‘Followers don’t matter’: Content creator Mariyam says trust now defines influence

New Delhi: As social media audiences become more and more invested in the personal lives of creators, fashion stylist and digital creator Mariyam believes the future of influence will be defined less by follower counts and more by trust, authenticity and community. Speaking with BuzzInContent.com, Mariyam, who recently announced that she is expecting her first child with husband and comedian Mohammed Hussain, said audiences today are seeking a more honest portrayal of life rather than carefully curated perfection. According to her, the rise of creator culture has fundamentally changed how people consume content. While celebrities once dominated public attention, creators have built audiences by sharing experiences that feel closer to everyday life. "People relate more to creators because they see real situations and real lives," she said. The shift, she believes, is also changing the type of content audiences reward. Highly polished posts are increasingly giving way to content that reflects ordinary realities, imperfections and personal struggles. "I don't want to see a person posting everything perfectly. Nobody does that in regular life," she said. "Show me your actual side and not just the side where you're always on vacation." Mariyam pointed to her own decision to speak openly about an earlier ectopic pregnancy after receiving messages from women curious about her journey to motherhood. Rather than presenting what she described as a "fairy tale", she felt it was important to discuss difficult experiences as well, arguing that creators have a responsibility to be honest with audiences that follow their lives closely. "I didn't want to keep women out there hanging and just show them my fairy tale. I wanted to show them my struggles as well," she said. The creator also highlighted the growing importance of community building in the digital ecosystem. While follower numbers continue to attract attention, she argued that meaningful engagement matters more than scale. She revealed that she often shares updates first with a smaller group of dedicated followers through a private channel, describing them as an important part of her online community. "Having a trusted audience is very important. Having a community is very important," she said. Her comments come at a time when brands and marketers are increasingly prioritising engagement and community-led influence over reach alone. Mariyam said the creator economy has evolved significantly since she began posting content, noting that success today is determined more by the quality of content than by the size of an audience. "People with 50,000 or 100,000 followers can be more famous than people with a million followers," she said. "The biggest change is that followers don't matter. What kind of content you create makes more sense than what following you have," she said. As creators become more influential, Mariyam believes audiences are also expecting higher standards of accountability. She said followers often place greater trust in creators than in brands, making authenticity critical when it comes to partnerships and endorsements. The creator disclosed that she has turned down collaborations with brands including Mamaearth and Mcaffeine, emphasising that maintaining audience trust remains a priority when evaluating commercial opportunities. "If my audience trusts me, I cannot work with any kind of people," she said. She also recalled rejecting campaign requirements that involved making claims she could not personally verify, saying creators should be careful about the promises they make to followers. The commercial side of content creation has expanded considerably over the years. Mariyam said what started as a creative pursuit eventually developed into a business, with social media becoming a significant source of income alongside her work as a stylist. At the same time, she acknowledged that greater visibility brings greater scrutiny. "Anything can become news," she said, referring to the heightened public attention creators face today. "Once you are famous, you have to think that people are watching. You have an audience and you have to think about what they will think." The prospect of motherhood has further shaped how she views her online presence. While she intends to continue speaking about her experiences, she expects some aspects of her life to become more private in the future. For now, she and Hussain have not decided to feature their child prominently on social media, reflecting a broader debate among creators about privacy, family content and the boundaries between public and personal life. Ultimately, Mariyam sees the creator economy moving towards deeper relationships rather than larger audiences.