Why Real TikTok Followers Matter More Than Ever

| Updated on July 28, 2025
Why Real TikTok Followers Matter More Than Ever

These days, it’s not just about having a big number next to your name. What matters is having real followers! People who actively engage with your content. 

Simply put, the people who like your post, leave a comment, share it with their friends, and stay engaged because they care about what you’re publishing are the ones. Having them on your account can make a big difference. 

Therefore, in this blog post, we are going to discuss why real followers are so important on TikTok and how they help you to achieve notable growth.

Understanding the Importance of Real Followers For the TikTok Algorithm 

TikTok’s primary algorithm is to maximize the watch time and engagement rate by customizing each user’s “For You” page with the content they are most likely to interact with.

Usually, the platform tracks this by monitoring how people are engaging with your content by likes, comments, shares, follows, and total watch time. The more interactions, the better your content is doing. 

That is why having real TikTok followers matters the most. Their constant engagement helps you to get noticed by the algorithm, which eventually benefits your account. 

Likewise, having fake followers might look impressive, but they don’t help you in your growth. Also, they somehow harm your profile, as when the algorithm sees low interaction on your account, it stops showing your content. 

Briefly, real followers bring value to you, and that’s exactly what TikTok’s algorithm rewards. 

Major TikTok Algorithm Updates and Their Impact 

TikTok often tweaks its algorithm to enhance its user experience and content quality. These changes directly affect how videos are shown, who sees them, and creators’ growth. 

Here, we have presented the last three major changes the platform has introduced that clearly show how important real followers are. Take a look closely.

1. March 2023 Update

March 2023 TikTok’s algorithm has continued to focus on fresh and engaging content, by which the user can reset and personalize their “For You” page according to their recent interests. This also includes: 

  • The algorithms begin prioritizing current preferences instead of historical data. 
  • Creators with content that does not match emerging trends may have to face a notable drop in their reach, even with a larger follower count. 
  •  If your followers aren’t actively engaging with your content, they become less influential. 

2. July 2024 Update 

TikTok’s July 2024 update made big changes that focus on quality over quantity, creative use of features, and better audience interactions. For instance:

  • Post at least 1-3 posts of quality content daily to stay in your audience’s feed. 
  • Employ the latest features like TikTok Notes with photos, carousels, and captions. 
  • Implement strong hooks in the first few seconds to attract more followers at first glance. 

3. December 2024 Update 

TikTok’s December 2024 algorithm has reshaped how videos get discovered, emphasizing creativity, increased engagement, and audience targeting. Here is a clear breakdown: 

  • Your video must get at least 75% of watch time to get more promoted on the platform. 
  • Be specific about your content to give your audience a clear idea of your content. 
  • Encourage your audience to interact with your content by liking, commenting, and collaborating with your video. 

In short, the TikTok algorithm prioritizes quality content, context, and engagement over superficial numbers. So, for sustained growth, try to attract more real followers to your account.

How Real Followers Increase Reach and Engagement

Real followers significantly empower users to boost their reach and engagement rate, especially on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 

No matter how many followers you have on your account if they are not actively interacting with your content, the platform will not further promote your post. 

Moreover, having real followers on your handle can make a big difference. Such as: 

  1. Boost Engagement Rate: Your active audience will immediately view your latest post on their feed and possibly engage with it by liking, commenting, and sharing it. Eventually, it will foster your engagement rate and make you noticeable to the TikTok algorithm.  
  1. Maximize Reach: The real user can unknowingly benefit you in several ways. Their view and interactions will expose your content to new potential followers. 
  1. Enhance Conversion Rate: Remember, people don’t follow accounts they have no interest in. If you have a good follower count, ensure you publish interesting and promotional content to convert your followers into potential customers. 
  1. Foster Algorithm: When your content gets a noticeable engagement rate, the TikTok algorithm will promote your account more extensively. This will help you in reaching more people with higher engagement and conversion rates. 

Thus, having a big follower count or published posts won’t help you anyhow. If you are eager to expand your account, start practicing the latest effective strategies, improve your content quality, and understand your audience’s interests for a better outcome. 

Why Authenticity and Community Are Keys on TikTok  

TikTok is a platform that is widely recognized for rapid growth and engagement, which ranks authentic content that connects with viewers and encourages a sense of community. 

Furthermore, on this platform, being real matters the most, rather than providing fake and polished content. People want to see real faces and stories, from which they can relate or learn something. And that is why authenticity matters the most. 

Apart from this, TikTok is not just about followers; it’s more about establishing a community. So, being a content creator, when you start responding fast, joining the trend, or supporting others, it will benefit you a lot. 

For instance, it will help you to build a community where people follow you and love you for what you are doing. 

In a nutshell, TikTok is not about being cool; it’s about being you and making others feel like they matter. And this is what works in the long run. 

Best Practices For Gaining Real, Targeted Followers 

Whether you are trying to establish your distinct community or trying to attract more real followers, both will require several effective techniques that you need to implement. 

Thus, here we have presented five proven strategies. Take a look attentively. 

  1. Upgrade Your Profile: Modify your account by adding a link, contact info, and a creative bio that conveys your personality more precisely, to give your audience a clear idea about your content.
  2. Employ Effective Articles:  Try to use a mix of hashtags in your post captions, bio, and comments to appear on both the general feed and your niche-based community. 
  1. Collaborate With Popular Influencers: Team up with different creators to unlock an extensive audience and attract more potential followers. 
  1. Regularly Conduct Contests or Giveaways: To keep your audience engaged and interested in your profile, constantly create fun quizzes or anything for them. To attain more responses, offer different rewards for their comment, shares, or follows.
  1. Interact With Your Audience: Never ignore your followers. Reply to them as soon as possible, also be helpful and respectful towards them to build a trustworthy relationship. 

Thereby, by adhering to the aforementioned practices, you can noticeably start gaining real followers who engage with your content and assist your profile to grow on the platform. 

Bottom Line 

Wrapping up! After thoroughly reading this article, we are sure you now know why having 100 real followers is much better than 10,000 who don’t even notice you. 

Talking about the TikTok algorithms, the platform only prioritizes the authentic handles that deliver a specified niche-based content and hold a community, where people are actively engaged. 

In the end, remember that buying followers or just focusing on the follower count won’t work now. So, if you honestly want to accelerate your business on TikTok, start implementing the effective measures we have mentioned in this blog.





Priyam Ghosh

Tech and Internet Writer


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