The Follower Count Obsession: Are We Chasing the Wrong Number?
Let’s be honest. When we talk about “growth” on social media, the first number we all look at is the follower count. We stare at it, willing it to tick upwards. We get a little buzz when it hits a new milestone, and we compare it to other promotions in the scene. A bigger number feels like a bigger deal, right?
But what if that number is a bit of a lie? What if it’s a ‘vanity metric’—a number that looks good on the surface but doesn’t actually mean anything for the health of your promotion?
Think about it. Which would you rather have? 10,000 followers who silently scroll past your posts, never comment, and never buy a ticket? Or 500 followers who hang on your every word, share your match announcements, and snap up front-row seats the day they go on sale? It’s a no-brainer, isn’t it? This guide is all about that difference. We’re going to forget the empty obsession with the follower count and focus on the real way to grow a UK wrestling promotion’s social media: by building a passionate, engaged, and valuable community of genuine fans.
The Myth of the Big Number: When 10k Followers Means Nothing
It’s tempting, isn’t it? To see a promotion with a massive follower count and feel a bit of envy. A big number looks impressive on a poster and can give you a sense of legitimacy. But that number can often be a total illusion.
A huge chunk of any large account is often made up of ’empty followers’. These can be bot accounts, spam profiles, or people who followed you years ago and have long since lost interest. These accounts are dead weight. They will never like, comment, share, or buy a ticket. In fact, they can actively harm you! Social media algorithms look at your engagement rate. If you have 10,000 followers but only 20 people like your post, the algorithm thinks your content is rubbish and will show it to even fewer people next time.
The number you should be obsessed with is your engagement rate. It’s not about how many people follow you; it’s about what percentage of them are actively paying attention. A promotion with 500 passionate, engaged fans is in a much, much stronger position than one with 5,000 silent ones. Focusing on engagement is the foundation if you want to grow a British wrestling promotion’s social media in a way that actually helps your business.
The Engagement Engine: Turning a Passive Follower into an Active Fan
Okay, so if engagement is the goal, how do we actually get it? You have to give people a reason to interact! It’s about shifting your mindset from “broadcasting at them” to “having a chat with them.” You need to turn your social media feed from a static noticeboard into the digital equivalent of a buzzing pub full of fans.
Here’s how to fire up that engagement engine:
Ask Questions in Your Captions. This is the simplest trick in the book. Don’t just post a match graphic and leave it at that. Add a question: “This is going to be an absolute war! Who are you backing to walk out with the win? Let us know below! 👇”
Use Polls and Quizzes. The poll features on X and Instagram Stories are a gift! They are a super low-effort way for fans to interact. “Who should get the next title shot?”, “Who is the biggest heel on the roster?”. It’s fun, it’s instant, and it makes people feel like their opinion matters.
Go Behind the Curtain. Your followers want to feel like insiders. Post a quick phone video of the ring being set up. Share a photo of a championship belt getting a polish before the show. This exclusive content is interesting and makes your audience feel special.
Reply to Comments! This is non-negotiable. If someone takes the time to engage with your post, you must take the time to reply. This is the fuel that keeps the engine running.
This is the first practical step you need to take if you really want to grow your indie wrestling social media presence.
Building Your ‘Stable’: How to Grow a UK Wrestling Promotion’s Social Media into a Community
You’ve got people talking to you, which is fantastic. The next level is to get them talking to each other. When your followers start to feel like they’re part of a club, a proper stable of fans, that’s when the real magic happens. You’re no longer just a promotion they watch; you’re a community they belong to.
A brilliant way to do this is by creating an exclusive Facebook Group for your most dedicated fans. This can be the place for “insider” news, early ticket announcements, and general chat where fans can debate who the best champ is. It makes them feel like they’re on the inside track.
Another key tool is the unique hashtag. Create one for your promotion (e.g., #YourPromoName) and a new one for every big show (#YourShowName2025). Encourage fans to use it when they post photos and videos from the night. This turns the hashtag into a living, breathing photo album of your event. Make sure you reshare the best fan posts to your official page or stories; it rewards their participation and makes them feel like part of the show. It’s a powerful, long-term strategy for anyone serious about how to grow a UK wrestling promotion’s social media.
The Ripple Effect: How to Get Your Fans to Do The Marketing For You
An engaged community is amazing. An engaged community that actively shares your stuff? That’s the holy grail of social media growth. A ‘share’ is the most valuable form of engagement because it’s a personal recommendation that puts your promotion in front of a whole new audience, for free! So, how do you make your content more shareable?
First, and I can’t say this enough: video is king. A jaw-dropping 15-second clip of a wrestler hitting a 450 splash is infinitely more shareable than a poster. People see it, they get hyped, and they send it to their mates with a message saying, “We’ve got to go and see this!” Prioritise exciting video content.
Second, run a competition! The classic “Like, Follow, and Tag a Mate to win two tickets” post is a classic for a reason: it works! It directly encourages sharing and introduces your page to new, local people who are already mates with one of your existing fans. Running a ‘tag a mate’ competition is a classic tactic used to grow a wrestling promotion’s social media following, and it’s incredibly effective. Finally, just make your stuff look brilliant. People love to share things that look cool, so invest time in making your graphics and videos look slick and professional.
The Payoff: Turning That Community into Customers
So, we’ve focused on engagement, community, and shares instead of just the follower count. Why? Because a loyal community doesn’t just bring the good vibes; they bring the cash. This is the payoff. This is where your hard work of building a community turns into a packed-out venue.
Think about it. When you post a ticket link to an unengaged audience of 10,000, it feels like a cold, corporate advert. Most of them will ignore it. But when you post that same link to a buzzing, engaged community of 500 fans? It feels like an exciting announcement from a brand they know, like, and trust. They are infinitely more likely to click that “buy now” button.
Your community becomes your most powerful sales team. They’re the ones who will drag their mates along to the next show. They’re the ones who will share the ticket link with a caption saying, “You’ve got to come to this, it’s always an amazing night out!” They buy the t-shirts, they chant the loudest, and they’ll be the first to snap up an early-bird ticket. This is the payoff and the ultimate goal when you grow a UK wrestling promotion’s social media the right way. You’re not just building an audience; you’re building a reliable, loyal customer base.
Your Growth Questions Answered: An FAQ
Q: Okay, be honest. Is it ever a good idea to just buy followers to get the numbers up?
A: In a word: no. Absolutely, positively, never. It’s the ultimate ‘vanity metric’ trap. You’ll get a bigger number, sure, but it will be made up of bots and fake accounts that will never, ever buy a ticket. Worse still, it will absolutely kill your engagement rate, which tells the algorithms that your content is bad, meaning your posts get shown to even fewer real people. It is a complete waste of money that actively harms your page.
Q: My follower growth is really slow, what am I doing wrong?
A: You’re probably not doing anything wrong! Building a genuine, engaged following is a marathon, not a sprint. Real, organic growth is always slow at the start. Instead of obsessing over the follower count, obsess over your engagement. Are people commenting? Are they sharing your clips? Are they voting in your polls? If the answer is yes, then you’re on the right track. Keep being consistent, and the follower growth will eventually come as a result of that great community buzz.
Q: What’s the best type of content for actually reaching new people?
A: Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s short-form video. That means Instagram Reels and TikToks. The algorithms for these platforms are specifically designed to push entertaining content to people who don’t already follow you. A spectacular, 15-second clip of a wrestler hitting their finisher is your number one tool if you want to grow a UK wrestling promotion’s social media page and break out of your current bubble.
