Tagging people in a post vs DMing them the link

Tagging people in a post vs DMing them the link

Everyone says: "Tag a few big names — their networks will see it and reach explodes."

The claim: tagging borrows someone else's audience.

What's actually true: tags only spread reach if the tagged person engages — and an unprompted tag from a stranger gets ignored or, worse, reported as spam, which dings you. Mass-tagging is a documented reach killer. The audience-borrow only fires on a genuine interaction.

Tag someone when they're truly relevant and likely to reply — a collaborator, a source. If you actually want them to see it, DM them the link; that respects them and converts far better than a public tag.

The tag isn't reach. It's a gamble that someone famous will do you a favor in public. They won't.