Yes, real followers mean a lot. The interaction from real followers helps the community grow. Fake followers are nothing but mirage or smoke or vapour that vanishes with time.

Once a while, I try to check on my followers and those I'm following. I just want to know how active they are, upvote and or resteem their post at the same time. Sometimes, the thought of meeting them on discord is on my mind - though I'm still passive about dropping a link to a meeting point.