Your Twitter Follower Count Might Drop Soon – Here‘s What You Need to Know
If you‘ve been keeping a close eye on your Twitter follower count, you may notice a sizable drop in the coming days and weeks. Don‘t panic – you‘re not alone, and it‘s not because your content suddenly started tanking.
On July 11, 2018, Twitter announced that it would be removing locked accounts from follower counts as part of a broader effort to promote accuracy, credibility, and authenticity on the platform.
While this news might come as a shock to some users, especially those who place a high value on their follower metrics, Twitter‘s move is actually a much-needed step towards greater transparency and trust. Let‘s dive into what‘s happening, why it matters, and what you can do to thrive in this new era of social media authenticity.
The Bot Problem: How Fake Followers Inflate Metrics and Erode Trust
To understand the significance of Twitter‘s latest change, we first need to examine the pervasive issue of bots, fake accounts, and suspicious activity on the platform.
Recent studies estimate that anywhere from 9 to 15 percent of active Twitter accounts are bots rather than real individuals. This means that out of Twitter‘s 336 million monthly active users, potentially 30 to 50 million are automated accounts designed to spam, spread misinformation, or artificially inflate follower counts.
The prevalence of fake followers has serious consequences for everyone on the platform:
- Marketers and advertisers end up with skewed metrics and inaccurate data about their audience
- The effectiveness of influencer marketing is undermined when a portion of an influencer‘s "reach" is revealed to be smoke and mirrors
- Spam and abuse is able to proliferate, leading to a more toxic and less trustworthy environment for real users
Bots and fake accounts have been a thorn in Twitter‘s side for years, but the pressure has intensified recently for social media companies to clean up their act. Let‘s take a look at how Twitter is planning to tackle this challenge head-on.
Locked and Loaded: How Twitter Is Cracking Down
So what exactly causes an account to be "locked" by Twitter? According to the company‘s blog post, an account is locked when Twitter detects "sudden changes in account behavior" such as:
- Tweeting a large volume of unsolicited mentions or replies
- Tweeting misleading links
- Aggressive following behavior
- Signs that the account may have been compromised or hacked
When an account is locked, Twitter reaches out to the owner and asks them to reset their password and pass a challenge-response test (like identifying a captcha) to prove they‘re a real human. The account remains locked – unable to tweet, like, or retweet – until the owner completes this process.
However, if an account remains locked for a prolonged period, it‘s a strong indicator that the account is actually a bot or fake account that was abandoned by its creator. These long-term locked accounts are the ones that Twitter will begin removing from follower counts.
It‘s important to note that not all locked accounts are necessarily fake or malicious. Some legitimate accounts may get locked by mistake if they trip spam detection filters. However, by focusing specifically on accounts that have been locked for a significant stretch of time, Twitter can be confident it‘s primarily weeding out the accounts that don‘t belong.
Bracing for Impact: What This Means for Influencers and Brands
While average users can expect to lose around four followers on average, some major accounts may see a more dramatic drop. Celebrities, influencers, and large brands that have amassed substantial followings over the years are likely to suffer the biggest blows as a larger chunk of their audience vanishes.
Already, some high-profile users are feeling the purge. For example, former President Barack Obama lost over 2 million followers within hours of Twitter‘s announcement, while Katy Perry and Justin Bieber each lost around 3 million.
For influencers and personal brands who have built businesses on the backs of their impressive follower counts, this change may feel like a threat. After all, if your perceived reach and influence take a substantial hit, it could impact your ability to land sponsorships, paid promotions, and other deals.
However, it‘s crucial to remember that an engaged, loyal, and authentic audience is far more valuable than a bloated follower count propped up by bots and dead accounts. Savvy brands and marketers recognize this, and are increasingly looking beyond surface-level metrics when choosing influencer partners.
In the short term, the follower count drops may sting. But in the long run, removing fake followers will lead to a more accurate and reliable measure of an account‘s true influence – and that‘s a win for everyone involved.
Adapting Your Strategy: Tips for Thriving in the Age of Authenticity
So as a marketer, brand, or influencer, what steps can you take to weather this change and come out stronger on the other side? Here are a few key pieces of advice:
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Audit your audience: Use tools like Twitter Audit and Fake Followers to get an estimate of how much of your current following is legitimate. This will give you a clearer baseline to work from once the purge is complete.
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Monitor your engagement rate: Rather than fixating on total followers, keep a close eye on metrics like replies, retweets, link clicks, and conversions. If these remain steady, it‘s a good sign that your real audience is sticking with you.
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Double down on quality content: Now more than ever, it‘s essential to create genuine, valuable content that resonates with your target audience. Clickbait and empty engagement bait will only get you so far in this new environment.
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Embrace transparency: If you do notice a big follower drop, don‘t try to sweep it under the rug. Be open with your audience about what‘s happening and reaffirm your commitment to authenticity and genuine connection. They‘ll appreciate your honesty.
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Look for the silver lining: Fewer bots and fake accounts means improved ad targeting, more accurate campaign metrics, and a better overall user experience. Try to focus on the long-term benefits rather than fixating on short-term vanity metrics.
The Road Ahead: Why a Healthier Twitter Benefits Everyone
Twitter‘s fake follower purge is just one piece of the company‘s larger mission to improve the health and integrity of its platform. Over the past year, Twitter has rolled out a number of initiatives aimed at combating spam, abuse, and misinformation, such as:
- Investing in machine learning algorithms to detect and shut down bot networks
- Measuring and publicly sharing metrics around "conversational health"
- Partnering with academics and researchers to study echo chambers and platform misuse
- Updating policies around political advertising and issue-based ads
While these efforts are still a work in progress, they point to a growing recognition among social media companies that trust and authenticity are essential to long-term success. In an era of fake news, data privacy scandals, and algorithm-fueled outrage, platforms like Twitter are realizing they need to take active steps to promote healthy discourse and rebuild user confidence.
For marketers and brands, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities. It may require rethinking some traditional social media tactics and KPIs, but it also opens the door for deeper, more meaningful engagement with audiences.
By embracing authenticity, focusing on quality over quantity, and adapting to the new norms of transparency and credibility, forward-thinking marketers can thrive in this new paradigm.
The Bottom Line: Authenticity Always Wins
At the end of the day, Twitter‘s removal of locked accounts from follower counts is a necessary and beneficial step towards a healthier, more trustworthy social media ecosystem.
While the immediate impact may be jarring for some users, particularly those who have put a lot of stock in their vanity metrics, it‘s essential to keep the bigger picture in mind. An app free of bots and fake accounts creates a better experience for real users, provides more reliable data for advertisers, and fosters an environment of genuine interaction and community.
As marketers and brand builders, our job has always been about forging authentic connections with our audience. The tactics and metrics may evolve, but that core mission remains the same.
So let‘s use this moment as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the values of authenticity, transparency, and real engagement. Together, we can adapt, innovate, and usher in a new era of social media marketing – one tweet at a time.
