Everyone talks about getting more attention.
Almost nobody talks about getting better attention.
That's a problem because the two aren't the same.
The quantity of attention answers one question:
How many people noticed you?
The quality of attention answers a different one:
How many people changed their behavior because they noticed you?
If you're like most creators, you've probably spent a lot of time trying to increase the quantity of attention you receive. More views, more followers, more subscribers, more downloads...
But none of those numbers tell you whether people actually have a reason to come back.
Quality of Attention vs. Quantity of Attention
Dave Lee, founder of FFP Running Clubs, recently joined me on the Community Case Studies podcast. His nonprofit has grown from a single running club in Houston into a network of more than 40 clubs around the world. When the conversation turned to social media, he said:
"Social media for us is simply a tool to communicate what's happening. It is not our main premise for how we operate our clubs. It would be meaningless if we had a run club that had a following of 100,000 followers on Instagram and had 20 people show up on a weekly basis. The numbers on one side are very impressive, but if the people that are showing up aren't having a great time, don't have that connectivity, and don't feel part of something special, then we're missing the whole point."
That's the distinction that matters.
The quantity of attention asks:
- How many people saw this?
- How many clicked?
- How many subscribed?
- How many followed?
The quality of attention asks:
- Who came back?
- Who participated?
- Who invited a friend?
- Who made a friend?
- Who would notice if your community disappeared?
The first list measures discovery. The second measures return behavior.
Measure What Matters
If you've ever felt like you're creating more content without building more loyalty, this is why. Creating more content can increase the quantity of attention you receive, but it doesn't necessarily improve the quality of attention.
That's the real test:
- Did someone subscribe—or did they show up?
- Did they read your article—or join the conversation?
- Did they like your post—or invite a friend?
People don't come back because they remember your last article or podcast episode. They come back because your community gives them something they can't get anywhere else.
As Dave put it:
"What kept people together was, 'Wow, this is kind of a cool group that I feel like now I belong to.' I think that's the essence of building communities. The real magic happens when people feel like they're a part of something special or unique."
That's what quality attention looks like. It doesn't just capture someone's interest. It changes what people do next because your community gives them something valuable they can't get anywhere else.
Give People a Reason to Return
Which raises an important question:
Why would someone want to belong to your community in the first place?
Once you can answer that question, you can create the kind of value that gives people a reason to come back. They return for more than your next article or podcast episode because they value being part of your community.
That's exactly what we'll work through in The Why? Workshop. You'll leave with a clear definition of the value your community creates and the reason people will keep coming back.
Don't judge your success solely by how many people discover you. Start paying attention to how many people come back. That's where sustainable creator businesses are built:
Responses