28 Proven Ways To Get More Twitter Followers

Everyone who uses Twitter for business or marketing wants to learn how to get more followers on Twitter. Apart from subscribing to the surefire way of “buying Twitter followers” through paid third parties or Twitter’s ad network, there are holistic Twitter marketing techniques used by social media experts, proven to help users like you gain a natural Twitter following.

Below, I highlight proven Twitter marketing strategies and techniques I have personally used to gain Twitter followers for myself and my clients.

Take a gander at my list and let me know what you think below in the comments section.

1. Use relevant hashtags when appropriate. Put in the time to research popular hashtags for each day. Three examples of popular hashtags that you can leverage on Twitter are; #MotivationMonday; #ThursdayThoughts; and #FF.

2. Decide on a shortlist of social media tools to take advantage of every day. Social media tools give users the ability to organize social media’s natural chaotic environment. Test free-to-use social media tools like Hootsuite or Buffer, and be sure to experiment with others as well.

3. Make sure to use keywords in your bio. Keywords attract relevant users to your profile, inform the online community what you’re all about, and make it easier for people to find you on Twitter search or through third-party Twitter tools.

4. Add a call-to-action in status updates and posts. This HubSpot case study shows an audience is four times more likely to retweet when accounts use prompt ‘please retweet.’

5. Post images. Research shows users who post images on Twitter record 313% more engagement. Try creating your own original images or save a screenshot to post and share.

6. Promote your Twitter handle across all printed marketing materials, including business cards, flyers, posters, and billboards.

7. Promote your Twitter account in your email signature. This makes your Twitter account available to everyone you email.

8. Make sure to add social media icons on your website header, footer, your side widgets of each blog post (if you blog), along with social media share buttons at the bottom.

9. If you guest post on other popular blogs, make sure to add your Twitter handle in your bio and hyperlink it so people can click and view your Twitter profile.

10. If you own a website and blog, try embedding popular tweets in-between content blocks within your article.  This prompts users to engage with your article while reading, drawing their attention to your Twitter feed.

11. Use Twitter search. Target relevant keywords and questions that are relevant to your brand engage with the Twitter community, provide answers, and make friends.

12. Repurpose old tweets and post them multiple times throughout the week at different times during the day. With each tweet having a ‘lifespan’ lasting about 18 minutes, you can get more out of your tweets than if you only posted them once. Test with different headlines at different times and measure what you find.

13. Know the best time to tweet. According to research, the best time to post on Twitter is 1 PM or 3 PM. Ad Week and Social Times report the best time to post for highest click-through-rate is between 12 PM – 1 PM. Also, it’s interesting to note that Ad Week records 5 PM as the time that registers the most retweets. Test your audience and make sure to leverage your prime times.

14. Report and comment on live events, sporting events, trade shows, and other relevant trending events. Use trending hashtags and tweet away.

15. Create or share amazing content with people in your community. Find viral videos, inspirational talks, articles, and trending tweets.

16. According to Buffer, brands report a 17% increase in engagement when they tweet on the weekend. Try tweeting on the weekend. Who says you have to stop after the work week?

17. Add hyperlinks to your Twitter account across all of your social media channels where available. Expand your reach and get the most out of all your digital properties. Let your whole network know that you have a Twitter account.

18. Avoid tweeting in spurts. Research shows that followers are likely to unfollow an account after a barrage of tweets in a short time frame.

19. Follow other accounts. As much as many people hate to admit it, the follow strategy works.

20. Use words that are proven to record more retweets. According to the science of retweets, tweets with words like ‘you,’ ‘twitter,’ ‘please,’ ‘retweet,’ ‘free,’ and others are more likely to get accounts retweets.

21. Make an effort to tweet to people every day. As Dale Carnegie’s old quote goes in his book, How To Win Friends And Influence People, “To be interesting, be interested.”

22. Sign up for Twitter directories and get your name out there. Sign up for Twello, Wefollow, and Tweetfind.

23. Be a good writer. Make your tweets clear, original, witty, and inspiring if you can. Users love it when accounts write and express a similar thought clearly in 140 characters or less in a clever way.

24. Mention writers. When you like an article or feel like sharing a post in your Twitter timeline, make sure to mention them with an @. Chances are they will retweet and follow you. Also, it’s in good practice to reply and talk to other users who mention you as well.

25. Use the “.@” when you’re talking to other accounts. The “.@” makes the conversation public, meaning your followers can see the conversation.

26. Participate in contests and Twitter chats. Be a part of the conversation and engage with brands on Twitter and others within the community. You never know who’ll join the conversation.

27. If you have an idea, run contests yourself for your community. Give away an eBook or special gift card and get more Twitter followers by drawing in more eyeballs to your account.

28. Use Twitter Analytics and any other monitoring tools to your advantage. Know how your audience reacts to your tweets and adjust accordingly to the most popular and least popular times. The goal is to get more followers and engagement every month with every tweet.

Conclusion

And there you have it: 28 proven ways to get more Twitter followers. Twitter is a great way to build brand awareness and offer real-time support to a fan base.

The most important practice in Twitter marketing is taking the time to test and measure your best practices. When you learn firsthand with experience how your niche industry and target audience react to your tweets, you’ll be in a better position to tailor your strategies for the best outcome for growth every week.