Stacy Kinney

These days, the question on everyone’s lips seems to be, “How do I get more Twitter followers?” And why not? There are many advantages to having a lot of people following you on Twitter. Besides the ego boost, your Twitter followers can help spread your message to the rest of the internet as well as serve as an avenue of support for when you need help or information.

Use these five tips to help you build a network of Twitter followers who will contribute to your success.

Target a Specific Audience

Even fishermen who cast out their nets far and wide don’t keep everything they catch. This is because they only want a specific kind of fish. The fish that’s going to sell. A seashell caught in the net might look good on a shelf somewhere but it’s not going to put money in the bank.

While it would be nice to have everyone on Twitter following you, in reality, you really only want Twitter followers who are going to help you achieve your goals; whether that goal is to sell a product or spread a message. This is called your target market. You need to get clear about who these people are and then produce Tweets that will draw their attention to you.

Share Quality Content

There aren’t a lot of people in the world who would settle for Cubic Zirconia if they can get a diamond for the same price. Likewise, no one is going to pay attention to a stream of useless tweets when there are so many others out there that actually post something worth reading.

The content you post on Twitter should appeal to your target market. It is okay to share things that may only be interesting to you. That’s part of your personality. But if you want a ton of Twitter followers, the majority of your tweets should be valuable and relevant content.

Retweet and Respond

The number one reason why people don’t follow, or unfollow, another person is lack of interaction. There is nothing worse than tweeting to someone who won’t respond back. Don’t be shy. Engage. Respond to the tweets of others and share things they tweet with your Twitter followers. This shows you are interested in what people have to say which in turn will encourage them to follow you.

Be a Follower

There’s a popular saying that goes “In order to have friends you must first be a friend.” This speaks to the old adage that you have to give first before you receive.

Twitter is about engaging in the conversation. If you want more Twitter followers, you must first be a good follower and talk to the people you are monitoring. As long as you have good stuff that interests them, they will generally follow you back.

Personalize your Profile

Help people get to know who you are by customizing your Twitter profile. Use a custom background, fill out your bio and use an identifying picture. This helps to builds trust with your potential Twitter followers and separates you from the spammers.

Building your Twitter following is not rocket science. All you need is a little common sense and some consistent effort and you’ll have a Twitter following fit for an internet rock star in no time.