Business people are among those who benefit from social media platforms the most. On these apps and websites, they can make a “digital extension” of their stores. They can use Instagram posts, YouTube videos, or tweets to get noticed. This increases their brand’s visibility by a lot.
Furthermore, these networks are most kind to business owners. They know how these people use the platform to grow their companies or organizations. And they send their help as much as they can. For instance, almost all of the social media giants now have monetization programs. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter have shopping features. They allow people to sell and buy products without leaving the platform – making the process more streamlined and easier for both parties.
Now, let’s focus on Twitter. It is an ideal space for sharing short-form updates and real-time reactions. The social media website has over 145 million daily users, all of whom you have a chance to interact with. This provides an opportunity for brands to connect with their potential customer. They can also use Twitter to lure prospects into their sites.
TechRadar’s US Editor-in-Chief Matt Swider praises Twitter for offering immediate CTA perks. “Links to outbound websites aren’t penalized and receive engagement,” he explains. On top of that, Retweets have the power to make a companies’ message go viral. That gives a massive boost to their visibility.
But even with these, one may struggle to do successful business on the platforms. Why would that happen? Well, it could be that they simply don’t have enough followers. Therefore, they are not getting enough interactions. Harsh as this may seem, it could be a lost cause.
Luckily, there are plenty of reads you can find on the internet to ensure this does not happen. Like this one! So carry on to learn how you can get more followers on Twitter. Regardless if you are doing it for business or not, you will find this guide useful.
1. Use Graphics To Capture Attention
Generally speaking, people would prefer watching a video more than they would want to read a wall of text. Also, people will be more inclined to read if the text is inside an infographic. The gist is, people are attracted to aesthetically pleasing visuals. That’s the reason why Instagram became so successful. So take advantage of that.
You can also use GIFs and Memes if you want to. They are effective at making people stop their rapid scrolling and actually read what’s on their screen.
It is also important to note that graphics are especially valuable on a micro-blogging platform like Twitter. The number of characters you can use on Twitter is limited. But as they say, “Pictures are worth a thousand words.” So, by using them, you can send your message clearly while keeping the post sweet and short.
Overall, well-executed visuals encourage retweets, bring more engagement, and consequently, more followers.
2. Use Twitter To “Actually” Connect With Your Customers
Twitter allows you to interact with everyone on the platform and introduce yourself to them. It would help a lot if you could utilize that fully.
Twitter offers you the opportunity to humanize your brand. So, do not waste that by limiting interactions to selling services or products or customer service replies. That will make your page appear super “corporate,” formal, and cold.
Instead, you should use Twitter to develop relationships with your current and potential followers. Talk to them like a normal person would; much better if you can understand your audience, how they talk, and what they talk about. Through that, you can add some personality to your brand. It will make your account feel authentic and friendlier. Thus, you will get a higher chance of gaining new followers.
If you need ideas, take a look at Chipotle or Wendy’s- they are some of the favorites on the platform.
3. Keep An Eye On What’s Trending with Newer Twitter Followers
Again, you can use Twitter to connect to even those that have not followed you yet. And if you want a surefire way to make yourself visible to them, you should learn to use trending topics and hashtags to your advantage.
How to do it, exactly? All you have to do is to find the talk of the town that relates to your niche. For example, if you sell essential travel items, you can look for topics about the current best travel destinations. Likewise, if you are a photographer, you can comment on how the trending topics can be used as inspirations for a photoshoot concept. On the other hand, it would not make sense if a business in the food industry tweets about the latest gaming phones. Make sure that your followers – and prospect followers – can relate so the conversations would feel relevant and authentic.
4. Participate On Twitter Chats Or Host Your Own
If you are unfamiliar with Twitter chats, they have scheduled conversations on the platform about a certain topic. Through Twitter Chats, you can make others in your field know of your existence, which would benefit your growth. Furthermore, they will grant you the opportunity to position yourself as an expert. Then, of course, they can expand your reach. As a result, you will gain exposure to a relevant and engaged audience. Remember tip no. 3? This and that one works hand in hand.
You can start by joining Twitter chats in your niche. Then, whenever you feel like you are ready, level up to hosting your own. That would help grow your follower count.
5. Cross-promote Your Tweets On Other Platforms
For sure, Twitter is not the only social media platform that you use. Of course, that is also the case for your customers. You can, and should, share screenshots of your tweets on other platforms such as Instagram. That will make your followers aware that you also have a Twitter account.
Another strategy is to put your Twitter handle in your account bios, email signature, business cards, or product packaging. That will let your customers know where to find you and how to connect with you on Twitter.
The takeaway is, you should focus on engaging in conversations while exhibiting creativity. Follow these tips, or start experimenting on different posts, formats, and features (e.g., Twitter Spaces or Public Lists). In no time, you would see a huge increase in your follower count.
