Fun & Famous
WHY SELENA GOMEZ HAS THE MOST INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Kiki has discovered the secret
So I am genuinely surprised about this. How come Justin Bieber's ex has the largest fan club on Instagram of all celebs? Why not Bieber himself? Beyoncé, what happened? You were the Insta-queen, right? Or selfie-obsessed Kim? That would make more sense, wouldn't it? Kendall then?
May and I look at each other and wonder aloud what has even happened to Instagram. Some accounts have exploded so much in a few months that you start to secretly wonder if all these followers were obtained legally.
‘My beloved Queen B has been dethroned’
August 11, 2015. On that day, Beyoncé had 42.6 million followers on Instagram, making her the most followed celeb in the world. Now it’s 74 million, which isn’t too crazy, since more and more people have started Instagramming. What is crazy? That my beloved Queen B has been dethroned. There is a new ruler of the Insta-world: 23-year-old Selena Gomez who HAS OVER 84 MILLION FOLLOWERS. That’s more than the entire population of Germany. Seriously, how can that be? And above all an interesting question: why Selena?
Selena is not the most famous person on this planet. She isn’t even the most famous person with an Instagram account. Most know her as Bieber's ex-lover, as a young pop star, or as the girl who broke through as Alex Russo in the Disney sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place. And I admit: she is incredibly beautiful, comes across as the perfect daughter-in-law in interviews, and has had a successful career for years. But still, none of this explains why she is so immensely popular on Instagram.
So how did she rise to the top?
1. Selena doesn’t post that many photos
In total, she has posted 1203 photos, which is about a quarter of the photos that, for example, Kylie Jenner has thrown into the world. So it pays off, people, to be less vocal on social. Then you become more mysterious and special.
2. Selena is everywhere
Fans have grown up with her. She works in the film, television, and music industry, making her an interesting chick to follow for multiple target groups.
3. She only has famous boyfriends
Superstars like Taylor Swift (who is at number 2 with 81.6 million followers), Jennifer Aniston, and Brad Pitt only increase her relevance.
4. The Justin factor
Because of her on-and-off relationship with Bieber and very juicy gossip and intrigues all of Justin's fans want to follow her too. Even if it’s just to comment on all her photos like: “OMG, she posts a photo with sunglasses!!! Once, Justin also wore sunglasses!! She clearly misses him so much now!!!!”
5. Her fans are very, very engaged
Picture this: of the five most beloved Instagram posts of all time, Miss Gomez posted no less than three. When we look at her engagement statistics, Selena (after Lionel Messi with 39 million followers) gets the most likes on her photos.
6. Selena has both feet on the ground
In her world of glitter and glam, Selena comes across as remarkably down-to-earth. She’s not into selfies, but rather ussies with her fans. We don’t often see a view from a private jet (Hi Kim) or luxurious yacht (Hi Beyoncé) from Selena. At most, a snapshot from a photoshoot.
So, let’s get to work. Television, singing, Disney movies, everything. Find as many famous friends as possible, go on and off with a hot singer, don’t post too many photos, earn millions, and especially don’t flaunt it too much. Easy, right?
