Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better: The Surprising Truth About Making Money on Social Media

Let me tell you something that once made me laugh: I used to believe the only way to make money online was to magically collect tens of thousands of followers—maybe even put my dog in a tutu for good measure. But the more I tried, the more invisible I felt. Turns out, size truly isn’t everything (at least not in social media land). This isn’t a rags-to-riches story, but it’s a wake-up call: what if you didn’t need a megaphone—just a clear voice and the right audience? Let’s shatter some myths and see what actually works in 2025.

Section 1: Forget the Follower Frenzy – Why Size Might Actually Slow You Down

If you’ve ever scrolled through social media and felt a pang of envy at someone’s six-figure follower count, you’re not alone. The idea that more followers equals more money is everywhere. But here’s the truth: when it comes to social media monetization strategies, size isn’t just overrated—it can actually slow you down.

Overcoming Vanity Metrics: The Real Path to Income

Let’s get one thing straight: vanity metrics—those big, shiny numbers like follower counts and view totals—are not the same as real influence or income. Rory Vaden, founder of Brand Builders and a leading expert in building personal brand, puts it bluntly:

"Wide is not the same as deep. The people who are getting wealthy off of content creation are doing almost the exact opposite."

Think about it. If you chase numbers, you’re playing the algorithm’s game. You’re making content for the masses—cats, proposals, football highlights—hoping to go viral. Sure, you might rack up views, but are those viewers really invested in you? Are they opening their wallets, or just scrolling by?

Depth Over Width: Why Deep Audience Connection Wins

Here’s the secret the top earners know: deep audience connection beats wide reach every time. When you focus on the depth of your impact—on building trust and real relationships—you create a loyal community that’s eager to support you. This is the heart of audience engagement that actually pays.

• Trust leads to transactions: People buy from those they trust, not from those they barely know.
• Specificity sells: The more you niche down, the more you become the go-to expert for a particular group.
• Quality over quantity: A small, engaged audience is more valuable than a massive, indifferent one.

Vaden’s research and client work prove it: overcoming vanity metrics is critical for sustainable income. If you’re only chasing numbers, you’re missing the real opportunity—building a tribe that actually cares.

Myth-Busting Story: 800 Followers vs. 5 Million

Let’s make this real with a story from Rory Vaden’s own experience. Imagine you’re launching a book. You might think the person with the biggest following would sell the most copies, right? Not so fast.

Vaden worked with two clients at the same time. One was an A-list celebrity with over 5 million followers and a show on Netflix. The other? A first-time author with just 800 followers. The celebrity did what most people do—posted glamorous photos, made TV appearances, and broadcasted to the masses. The new author, on the other hand, focused on deep relationships. They engaged personally with their small audience, built trust, and encouraged real conversations.

The result? The author with 800 followers outsold the celebrity. Not just during the launch, but for an entire year after. Their secret was simple: they went deep, not wide. Their audience didn’t just buy a book—they bought into a relationship, a mission, and a message.

The Viral Hamster-Wheel: Clout vs. Cash

It’s tempting to chase viral moments. After all, who doesn’t want their content to explode with likes and shares? But here’s the catch: viral content is often shallow. It’s designed to appeal to everyone, which means it truly connects with no one. Cats, proposals, and football clips might get you noticed, but they rarely build the kind of trust that leads to sales.

If you want to stand out in the sea of sameness, stop worrying about how many people see your content. Start focusing on how deeply you connect with the people who matter. Social media monetization strategies that work are built on trust, specificity, and engagement—not on chasing the next viral trend.

Key Takeaways for Building Your Personal Brand

• Stop obsessing over follower counts. Focus on overcoming vanity metrics and building real relationships.
• Depth of impact creates loyal customers, not just passive viewers.
• Even with a small audience, you can achieve big results if you nurture trust and engagement.

The next time you feel pressure to grow your numbers, remember: size might actually slow you down. Go deep, not wide, and watch your influence—and your income—grow.

Section 2: Niche Down, Stand Out – The Power (and Perils) of Specificity

Ever scroll through social media and think, “Everyone’s already doing what I want to do”? You’re not alone. The truth is, the digital world feels crowded because it is crowded. But here’s the twist: the solution isn’t to go broader or try to out-shout the crowd. It’s to get more specific. In content creation for niche markets, specificity is your secret weapon for building a personal brand and achieving real social media growth.

Why Trying to Serve Everyone Leaves You Invisible

Imagine you’re at a noisy party, trying to get someone’s attention. If you just yell, “Hey!” into the crowd, nobody turns around. But if you call out a single name—“Sarah!”—Sarah’s head snaps up. That’s the power of specificity. The same principle applies online. When you try to appeal to everyone, you blend into the background. But when you speak directly to your perfect customer, you cut through the noise.

Offline, you’d never try to serve the whole city. Think about your favorite coffee shop or local doctor. They don’t need a million customers to thrive. Most high-income professionals—real estate agents, financial advisors, consultants—make a great living serving a small group of ideal clients. The same logic applies to content creation for niche markets: you don’t need millions of followers to build a thriving business. Sometimes, just a few dozen of the right people is all it takes.

