The social network that started the hashtag craze, Twitter is one of the virtual communities that every techie should be a part of. Twitter is one of the best ways to connect to people worldwide.
Not only is it a great way to connect with like-minded, interesting people, potential customers, or even celebrities, Twitter also is a great platform for breaking news. It has become a go-to source to find or tell a story.
Best Ways To Get More Twitter Followers
With 284 million active monthly users, I bet you already have a Twitter account. But what’s the point of having an account when you barely have any followers? Here are the best ways to get more Twitter followers.
Engage Your Customer
80% of your content is about your customer and 20% is about your business. Make sure you’re engaging with your customers on Twitter. Yes, you are marketing on the site, but you’re also providing customer service, and showing that you care and listen.
Show you appreciate your followers by retweeting good tweets to your followers. You give that follower more exposure, and show you are a business that cares about customers. If you have a great customer or follower, @mention them, and something they do. Send this out to your followers too.
If someone has mentioned you on Twitter, respond to their comments. Or if someone has retweeted you, thank them. Give your customers more, by mentioning business partners in your Tweet. You give your partners more exposure too, by retweeting their message.
Use Images
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in this case it just needs to be worth 140 characters. Everyone likes to look at pictures, and Twitter users are no different.
If you were one of the early posters, then you had a good chance of picking up a lot of followers. If you’re on the go and you have an iPhone, use applications like Tweetie and Twitterific to upload pictures wherever you are.
Use Hashtags
Twitter is all about the hashtags. Hashtags link what you have to say with its corresponding topic, such as your feelings on a news story. Use trending, campaign or just everyday hashtags in your tweets. Participate in these conversations and you can gain more like-minded followers. Make a hashtag for your business or brand, or think of creative, random hashtags that can also help get you or your brand noticed.
Another way to engage with the Twitter community is by participating in a Twitter chat. These chats let you connect with others who are talking about this specific topic. This is a great way to ask questions, learn, and speak to your followers.
Link Your Account
If you’re connected enough to have a Twitter account, then chances are you use all kinds of other Internet outlets. You need to use every one of these to help promote your Twitter account.
Post your Twitter information on your Facebook page. Post it on your blog. If you have accounts with Digg or a resume profile on LinkedIn, use those as well. You should even include your Twitter information as part of your e-mail signature.
These are all essentially free ways to advertise whatever you bring to the Twitter table. Combine this method with some or all of the other nine tricks and you’ll be one step ahead in trying to lure followers to your account.
Create an Effective Profile Bio
Unless you’re already famous, creating an effective bio entry is a great way to attract followers. Nobody wants to follow someone whose bio reads, “I’m just a couch potato with a lot to say” or “I heart ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and that says it all.”
Because no, it doesn’t say it all. Be creative, clever and intelligent when writing your bio. You want to sum up who you are in a short space, too, so don’t go overboard with the prose.
This is also a good place to plant URLs to any other sites you’re looking to promote, such as your Facebook page or a blog landing page. But don’t only include those links. A good mix of clever self-description mixed with your other links is a good bet to get people interested in what you have to say.
If you feel like you can’t sum up who you are, find a famous quote that does it for you. Someone might just be intrigued by your quotation and give your account a second look.
Since technology today is at our fingertips, make sure to download the free Twitter app on your iPhone or Android so your can tweet, respond to followers, and follow back the user’s who follow you. Enjoy your tweeting!
