Is it better to have a hardcore, online audience dedicated to purchasing your products or services, or simply a broad collection of window-shoppers committed to following your social media presence? Turns out a bird in hand doesn’t outrank the two in the bush after all.

What’s more important than actual customers, at least at this stage of the game, is to get your name out there and on their radar, according to the social media experts at HubSpot.com.

You’ll make a larger online footprint and start to be seen as a thought leader — gains that will pay dividends in the long run.

There are three good reasons for spreading your message and inviting non-customers to plug into your social media network:

1. More followers will open more doors. People who don’t, or who aren’t ready, to buy from you can still provide you with access to their own social media followers. That means even if one of your primary contacts isn’t a customer, one of their followers who caught sight of your content could become one.
2. Non-buyers can generate high-value referrals. Your social media followers might not be the best fit for your product or service, but they know plenty of people who are — and they’re often willing to recommend you.
3. They can boost your rankings. Content matters, even if the people aren’t buying. You’re competing, and one of the best ways to land on the top of the heap is to put yourself out there to generate the clicks and visits that’ll keep your business climbing. What matters is getting ranked — and it’s mainly a numbers game.

Tags: boost your rankings, followers, social media, thought leader