How to Allow Followers on Facebook

Want more people to see your public content on Facebook without having to accept endless friend requests? Turning on the follow feature for your personal profile is the perfect answer. This guide will walk you through exactly how to allow followers, explain why it’s a game-changer for building an audience, and show you how to attract people who are excited to see what you post next.

Why Followers are Different From Friends (And why you want them)

Before changing any settings, it helps to understand the key difference between a "Friend" and a "Follower" on your personal Facebook profile. Think of it as the difference between a private conversation and a public speech.

• Friends: This is a two-way relationship. You accept their friend request, they accept yours. You see each other's friends-only posts, photos, and updates. This is your personal circle, and Facebook limits you to 5,000 friends.
• Followers: This is a one-way street. Anyone can choose to follow you without you needing to approve them. Followers will only see the content you share publicly. They won't see your private updates, family photos, or anything you've restricted to your "Friends." There is no limit to how many followers you can have.

For creators, public figures, entrepreneurs, or anyone building a personal brand, this distinction is huge. It lets you use your personal profile as a powerful broadcasting tool for your public messages, content, and ideas, reaching an unlimited audience without cluttering your personal life. It's the first step in turning your personal space into a platform for growth.

How to Allow Followers on Your Facebook Profile (The Step-by-Step Guide)

Enabling the "Follow" button is simple and only takes a minute. The steps are slightly different depending on whether you're using a computer or the mobile app.

On a Desktop or Web Browser

If you're at your computer, here’s the quickest way to get it done:

1. Log in to your Facebook account.
2. Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen to open the menu.
3. Select Settings & Privacy, and then click on Settings.
4. In the left-hand navigation menu, look for the "Audience and Visibility" section and click on Followers and public content. (In older layouts, this might be called "Public Posts").
5. You're now on the right page. The very first option is Who Can Follow Me. Click the dropdown menu next to it and change the setting from "Friends" to Public.

That's it! The change is saved automatically. While you're on this page, it's a good idea to review the other settings below it:

• Who can see your followers on your timeline: You can set this to Public, Friends, or Only me. Making this Public is a form of social proof - a larger follower count can encourage others to follow you, too.
• Public post comments: Do you want just your friends commenting on your public posts, or friends of friends, or everyone? Setting this to Public maximizes engagement opportunities.
• Public post notifications: This controls whether you get notified when people who aren’t your friends start following you and interacting with your public posts. Setting this to Everybody is a good way to stay on top of your new audience.

On the Facebook Mobile App (iPhone or Android)

The process is just as quick on your phone:

1. Open the Facebook app and tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom-right corner (iOS) or top-right corner (Android).
2. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy to expand the section, then tap Settings.
3. Scroll down to the Audience and Visibility section.
4. Tap on Followers and public content.
5. The first option you see will be "Who Can Follow Me." Tap on Public to select it.

Just like on the desktop, the mobile settings page lets you control who can comment on your public posts and who can see your follower list. Adjust these to your comfort level, choosing "Public" for most options is best for growth.

Okay, I've Enabled Followers... Now What?

Once you switch that setting to "Public," a few things change immediately. First, a "Follow" button will now appear on your profile for anyone who isn't already your friend. People can click this to see your public updates in their feed without ever sending a friend request.

Something interesting also happens to your pending friend requests: anyone who sends you a friend request from this point forward will automatically become your follower. Even if you choose to ignore or delete the request, they will remain a follower until they manually decide to unfollow you. This is a great way to capture interest from people you may not want in your close "Friends" circle.

Finally, your profile will now display a public follower count. This usually appears in the "Intro" section on your profile page, right under your bio details. It adds a layer of authority and signals to newcomers that people are interested in what you have to say.

Your New Subscriber Strategy: How to Attract and Keep an Audience

Activating the follow button is the technical part. Now comes the fun part: giving people a real reason to follow you. This is where you shift from simply having a profile to building a brand.

Optimize Your Public Profile

Your profile is now your public storefront. Make a great first impression.

• Profile Picture: Make sure it's a clear, high-quality headshot where your face is visible. People connect with people.
• Cover Photo: Use this large piece of visual real estate to convey your brand, your niche, or your personality. It could be a photo of you "in action" (speaking, creating, working), a graphic with your website, or a compelling image that captures your vibe.
• Bio: This is a crucial piece of text. In just a few lines, tell people who you are, what you do, and what they can expect from your posts. Use keywords related to your industry or interests so people can quickly understand if your content is for them.

Be Consistent with High-Value Public Content

This is the engine of your follower growth. People follow accounts that consistently provide value, whether it's through entertainment, education, or inspiration.

• Know Your Pillars: What are the 2-3 main topics you'll post about publicly? This isn't your space for random thoughts or family vacation albums (that's for your 'Friends'). This is your dedicated channel for your niche.
• Lean into Video: Facebook's algorithm heavily favors video, especially Reels. Create short, engaging videos that are informative or entertaining. They have the highest potential for viral reach on the platform.
• Share Your Expertise: Write thoughtful text posts sharing insights, tips, or stories from an area where you have know-how. Posts that solve a problem or offer a unique perspective perform exceptionally well.
• Create a Schedule: Don't just post when you feel like it. Aim for consistency, whether that's three times a week or once a day. A regular schedule trains your audience to look for your content and signals to the algorithm that your profile is active and reliable.

Engage with Your Community

Social media is a two-way conversation, even with followers.

• Respond to Public Comments: When someone takes the time to comment on your public post, acknowledge them. A simple reply can turn a casual viewer into a loyal fan.
• Ask Questions: Don't just lecture. End your posts with a question to encourage discussion. This spikes your engagement, which in turn tells Facebook to show your post to more people.
• Go Live: Facebook Live is a fantastic tool for direct, unscripted engagement. Host a Q&A session, a tutorial, or a simple "co-working" stream. It creates a powerful sense of community.

Ready for More? Consider Professional Mode

Once you’ve mastered the follower game, Facebook offers an even more powerful option for creators: Professional Mode. Toggling this feature on converts your existing profile into a creator-style profile without losing any of your friends or content.

Doing this gives you immediate access to:

• Advanced Insights: See professional-level analytics on your post reach, engagement metrics, and audience demographics. You can finally see what’s working and what’s not.
• Monetization Tools: Become eligible for programs like Stars (tipping), ad revenue on Reels, and in-stream video ads if you meet the criteria.
• Creator Tools: Get access to a professional dashboard that makes managing your content and tracking your performance much easier.

Enabling followers is the gateway. Switching to Professional Mode is the official declaration that you're serious about building a brand on your Facebook profile.

Final Thoughts

Enabling the follow button on your Facebook profile is a simple setting change with a massive impact. It opens the door to building a public audience, turning your personal account into a powerful hub for your brand, insights, and content without any limits. Once activated, your focus can shift to the real work: creating valuable public posts and engaging with your growing community.

As you build that audience, keeping your content organized and your engagement manageable will become your biggest challenge. We built Postbase because we were tired of tools that made this harder than it needed to be. Our visual content calendar helps you plan weeks of content - including those all-important Reels - in one place, and our unified inbox brings all your comments and DMs from every platform together, so you can focus on building relationships. It's the simple, modern platform designed for how people actually grow on social media today.