The Content Operators Playbook · 4. Distribution
Principle 3 of 4
Signals before numbers
Watch views per follow and average views. The numbers come around month four.
Updated 2026-10-25
A follow is the biggest signal you can get online, short of someone buying. So the metric I use most is views divided by follows, every post. For the first three months we watch the signals: average views rising, outliers, DMs. The numbers come at month four.
How do I use it?
- Track views divided by follows for every post. Lower is better.
- Watch the average and the median rise, and ignore the single spike.
- Count the DMs, the regular viewers and the named people watching the stories.
- Agree with the client up front that numbers come at month four.
In his words
That’s the biggest signal you can get online, other than someone actually buying from you, that they’re going to buy from you is to follow.
Tom Sharman, 2026
Questions
What does "Signals before numbers" mean?
A follow is the biggest signal there is, short of a sale. Watch the signals for three months; the numbers arrive around month four.
How do I put "Signals before numbers" into practice?
Track views divided by follows for every post. Lower is better. Watch the average and the median rise, and ignore the single spike. Count the DMs, the regular viewers and the named people watching the stories.
Why does "Signals before numbers" matter?
A follow is the biggest signal you can get online, short of someone buying. So the metric I use most is views divided by follows, every post.