Shehan’s Wall: The Barrier Between Obscurity and Breakthrough

Peter Shehan’s theory, known as “Shehan’s Wall,” is a game-changer for creators. Here’s how it works: when you start out, you’re bouncing off a wall of obscurity. You post, you share, you hustle—but nobody seems to notice. Why? Because your message is too diluted. You’re trying to be everything to everyone, and as Rory Vaden puts it:

"When you have diluted focus, you get diluted results. You're part of the noise you're trying to escape."

Breaking through Shehan’s Wall requires repetition and hyper-targeted messaging. You need to become known for one thing to one person—over and over again. This is the heart of perfect customer identification. Instead of casting a wide net, you laser-focus on a specific problem for a specific audience. That’s when people start to notice. That’s when you become the go-to expert in your space.

Positioning: Don’t Copy the Moguls—Yet

It’s tempting to look at the biggest names—MrBeast, Dr. Oz, or the top YouTubers—and think you need to do what they do. But here’s the catch: those strategies only work after you’ve broken through. If you imitate the moguls too soon, you’ll just get lost in the crowd. Positioning and sequencing matter. Start by owning a narrow space. As the classic marketing book Positioning teaches, you don’t win by going head-to-head with the giants. You win by flanking them—by being different, not bigger.

Social Media Growth Strategies: One Message, One Problem, One Person

Here’s a simple framework for breaking through:

• One Message: What’s the single idea you want to be known for?
• One Problem: What’s the specific pain point you solve?
• One Person: Who is your perfect customer?
• One Revenue Stream: How do you help them—and get paid?

By narrowing your focus, you amplify your impact. Data shows that content creation for niche markets leads to better engagement and higher income. You become the trusted expert, not just another voice in the crowd.

The Perils of Staying Too Broad

Many creators resist niching down because they fear missing out on a bigger audience. But growing wide too soon is a trap. You end up bouncing off Shehan’s Wall, stuck in obscurity. Remember: the most successful creators didn’t start by serving everyone. They started by serving someone—deeply, consistently, and specifically. Only then did they expand.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by competition, don’t try to outdo everyone. Get more specific. Find your “Sarah” in the crowd. That’s how you stand out, build a personal brand, and unlock real social media growth.

Section 3: Beyond the Viral Mirage – Real-World Monetization (Without A Sea of Eyeballs)

Let’s be honest: most of us have looked at viral sensations and thought, “If only I could get that many views, I’d finally make real money.” But here’s the surprising truth about social media monetization strategies—going viral isn’t the golden ticket you think it is. In fact, the most sustainable social media monetization options are quietly focused on depth, repeated value, and earning trust, not on chasing the biggest audience.

I learned this the hard way. Early in my journey, I posted a funny cat video that racked up thousands of shares overnight. I was ecstatic—surely this was my big break! But when I checked my sales dashboard, not a single person had bought my course. Not one. That viral moment was fun, but it didn’t move the needle for my business. It was a humbling lesson: eyeballs don’t equal income.

So, what actually works? The answer lies in going narrow, not wide. The most effective monetization strategies aren’t about being everywhere or talking to everyone. They’re about building a small, loyal audience and offering them high-value solutions. Think premium content, authentic audience nurturing, and strategic subscriptions. These approaches beat big sponsorship deals for most creators, especially when you’re starting out.

Here’s why: When you try to be everything to everyone, your message gets lost in the noise. Rory Vaden puts it best:

"You cut through the noise not with volume but specificity."

This is what breaks you through what’s known as Shehan’s Wall—a concept that separates the unknown from the well-known. On one side, you’re just another voice in the crowd. On the other, you’re recognized, trusted, and sought after. The only way to break through is by focusing relentlessly on one message, one audience, and one solution. Once you’ve earned trust and credibility in that niche, you can expand. But not before.

Look at the giants: Gary Vaynerchuk didn’t start by talking about business, sports, and motivation. He spent years building Wine Library TV, focusing on one topic (wine) on one platform (YouTube) for over a thousand episodes. Only after breaking through did he branch out. The Rock? He was a wrestler first—one brand, one audience. Amazon? They sold books. Just books. Today, they’re everywhere, but only because they started somewhere specific.

Most creators who succeed don’t get rich from ad-sponsored videos or brand deals. They get rich by selling trust and tailored solutions directly to their audience. Subscriptions, direct sales, and niche offers are the real engines of creator wealth. When you nurture your community and consistently deliver value, you create superfans who are willing to pay for your expertise, not just your entertainment.

It’s a paradox that feels counterintuitive: narrowing your focus actually opens more doors. When you become the go-to person for a specific problem, people notice. They tell their friends. Your reputation grows. And when you’re ready, you can expand your message and your monetization options. But if you try to do it all at once, you’ll just bounce off the wall of obscurity.

So, if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or tempted to chase the next viral trend, remember this: the path to lasting income isn’t paved with millions of passive viewers. It’s built on high-value offers, authentic relationships, and the courage to go deep before you go wide. Build trust, deliver repeated value, and your audience—and your income—will grow in ways that viral fame never could.

In the end, bigger isn’t always better. The most powerful social media monetization strategies are about serving a few people really well, not entertaining the masses. Start small. Go deep. That’s how you break through—and that’s how you win.

TL;DR: You don’t need a huge following to make real money on social media. Focus on deep audience connections, relevance, and niche expertise—ditch the vanity metrics and go for impact.