When commitment becomes more important than numbers

As you may know, I have been testing a plan for a while to see if I could get more followers, a little more reach, and a little more response on social media. An experiment, quite simply. Out of curiosity, but also to understand how things actually work.

And yes—it has worked.

Not in any dramatic or explosive way, but enough for me to clearly notice a difference.

But what surprised me most was not the numbers.

It was those who found their way here.

I have gained more followers who actually fit what I do—people who seem to like books, writing, and the type of content I share. Readers, writers, and creative people who stop by, read, sometimes comment, or get in touch in other ways.

And that made me happy in a way that high numbers never have.

It also made me start thinking more about what I really want to achieve with my social media. As a writer, I obviously want to reach out. I want my books to find their readers, for the stories to spread and live on. It would be strange to say anything else.

But spreading the word isn't enough if it's to the wrong audience.

After all, what does having lots of followers really mean if there's no engagement behind it?

What do numbers mean if no one is interested in what you actually publish?

For me, it has become clearer that engagement matters most. The conversations. The comments. The feeling that there are people behind the screens who actually want to be there.

I would rather have a smaller community that feels alive than big numbers that are just numbers.

And it's not just about what I get – it's also about what I can give.

I want time and space to see the people I follow. Read their texts. See their pictures, their projects, and their thoughts. Be able to share things that move me and support others who create, write, or share something they are passionate about.

When the flow becomes too big, that disappears.

Then it becomes noise instead of encounters.

Social media can be many things. But for me, I want it to be a conversation rather than a shop window—a place where there is an exchange, where you both share and listen.

This does not mean that numbers are unimportant.

But they are no longer what guides my choices.

I want to build something that lasts over time. A context where the right people find each other, where engagement is allowed to take place, and where content doesn't just pass by—it lands.

And maybe that's where the real difference lies.

Not in how many people follow, but in who stays.

Quality over quantity.

For me, every time.