Building a strong base of followers is the aim of most businesses starting out on Twitter. For most, starting out with zero, that's more than a bit daunting. But it's often just a matter of time and using the right strategy.
Don't fall into the trap though of believing it's all a numbers game and using more dubious tactics to build your followers. A base of genuine 100 followers interested in what you have to say, is far more valuable to your business than a base of 10,000 you may have bought or used other underhand tactics to achieve.
So what are the best ways to get more genuine Twitter followers who are interested in what you have to say? Here are 5 top methods to consider:
1. Upgrade Your Profile
Concentrate first of all on making your Twitter profile worthy of more followers. Make it attractive to the type of follower who's relevant for your business.
You're looking to capture the attention of people who would be interested in the type of content you'll be Tweeting about through your account. So make sure your profile properly reflects that information.
Many would-be followers tend to read a person's bio first before following. It's therefore worth taking the time to get it right.
2. Tweet Regularly
One of the most important rules is to tweet regularly. The more you can tweet - within reason - the more visible you are.
If you're just starting out, try tweeting once a day to start with. Build up from there as you become more familiar with the platform.
As your tweet levels increase - presuming they're on target, interesting and relevant - you'll notice your follower count increases too. This in itself is often good motivation to keep on going.
3. Tweet at Peak Hours
As you get more used to using Twitter, you'll find there are certain times of day when your audience appears to be more engaged. You may for example notice an increase in retweeting, favoriting, the number of new followers coming through, and so on.
In brief, tweeting at the right time of day makes a huge difference to the number of people you attract to your Twitter account.
For example, do you tend to get more engagement at the start of the working day? Over lunch time? In rush hour when people are commuting and making their way home? In the evening? Find out what works for you, and then aim to use these optimum times to their best effect.
4. Ask and Interact
Interactivity is at the heart of Twitter, and you need to find a way to connect with your audience and encourage them to respond to your messages. Their responses can then attract more followers to you.
One useful technique is to use a question as the basis of your message. Remember that the Internet is a medium through which people like to interact and communicate with each other. Questions provide a useful opportunity through which their voices can be heard.
For example, ask for people's opinion on a popular topic. Join in an ongoing debate and pose a useful question.
When someone does respond to your question, their response to you is then visible to the people following that person. This in itself can attract more followers to you.
5. Link to Great Content
Remember, you want to attract followers relevant to your business - not just anyone. So keep your posts on target, interesting and relevant to what your ideal follower would look like.
One great way to do this is to curate content related to your niche. In doing so you become an expert in that topic and build your authority. This in turn attracts valuable followers to you.
So link to articles and websites that provide this type of relevant, valuable information, or use a suitable tool that can help do this for you.