gain a following

Meaning

This expression means to gradually attract a group of fans, supporters, or subscribers over time. It is widely used in the context of social media, art, music, and business. The tone is neutral and professional, making it suitable for both casual chats and business discussions.

Examples

• It took her two years of hard work to gain a following on YouTube.

  It took her two years of hard work to gain a following on YouTube.

• The local indie band is slowly starting to gain a following.

  The local indie band is slowly starting to gain a following.

• If you post high-quality photos, you will eventually gain a following.

  If you post high-quality photos, you will eventually gain a following.

• He managed to gain a following by sharing daily coding tips.

  He managed to gain a following by sharing daily coding tips.

• Our business needs to gain a following online before we launch the product.

  Our business needs to gain a following online before we launch the product.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ She wants to win a following on Instagram.

  ✓ She wants to gain a following on Instagram.

  While 'win' sounds similar, the standard English collocation for acquiring supporters or an audience is 'gain a following'.

• ✗ The artist gained followings quickly.

  ✓ The artist gained a following quickly.

  'Following' is used as a singular collective noun in this phrase, so we say 'a following' instead of the plural form.

Related Expressions

Practice

• It is hard to ___ a following when you first start out.

  💡 The verb meaning to acquire or obtain over time.

  Show answer

  gain

• She has managed to gain a loyal ___ over the last year.

  💡 The noun representing a group of supporters.

  Show answer

  following