06/04/2025

Marketers Say Follower Counts No Longer Signals Influence

So, we need to determine what does now

If we look back at the last decade of the influencer marketing industry, influencers have been largely defined by the number of followers they have. It's how brands have identified and prioritized who to work with, and how rates are negotiated. Influencers with larger followings typically have greater demand and garner higher rates than those with lower followings.

But something has happened over the last few years that is completely changing the dynamic of how social media users interact with content, and thus how influence is defined. And it's largely rooted in the shift from social graphs to interest graphs, something TikTok started and now Reels, Shorts and even LinkedIn have greatly accelerated.

Let's break down this shift into three key themes.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Forbes.