Ask Efri

Does having a big audience make people assume you're more competent?

Efri · 1 min read

Often, yes. Follower count functions as social proof.

Key points
  1. 1.
    When people see that many others have chosen to follow someone, they may infer that the person has something…
  2. 2.
    Audience size can come from entertainment, controversy, an earlier career, a viral post or expertise in a completely…
  3. 3.
    The effect is strongest when the audience cannot easily evaluate the expertise themselves
  4. 4.
    Large audiences create perceived authority

When people see that many others have chosen to follow someone, they may infer that the person has something valuable to say. That can be a reasonable shortcut when the audience was earned through useful work, but it is still a shortcut.

Audience size can come from entertainment, controversy, an earlier career, a viral post or expertise in a completely different subject. So the number does not tell you much about competence in the specific claim being made.

The effect is strongest when the audience cannot easily evaluate the expertise themselves. If you know little about investing, a large audience may influence your judgment more than it would if you were an investment professional.

Large audiences create perceived authority. Good work determines whether that authority survives scrutiny.