You Think Your Followers' Count Matters?

Before the suspension period on Medium started, I was scrolling through my feed and reading stories when I came across one in particular. It included the sentence:

Your followers are not going to pay your rent!

Ouch! That stung.

Have some respect for your followers, yeah?

That sentence has been stuck in my mind for a few days now, and it’s made me think deeply.

The truth is, your followers do pay your rent and bills indirectly.

As a writer, you rely on followers and readers for your stories, articles, blogs, and more. Without engagement in your writing, you’re left isolated, and your performance essentially counts as zero.

No performance means no money.

Whether you’re an influencer, makeup artist, motivational speaker, chef, artist, or in any other profession, you need people to follow you and seek your services.

If no one is interested, it’s almost as though you don’t exist.

In the 21st century, where social media governs so much of our professional visibility, even the most skilled individuals must market themselves. If no one sees or buys what you’re offering, what good is it to you?

Think about how monetization works on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium, Reddit, or Quora. It’s your followers who make it possible.

You need a certain number of followers and subscribers on these platform; people who like to watch you, listen to you, or buy your goods and services. They’re the ones who, in turn, enable you to earn money.

So, to anyone who claims that followers don’t pay your rent or bills, I suggest you try earning money without them. You’ll quickly realize the truth.

Next time, have some respect for the people who take time out of their busy lives to engage with your stories and provide honest, constructive feedback.

If you are a writer, value and respect your audiences. It will take you a long way.