When the Metrics Don’t Match the Mission

// 10,000 Followers

Once upon a time, I hit over 10,000 followers on my Instagram - the holy grail of what used to be considered a 'big' Instagram account and I did it without buying followers, without a 'follow/unfollow' methodology (where you basically follow a load of accounts and wait for them to follow you, as soon as they do, you unfollow) and without any shady tactics.. I posted (and being as humble as I can be) pretty decent graphic based content and engaged with a ton of accounts.

I really enjoyed the growth process but all I was focused on was growing my account to such a size that it 'took off' - growing to 10,000 followers used to mean you'd be able to post links and get users to 'swipe up' on your stories - making you a rare breed. Then Instagram opened up that functionality to everyone and it took a little gloss off the whole dream.. it was when I hit around 7000 followers and once they did that, my enthusiasm wained.

I carried on posting, because all I wanted was to hit that metric - that one number which means so many things to so many people and as soon as I did - literally the same week, I stopped posting.

I hit that number, I pushed myself to get a vanity metric and like people who achieve a goal - I lost interest and I moved on.

Don't get me wrong, there were other factors involved in that decision - I was burning out, I was focused a lot on work and trying my best to keep up with everything but the fact that I was chasing a single metric meant I was just focusing on one thing.

// The Problem

Chasing the high of gaining new followers and 'growing' a large social media account is a weird one because you can't possibly know 10,000 people and there cannot be that actual connection with every person - which is what I wanted to have when I started out.

I fell into an addictive cycle - pushing myself to get as many likes, comments and shares as possible - it was a visible 'thing' that I wanted to achieve because every person I followed was pushing for the same thing - they wanted that magic number - for what reason?

The content I was producing was made for the algorithm - it was made to satisfy a number of rules around what people were engaging with and even today, I could engineer content to do the exact same thing depending on the metric I wanted to hit.

I could write an Instagram carousel which generated a ton of 'saves' - a quick checklist of 'tools' I use within my day to day or a 10 page swipe file with the most common objections in a sales process and how to overcome them - these generated a TON of saves, which indicated to the platform that people wanted to see it, use it (and save it) and therefore, the platform would push it to more people - growth.. but on a level I couldn't cope with.

It's easy to create for an algorithm when you understand what the algorithm wants to see and how it recognises 'good' content - so why did I stop posting?

Because to me - I wanted to post things which actually connected - when you're chasing an algorithm, there is no room for curiosity and there is no room for exploring themes or finding your feet - you immediately have to be positioned as the expert and you can't work it out while you go.

What ends up happening is that your content just chases trends, you start to see results (follows, likes) but you're not getting real feedback from your audience and it's all a little 'disconnected' - you can't be you.

Writing content in the style which generates all those vanity metrics really doesn't make you a better writer, it makes you a better social expert - you learn how to generate content and views and thats it... it doesn't make you a better writer.

// The Change

Chasing that number made me quit - the thing is, I reached my goal but I wasn't happy.

During the whole time I created content for Instagram (and I've written about this before), all I wanted to do was to start a newsletter - I created a whole 'funnel' as that's what I believed I needed at the time and then, I never launched it.

It was going to be called 'The Clique' - the exact same as this and the main driving force was that I wanted to lead with values and explore new paths rather than just focusing on performance metrics all the time - I wanted to create and write my work in a way which resonated, not just designed for reach.

The mission was going to be simple - just write and not worry about the metrics (and I still do that today).

If I genuinely started looking at my metrics today on how many people read my blogs or how many subscribers I have, then I would become a little depressed, because it's not actually reaching that many people but it's not about the metrics for me, it's about the practice of writing and the genuine connection I can build with my audience and it doesn't matter if 5 people read it or 500 - as long as I am writing in a way where I get to express my learning and in a way where I feel comfortable enough, week on week, to continue creating.

In other words - I let the mission (to connect) guide my writing, not the metrics.

Writing every single week for myself means that I am committed - I am committed to learning every week, exploring the themes which are relevant to me and I get to write about them in a way which I feel comfortable with. I don't have any pressure to be the expert and I never have to position myself as knowing all the answers which is what happens when you're posting for a social channel.

When you post for a social channel - people want to see answers and I don't have them all. By being present every single week, I am comfortable knowing that it's not about having all the answers, it's good enough to just learn more and take my time.

// The Way to Change

Honestly, if you're posting to just grow followers, you need to stop.

It's easy for me to say it but if you'd told me to do that in my 'must get to 10,000 followers' era, I wouldn't have listened - I was so set on achieving that number and even now, the allure of getting to 20,000 or 50,000 is still there - I still want to be sucked in.

There is one simple filter to run your content through (and it's a subliminal question for me) - but if I ask myself every single week

"If this content did zero numbers, would I still be proud to post it?"

And if the answer is yes - I'm on the right track.

Looking back on my Instagram days, chasing those metrics, if you'd asked me the same thing, I would have honestly been conflicted and that's where you get to recognise the disconnect.

Creating content for me now is not about chasing the numbers because, as I've said - the numbers are not that high - it's more about creating every single week and honing my thinking, sharing what I'm doing and more importantly - sharing it with those people who truly matter.

The people who are subscribed to 'The Clique' mean something - they have taken a conscious decision to offer their email address as a sacrifice and each week, I get to show up for them (whether they read it or not) and if something really resonates, I get them to reply.

No likes, no shares, no saves - impact over impressions. Every time.

// The Takeaway

This isn’t me saying metrics are bad - they’re just not the thing that drives me anymore.

I still catch myself checking views or wondering why something didn’t land the way I thought it would, I made a promise long ago that I would never write a blog article which was a 'list' of something but that pull never fully goes away - I still think about creating a lead magnet which offers up a list for the 'clout' but the difference now is, I don’t let it lead. That thought quickly goes away.

The work is the work. Showing up, writing, sharing what I’ve learned - that’s the real energy and it's where I get enjoyment from creating.

The numbers will always go up and down. People will come and go. But if you’re proud of what you’re putting out, if it reflects where you’re at right now, then you’re already ahead.

Because the quiet replies, the random DMs, the “this really made me think” messages, or the people who see you at real events who actually know you and they say 'I can't wait to read your newsletter every week' - that’s the stuff that actually sticks.

That’s connection.

And at the end of the day, 10 real humans leaning in will always mean more than 10,000 people scrolling past.

That’s the only metric I care about now.