If there’s something I feel confident about, it’s picking up Twitter followers. Of course it’s not all about the numbers but, let’s face it, we all get a little boost when somebody follows us on Twitter. Besides, the more people follow us on Twitter, the more people check out our connected blogs and apps. Isn’t what we all want, if we’re really honest?
These seven pointers are what I’ve found to be the most effective way to increase your followers. As always, it’s worth experimenting with different strategies to see what works best for you. You can also check out our article on how to get more Facebook followers.
Always Follow Others on Twitter
7 Amazing Twitter Techniques
This is the part where bloggers say “It’s called social media for a reason lol”. I won’t do this (mainly because it’s not actually very funny) but the point remains- if you want people to follow you, you need to follow other people. See how to increase Twitter followers in this feature.
What I like to do is go through my favourite hashtags (#bbloggers- beauty bloggers; #fbloggers- fashion bloggers; #lbloggers- lifestyle bloggers) and follow anybody who catches my eye. Some of them will follow back.
Some won’t but don’t be that person who follows and unfollows when it’s not reciprocated. There are plenty of perfectly good reasons to unfollow someone, but this one’s just annoying.
Provide People With a Good Reason to Follow You
Ways to Gain More Twitter Followers
As I said above, I follow people who catch my eye. That is the main reason people will follow you- something about your profile interests and intrigues them. As a general rule, an image of yourself is more appealing than your logo, and a clear headshot is more so than full-body.
(I’ve noticed people with a unique style, such as brightly coloured hair or tattoos, are especially eye-catching, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this just to gain followers!). Use your bio to explain who you are and what you do in a fun way that showcases your personality.
By the way, it’s advisable to include your URL in your bio as well as the dedicated section as it will show up when in the little hover profiles. Pin a tweet that is funny, interesting or helpful to your profile. Remember first impressions are important!
Regularly Share Engaging Links and Tweets
One of the easiest ways to get yourself out there is to share links to your blog with the relevant hashtags and a photo. People can see straight away if you appeal to them and it has the added bonus that they’re more likely to click over to your blog.
Engage in Discussions to Increase Twitter Followers
That said, there’s nothing more boring than following someone who only posts their links, or auto-tweets their Instagram or Pinterest updates without actually sharing anything of value. The beauty of Twitter is that you can just jump in and join any conversation you see and nobody bats an eyelid.
Admittedly, the big bloggers don’t always respond, and that sometimes puts people off, but your average blogger is happy to engage. Besides joining in the conversation, share your thoughts, make jokes, ask questions. Do anything as long as it’s interesting! Tweeteev is a service that can help you grow if you’re struggling.
Join Twitter Chats
Participate in Twitter chats and engage more
There are Twitter chats every night of the week and there are always new people taking part. Take an active part in the chat and join the conversation, rather than just answering the question and leaving it at that.
A Twitter chat is a public Twitter conversation around one unique hashtag. This hashtag allows you to follow the discussion and participate in it. Twitter chats are usually recurring and on specific topics to regularly connect people with these interests. Bloggers connect using #Blogchat hashtag.
I try to talk to at least one new person in every chat. It’s just nice to welcome them, especially as chats can be quite intimidating at first.
Help People Out and Be Cool
Similarly, help people out. If you see somebody ask a question and you can help, let them know. If you can’t help, but you know somebody else who could, point the original poster in their direction. Being helpful not only supports other bloggers, but it also gains you more respect and therefore more follows. Good karma and all that.
As an aside, I once saw someone on Twitter complain that somebody had asked her for advice and, I quote, “I sent her my rates and never heard back”. Instant unfollow right there. Being helpful costs nothing.
Just Be Yourself on Twitter
That said, be yourself. If you’re not all sweetness and light, don’t feel you have to pretend to be. I remember following Terri because she was posting sarcastic budget beauty tips in a #bbloggers chat and I follow Sophie because she is completely unapologetic about her views, even if I don’t always agree with them. Whoever you are, there are going to be people out there who completely love it.
Ultimately it comes down to three things: Be visible, be active on the Twitter social media platform and add real value to your audience. You can’t go wrong if you follow these 7 inventive ways to increase your Twitter followers!