people who take issue with aspects of your identity, values or beliefs.
Reduced post visibility
If your follower count grows disproportionate to engagement, Facebook may reduce distribution of your posts in attempts to identify bots/fake accounts.
Conclusion
Gaining followers on Facebook is a double-edged sword. On the positive side, it allows you to extend your reach, foster an audience, and build social proof for your personal brand or business. However, managing a larger unknown follower base also comes with risks like unwanted attention, harassment, impersonation and heightened pressure around content.
Most people find the overall benefits outweigh potential costs. But controlling your privacy settings, blocking problem followers, and focusing on value over viral content can help optimize your experience. Evaluate your goals, content strategy and target audience to determine if proactively gaining more Facebook followers would be right for your situation.