4 minute read
Followers Aren’t Cucks: Let Them Get Some Action
by Tim CohenWould you rather have a view or a click?
Think about your favorite types of clicks:
Purchase
Subscribe
Share
Like
Follow
What do they all have in common?
They all converted from a view. It starts with earning attention.
We Want to Be Involved
What experiences do you remember most online?
It’s not the TikTok video you watched while doomscrolling last night.
It's the fantasy football league you won last season or the multiplayer video game campaign you beat with your friends on Xbox or Playstation.
Let’s be honest, short form video watchers can’t remember the last clip they watched 25 seconds ago
What makes digital experiences memorable is the feeling of involvement. It’s offering a new experience for their brain to save.
And only when they remember you, you unlock the opportunity of IRL word-of-mouth referrals & testimonials … aka the highest converting form of advertising.
Participation Creates Ownership
When someone actively engages with an experience, something changes.
They've invested time.
Made decisions.
Answered questions.
Shared opinions.
Solved problems.
That small investment creates a stronger psychological connection than passive viewing alone.
It's one reason people often feel attached to communities they've contributed to, even if their contribution was relatively small.
Participation creates a sense of ownership.
And ownership creates loyalty.
Fans Want Recognition
Every fan wants to feel seen.
Not necessarily by millions of people.
But by the creator they admire.
Interactive experiences naturally create opportunities for recognition.
A creator can
Highlight leaderboard winners.
Feature top quiz scores.
Celebrate community achievements.
Reveal fan rankings.
Share prediction results.
Even small acknowledgments can strengthen the relationship between creators and their communities.
People don't just enjoy winning.
They enjoy being recognized
The Internet Rewards Action
Most platforms already encourage participation in subtle ways.
Likes, comments, shares, bookmarks, reactions, polls, streaks, badges, achievements.
These aren't random features. They're invitations to do something.
Every action transforms someone from a passive observer into an active participant.
Interactive experiences simply expand that idea.
Instead of asking someone to tap a heart, they invite them into a richer experience.
Shared Experiences Build Communities
Communities aren't built because a few people watched the same video.
Sure, the members all have something in common but it’s deeper than that.
When a creator owns a community, everyone is there for them. Specifically because of the shared memories & laughs that the creator provided.
It boils down to making people feel an emotion and that’s biologically one of the most powerful plays.
Viewer → Follower → Friend
Curiosity Drives Interaction
Human beings naturally seek answers.
How well do I know this creator?
Sure I follow them on my phone but sometimes I forget they’re also just another person … but they make videos
Questions create curiosity.
Curiosity motivates action.
Action creates engagement.
The best interactive experiences don't force participation.
They make people genuinely want to discover the answer.
Participation Creates Better Feedback
Traditional content often tells creators very little.
A view doesn't explain why someone watched.
A like doesn't explain what resonated.
Interactive experiences generate richer signals.
Creators can learn:
Which topics generate the most interest.
Which challenges fans enjoy.
Which products audiences prefer.
What communities care about most.
How knowledge changes over time.
Participation benefits both sides.
Fans enjoy engaging.
Creators gain meaningful insight into their audiences.
The Strongest Fan Relationships Feel Personal
The internet has made it possible for creators to reach millions of people.
But scale often comes at the expense of connection.
Interactive experiences help restore some of that intimacy.
A quiz can feel personal.
A prediction challenge feels individual.
A personalized result feels unique.
Even when thousands of fans participate, each interaction feels like something created specifically for them.
Personal experiences often leave stronger impressions than one-size-fits-all content.
The Future of Fandom
Being a fan used to mean watching.
Then it meant commenting.
Today it increasingly means participating.
Fans don't just want updates.
They want involvement.
They don't just want entertainment.
They want experiences.
They don't just want to consume a creator's world.
They want to step inside it.
Looking Ahead
As the creator economy becomes more competitive, the creators who build the strongest communities won't necessarily be the ones producing the most content.
They'll be the ones giving fans meaningful ways to participate.
Participation transforms audiences into communities.
Communities create loyalty.
And loyalty is one of the most valuable assets a creator can build.
The future of fandom won't simply be measured by views or followers.
It will be measured by how many people choose to become active participants instead of passive observers.