Why You Don’t Need Thousands of Followers to Get Clients
September 25, 2025
Likes and Followers Don’t Define Your Work
Ok! Hey, it’s me. I want to write something pretty personal.
When I was in college, Facebook and Instagram were the social media platforms everyone used. I didn’t have clients or any “real” projects to showcase (and I know I’m not the only one—most young designers start out the same way). So I started posting fan art of things I liked.
Before graduating, I joined an advertising agency and began working on more real projects. I shared some of them on my Instagram, along with fan art and illustrations I created during my community service for a few magazines. Back then, Instagram was still more organic; reels and stories didn’t even exist yet.
I could easily get 60 to 100 likes per post. But after Facebook (now Meta) bought Instagram, the algorithms changed and my reach plummeted. I went from 80 likes to 10. My followers didn’t grow, and if they did, they quickly dropped off. It wasn’t that my work was bad—it was simply that the platform no longer played in my favor, and running ads wasn’t a realistic option for me.
In 2019, I also created a Facebook page. I shared it with my contacts, but it never took off. Today it has barely 107 followers. On Instagram, after almost nine years, I’m still under 800.
What Really Matters: The Right Connections
During all that time, only two jobs ever came through Instagram. One of them was for a very important band (I’ll share that story in another post). That experience opened my eyes: it’s not about chasing likes, it’s about connecting with the right people.
Over time I realized something that completely shifted my perspective:
You can have 3,000 followers, and not one of them may need design.
Or you can have 700 followers, and one of them could be the right person to open the door to a huge project.
Beyond the Numbers
Today, my focus is different: I don’t want more followers I want better connections. People who are actually in the industry, who make decisions, and who can make projects happen.
One day someone told me: “Even he’s the sensation on social media.” At the time, it made me feel undervalued, as if my work meant less just because I didn’t have thousands of followers or likes. Over time, I understood something key: clients don’t come from an inflated number on social media. They come from your work and from the connections you build.
Reach and likes are just an illusion. What truly matters are real connections.
Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog.
Soon I’ll be sharing more reflections and experiences about merchandise and life as a freelance designer. I’d love to hear what topics you’d like me to write about. By the way, I’m terrible at writing, so shout-out to ChatGPT for being my ghostwriter on this one.
