Influencer Marketing: Does Follower Count Matter?
- Onni Creative
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
The numbers game that ran social media for the past decade is finally showing cracks, and it's time we talk about what really matters with influencer partnerships.
For years, we've bought into this idea that more followers = more influence = more money. But, that's not how it works anymore.
The problem is having a million Instagram followers doesn't guarantee any conversion. And 71% of people end up regretting purchases they made because an influencer told them to, making them unlikely to be repeat customers.
Think about it — when you're scrolling through social media, can you tell when someone's just chasing clout vs actually caring about their audience?
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing is essentially just a modern version of celebrity endorsements, but instead of hiring famous actors or athletes, companies partner with regular people who have built large followings on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. These "influencers" create content in the form of photos, videos, or posts that showcase products to their followers, much like how a friend might recommend a restaurant or product, except they're doing it to thousands or millions of people at once.
The idea is that the influencers’ followers trust them similarly to how you might trust a recommendation from a neighbor more so than a traditional TV commercial. Companies compensate these influencers with either money or free products, hoping that their endorsement will increase sales. However, having more followers doesn't always mean better results – just like how the most popular person in town isn't necessarily the most trustworthy when it comes to recommendations.
What Actually Works
The creators really winning right now aren't the ones with the biggest numbers. They're the ones their followers trust. As creators get more popular, they often pivot their content to appeal to an increasingly mainstream audience, losing the niche that earned them their fame. This creates a problem wherein large creators often lose their unique voice, and sometimes even the trust of their audience.
Micro influencers (people with 1,000 and 100,000 followers) often have better results compared to big influencers because their audience feels like they actually know the person behind the profile. Essentially, when your friend with 10K followers recommends a product or service, it resonates more than when a celebrity with 10 million followers does.
It's like the difference between getting a restaurant recommendation from your neighbor versus seeing it in a commercial. Which one are you more likely to trust?
The Secret
When vetting influencers: Forget the follower count. Focus on connection.
These days people don't follow accounts anymore, they follow voices that they relate to. People want creators who understand their problems, share their values, and talk to them like real humans instead of walking billboards.
The most successful creators today aren't trying to appeal to everyone; they're speaking directly to their niche. Or their people, even if "their people" is a smaller group.
Influencers + Your Cinema
Your cinema should keep all of these points in mind when partnering with local influencers. Instead of chasing reach/impressions with generic ads, successful cinemas build genuine relationships within their communities by knowing their audience intimately and understanding that a regular Friday night crowd wants a different experience than the Sunday matinee families. Your influencers/creator partners should reflect whatever demographics your cinema is trying to reach.
How to Find Influencers
Finding the right influencers for your cinema doesn't require expensive tools or massive budgets. Start by looking locally and authentically.
One easy place to start is your existing customer base. Who's already tagging your cinema on social media? Check your location tags on Instagram and TikTok to see who's naturally sharing content at your venue. These people already understand and actively advocate for your brand.
Next, search for local hashtags on Instagram related to your city, neighborhood, or local events. Look for creators who consistently engage with local businesses and have genuine connections to your community. Someone with 20K local followers who regularly posts about their weekend activities in your town is much more valuable than a distant creator 2 cities over with 100K followers.
Check engagement, not numbers when evaluating potential partners, and look at their comment sections. Are people actually engaging with their posts? Do conversations feel genuine? A creator with 10K followers and 500 meaningful comments per post will drive more results than someone with 100K followers and 50 🔥 emojis.
Look for content alignment. Find creators whose content naturally aligns with the cinema experience. This might include local food bloggers who review dinner/movie spots, family lifestyle creators, or entertainment enthusiasts who already discuss movies + shows.
Start small and test rather than committing to expensive partnerships immediately. Offer free movie tickets in exchange for honest reviews or invite local creators to special screenings, allowing you to evaluate their content quality + audience response before investing more money + resources.
The future of influencer marketing isn't about reaching the most people, it's about reaching the right people with authentic voices they trust. For cinemas, this can mean prioritizing local micro influencers who genuinely connect with your community over distant creators with massive followings.
Next time you're in the market for influencers to promote your cinema, don't fall into the trap of only looking at follower count. Instead, focus on finding creators who share your cinema’s values, understand the local community and have built real relationships with their followers. A trusted voice speaking to 5k engaged local followers may outperform a celebrity endorsement that reaches millions of disinterested viewers.
When you find influencers who genuinely care about their audience and align with your cinema's mission, you're not just buying an advertisement, you're building a partnership that benefits everyone.
Written By: Max Kim
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