Having a large number of Twitter followers isn’t just something you can brag about to your friends. It’s a great way to build your brand and direct people back to your content, whether it’s a blog, Youtube channel or e-commerce store. But there are wrong ways and right ways to get more followers on Twitter. Skip the sketchy options — like paying for bots to follow you — and take the steps to reach real Twitter users who are meaningful to your business. It takes some time, and there’s no one way to grow your account, but you can start with these tips.
Set Up a Realistic Yet Interesting Profile
If you’ve recently signed up for an account, or you have one that you don’t use too frequently, start by taking some time to update your Twitter profile. Not doing so can lead to other users thinking you’re not legitimate, and it may even get you shadowbanned.
Start with a good profile photo, either of you or something that represents your product or business, depending on who you are and what you do. People want to put a face with a name when possible — the days of hiding behind your computer are long gone. You’ll also want to add an interesting yet relevant header. Next, play around with your color scheme to bring it all together so that it represents you.
Once you’ve focused on the visuals, work on your bio. Make sure it’s interesting and engaging, yet lets people know who you are. Add your location, especially if your business has a geographic impact, and don’t forget a link to your blog or website.
Tweet Frequently, But Not Too Frequently
There’s something of a fine line when it comes to how much you should tweet. Tweet too much, and you’ll annoy people. Tweet too little, and they’ll forget you exist. So, what do you do? Tweet consistently. Depending on your content and personality, five to twenty tweets per day is ideal.
Post More Visual Content
When you think of tweets, words probably come to mind, but adding visual content — like gifs, memes, photos and videos — can increase your engagement and help bring you more followers. As a matter of fact, tweets with photos are 313 percent more likely to earn a response or a retweet. Tweets with gifs are three times more likely, and tweets with videos are six times more likely. Video is so popular that Twitter just launched its own version of stories: Twitter Fleets.
Advertise Your Twitter Account on Your Blog, Email and Other Social Media
Don’t just rely on Twitter itself to get more followers. Link to your Twitter profile on your blog or e-commerce site. Make sure you mention it on other social networks. You should also add a link to your email signatures.
Interact With Other Twitter Users
Don’t just talk at people. Jump into conversations or start your own. Look for people in your niche and reach out to them. Respond to their posts. Organic interactions with other users are a great way to grow your Twitter following.
Share Fresh, Relevant Content
Make sure any content you share on your Twitter page is high quality. Even more important, make sure it’s fresh and relevant. See what’s trending — is there something you can relate back to your brand? If not, set out to share content that is unique. If you create content, make sure it’s something that will capture attention in a place where attention spans are often short.
Don’t Spam Your Audience
If all of your tweets are links to your website or just versions of you begging people to watch your YouTube videos, you aren’t going to get very far. A general rule of thumb is that 20 percent of your tweets should be sales-related, while the other 80 percent should be useful in some way, whether they’re funny, entertaining, educational or inspirational.
Tap Into Your Existing Network
When you create your Twitter profile, you can tap into your email address book and other social media platforms to find people you know and follow them. If they’re good connections, they’ll likely follow you back. If you already have a list of customer contacts, give them an email and let them know you’re on Twitter now. You can even offer an incentive for them to follow you, such as 10 percent off a purchase if they follow and retweet you or something along those lines.
Follow People — For the Right Reasons
Many new Twitter users make the mistake of following everyone in sight. If the person you follow has no interest in your profile or your tweets, they’ll assume you’re a bot, a spammer or just using them to build your following. Find people to follow who are part of your niche. If you’re a food blogger, follow your favorite chefs and foodies. Look for people who are talking about topics that relate to your content and engage and follow them. If they like you, they may follow you back.
Respond to Those Who Reach Out to You
We can’t stress this enough: Engagement is important. You can’t just join Twitter and talk at people without any sort of interaction. Respond to those who do reply to you. Thank people for retweeting you. Retweet them back. Answer questions. Be authentic when you do.
Edit Your Tweets
If you’re looking at a Twitter account, and it’s packed with misspelled words and grammar mistakes, you’re more than likely not going to follow it, right? Keep that in mind when thinking about your own posts. Many businesses and top Twitter influencers have a process in place to check their tweets before they go live. But all you need to do is double-check your spelling or have a friend or colleague look over it before you tweet. Problems with spelling and grammar just make you look unprofessional — and undesirable — to potential followers.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags allow people to search for content on Twitter, so always put them to good use. Take a look at what hashtags are trending, and see if any fit your content. If not, look for those that are popular in your niche and use them to tag your posts. You can also use universal hashtags, like #FF (Follow Friday) and #TBT (Throwback Thursday) to build your following.
Tweet at the Right Time
The right time to tweet can vary from person to person. Your niche and Twitter analytics can offer you more insight. For example, if you’re a mommy blogger and you’re using Twitter to promote your blog, you probably won’t find other parents surfing the web at 3 a.m. However, if you’re not sure when you should tweet, keep in mind that engagement rates are almost always higher between noon and 3 p.m. More people will notice you at this time, which means more potential for followers.