In social media websites lies a lot of opportunities. On these platforms, you could be the celebrity you want to be or elevate your business. You can even use the platforms for the pure sole purpose of finding new friends. But, to achieve any of these, you must be able to connect to a lot of people. Say, a thousand followers on Twitter. Once you break through that barrier, you can effectively grow your brand on the platform.
But there’s a glaring problem here. If you have a follower count that is below 1000, people would not be too trusting with you. Thus, you might never reach that threshold.
To summarize, you need at least 1000 followers to attract the crowd and become relevant. But if that’s the case, where would you get these first 1000 followers? Worry no more! Below are nine tips you can follow so you can break that mark in no time.
Stick With Your Artist Name
Choosing a Twitter handle close to your artist name should be a no-brainer. It will allow people to remember you more easily. Furthermore, it will enable them to search for you easily when attempting to follow or tweet at you.
Take Justin Bieber, for example. He uses the handle @justinbieber. Note that it stayed true to the artist’s name. It’s not @biebesthebabysinger or something. Furthermore, he uses the handle for both his Twitter and Instagram accounts – which is a good practice. Simplicity & consistency is the key.
Use A High-Quality Profile Photo
A blurry or low-quality photo is not attractive, isn’t it? Since the first things a Twitter user will see are your username and profile photo, you should avoid using these. It will give the impression that you don’t exert effort on your craft. So, they would think that you are not worth following.
When choosing a photo, pick one that is clean and simple. It will give a professional look to your Twitter account that you desire.
Improve Your Tweets
Of course, what you post on Twitter also matters.
It is highly recommended that you add an image to your Tweets as much as possible. A Buffer Social analysis confirms that it affects engagement positively.
Also, through the study, experts found that the most popular tweets are actually between 110 and 120 characters. Though, that should not dissuade you from making threads. Just keep in mind that you should only do that when it’s absolutely needed. Most of the time, you would want to be concise.
#HashtagsAreTheBest
You should also exploit the power of hashtags. They are used to search for posts for certain topics more quickly. Therefore, with hashtags, you can increase your visibility to people interested in your craft. For example, musicians can use #NowPlaying or #NewMusic to introduce their new tracks to people on Twitter.
Also, don’t forget about the trends. Throwback Thursdays (#TBT) and Flashback Fridays (#FBF) always appeals to the masses. You can use these as an excuse to repost old videos. If you can somehow relate your craft to the trending hashtags today, that would even be better.
Time And Frequency of Tweets
It would help a lot if you were mindful of how often and how much you Tweet. If your Tweets are almost months apart, and you haven’t tweeted in a week, no one will be interested in following you. They would think it’s a “dead” account. However, if you post new Tweets every 5 minutes, it will become overwhelming. You would take so much space on your followers’ feed, and that would annoy them.
Think of tweeting as something similar to dating. You should be engaging but not overbearing. The social media scheduling app, Buffer Social, recommends tweeting at least three times a day for best results.
As for when is the best time to tweet, Buffer Social reveals that users engage up to 14% more with Twitter on weekends. Then for the rest of the week, engagement for retweets peaks at 5:00 pm. With that said, a tweet posted at 2:00 am on Wednesday is not likely to do good. Keep these time windows in mind to get the most engagement.
Aim For Retweets
Retweets help a lot at increasing visibility. When you post a Tweet, your followers will see them in their feed. But chances of other users who haven’t followed you yet stumbling upon them are low. However, if someone retweets it, their followers will see it. Thus, it helps you attract new audiences.
Words of advice, creative inspiration, or funny experiences are popular among Twitter users. If you use them as the subject for your tweets, they will increase their chance of being retweeted.
Retweet contests are also popular on Twitter. The best thing is that they are easy to set up. All you have to do is make a tweet and decide how to identify the winner. Likewise, people can participate in them easily. All they have to do is to hit the retweet button. As for the prize, you can promise them things like DMs, Skype calls, meet and greets, or even material prizes. With this, you can get more followers without exerting too much effort.
Don’t Be Mean Or Negative
This topic doesn’t really need expanding. If all you do is talk about negative things and post hateful messages, you will not have a positive image. People like following kind people, so you wouldn’t be able to attract new followers if you have a bad reputation.
Follow Other People On Your Field
People use social media platforms to expand their social circles. You should not be different. Besides, following people who are in the same industry as you could be beneficial for your career. You can gain support by letting people similar to you know that you exist. Plus, if a bigger artist tweets at you, that would mean you hit the jackpot. You may even be discovered.
Be Mindful Of Your Follower-to-Following Ratio
Keeping a close follower-to-following ratio protects your brand. The general rule of thumb is not to let your following exceed your followers. Otherwise, you would look like a robot or someone who is not influential, a.k.a. not worthy of a follow.
There you have it. Follow these nine tips, and you will surely get 1000 followers.