Quality Over Quantity Rules in Social, Too

For many brands, social media is a numbers game. They want more followers, more likes, more commenters. In short, they want more.

However, as Entrepreneur Magazine contributor Deborah Mitchell highlighted, the quality of social media followers can trump sheer size.

In fact, in an informal poll of social media professionals, Mitchell found that, overall, 80 percent quality and 20 percent quantity was the formula for success.

"…[G]one are the days where simply having 'likes' makes a Facebook page relevant or credible," Jarem Atkinson, a social marketing manager, told Mitchell. “Actual engagement is what creates value for any company, brand, or individual on Facebook. And you can only get real engagement and community by having quality followers."

Meanwhile, some industry insiders told Mitchell it may be necessary for brands to forgo some social platforms in order to focus on the quality of others.

"It's about focusing on one or two of the best platforms for your business and really building quality connections on those platforms," Diane Leone, founder and digital media strategist for Butterfly Social, said. “If you try to spread yourself thin, whether it's across all social media platforms or trying to get huge quantities of followers, how will you engage with all of them effectively? I advise clients to go for meaningful engagements."

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