Let's face it. The main reason (and perhaps only) reason we got into
Twitter is to be part of an online community with like-minded people.
Some of us join Twitter to be updated with the real-time goings on in famous people's lives, not necessarily to engage in a conversation.
Not being active is fine. However, if what you want is to have a huge (or respectable) number of Twitter followers, you will need to start talking (or posting).
What Can You Do To Grow Your Twitter Following?
The moment you
sign up for an account, your default followers will include one or several members of the Twitter admin staff. This is so you know where to look for technical support.
If you have friends who are already on Twitter, your next step is to let them know that you've signed up and then add them to your network.
You can do this by typing in their usernames in the Search box and then clicking the "+" sign which indicates "follow". And because they are your friends, naturally, they will "follow" you back.
Once you have about a dozen of the people you know on your network, you will see activity on their and your own timelines where messages are exchanged between them and their followers. You can choose to join in on their conversation by replying to their posts, commenting via a
@Mention, or sending a
Direct Message.
As you engage in conversations with friends and strangers on Twitter, and then follow and get followed back, you effectively expand your Follower numbers. Be visible.
How To Get More People To Follow You
Essentially, getting followed or followed back is a matter of self-marketing, or how you project yourself to the micro-blogging community.
There are several reasons why people would like to click that Follow icon on your profile.
1) They find you interesting.
2) They find your posts inspiring.
3) They think you will get along well.
4) You contribute valuable information.
5) You are popular.
Here are five ways to boost your follower numbers.
1. Take a stand on something or be an authority in a particular subject.
By putting your foot down in a social issue that matters to you and tweeting about it, you are likely to get a following from people who share the same opinions.
Also, if you establish yourself as (or actually are) an expert in a specific field, you have a greater chance of attracting more followers who would like to be updated and better informed. You could be the person to ask for a particular subject. This will certainly boost your follower numbers significantly.
2. Join #FollowFriday
FollowFriday?is an international event that happens every Friday where Twitter users get to recommend other interesting users to their own networks. Joining this campaign by promoting your best followers will likely get a reciprocal promotion. Just make sure that those you recommend truly are interesting or you'll be labelled as a dud.
3. Add something extra to your posts
If you're into photography, you may want to link nice photos you've taken to inspire would-be photographers or attract professionals who are already on Twitterverse. You can post inspiring quotes from famous people and then initiate a conversation on these. You can also start a contest, not necessarily with a prize, just to keep things entertaining on the online sphere.
4. Join a Tweet Chat
Also called a Twitter Party, a
tweet chat?is based on a hashtag that users apply at a pre-determined time and day, similar to
#FollowFriday, only this time a greater form of engagement happens.
At a Tweet Chat, not only do you get to exchange tweets with like-minded people, you also open up your profile to a greater number of Twitter users who will more likely want to Follow you after the 'party'.
5. Post frequently, but don't create spam.
Posting regularly about random but interesting things is not the same as posting every second about what you're doing, feeling, eating, etc. While your friends may find the blow-by-blow account amusing, you probably won't get new followers this way.
No matter how informal the setting, Twitter remains to be a place where people want valuable information. Don't be a spammer. Read more about
Twitter Etiquette.
