Twitter: Get More Followers
You’ve read about this topic a gazillion times and it’s the first thing people always ask. How do I find people to follow? And how do I get them to follow me back? My method is not foolproof, but it’s pretty damn good (not bragging). You will get followers, and they won’t be fake followers. It is work, however. You might not like that part. Then again, it’s not rocket science!
See Who Your Friends Are Talking to
Start by looking at who your friends talk to. Look at their profiles and their top ten tweets. If you like what you see on their profile and what they’re tweeting about, chat with them. Follow them if you like the way the conversation is going.
Say Something Directly to That Person
This could be anything. “Where are you from? Your profile doesn’t say.” “I like what you said on your profile about rapscallions.” “It looks like we went to the same school.” Start with something easy, just like you would in a real-life conversation. Start there. LifeHacker has some good, simple conversation starters that work in real life or online.
Retweet Them
Find a tweet that would be important to them. This requires a little more work. Preferably find something about their business or something you think they’d like you to retweet. If they have a small following, they’ll probably notice right away. If not, you may need to retweet a few to get noticed. If their tweet is short, you may have space to add a comment. And I recommend that you use an “old-school retweet,” for many reasons.
Comment on Their Blog
A blog comment is even better than a retweet, and is much more likely to get you noticed if you’re trying to establish a relationship. Bloggers love love love comments! And most will write back to you, I’ve found. And be happy to follow you.
Follow, Retweet and Comment
Be Generous First to Gain Followers
This is the trifecta of engagement. If you do all three of these things, then your new friend may be oblivious or a snob. And if they don’t want to engage with you, then why are you following them? Some accounts may give you really good content, but most people aren’t Katie Couric (and need to converse with others).
Have Good Content
Think of your followers (or your potential followers) as friends. What cool and interesting stuff would you like to share with them? It doesn’t always have to be related to your business, but you’ll be more likely to attract the right crowd if it is. Don’t trick people by saying, “Hey guys, I liked this” and then a spammy link. Share things you do truly love if you want to make friends either online or in real life.
Is This Approach Too Much Work?
Let me know what works for you in the comments! Thanks!
I like this tip:
“Start by looking at who your friends talk to. Look at their profiles and their top ten tweets.”
And thank you for linking to my Old School RT blog post.
Hi Bridget,
It’s simple, but sometimes it doesn’t sink in the first or even the tenth time. And your Old School retweet? I was explaining how it works to someone. Lots of people still don’t understand how that works.
Thanks again for all your support!
Carol
I’ve definitely found reaching out and sharing other’s tweets/links is the best route to gaining the followers you actually want. This goes back to your post about self-promoting even. Most of your Twitter activity should be interactive, otherwise no one will care about what you’re saying.
Hi Eric,
You’re doing a great job of retweeting, commenting, and sharing. Building up social equity even before your company launches its product is a good way to ensure that your own content will be shared. Thanks for all your support, and I hope to support your efforts more in the future!
Thanks,
Carol
…and it REALLY works. Using these three “trifecta” items, my Twitter following has increased 20%.
Thanks for the feedback, Allen Buchanan! I wish more people would do what you do. And thank you for commenting!
Sincerely,
Carol
Carol thank you for this tips! They’re working for me :) it is work, but you know what? It is fun too! I have met really interesting people and have learn a lot, and to thinks there’s more to discover :)
Have a great weekend!
Hello Evelyn,
I’m glad you’re enjoying the tips and that they work for you. And if you’re having fun, the time will go by so much faster, too. :D
Sincerely,
Carol
Have you ever considered publishing an e-book or guest authoring on other websites?
I have a blog based on the same ideas you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information.
I know my audience would enjoy your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an email.
Hi Charlotte,
Yes, thanks, I’m going to publish an e-book. I guest blog on other sites and am syndicated. Could you give me the address of your blog so that I can take a look?
Thanks,
Carol