Anyone with a Twitter account wants more followers, right? Followers equate to interest. So, if you’re using Twitter to market your business, your number of followers becomes particularly significant.
Finding and retaining followers for your business account is a goal to shoot for. Of course, while you’re making the effort to increase numbers, you might as well make sure that the followers you pursue are, well, worth pursuing.
Build a quality following organically, and you’ve found the key to getting the best results on Twitter. Check out these tips for getting more followers and better marketing ROI:
1. Increase your visibility.
Lead people to your Twitter account whenever and wherever you can. For example, you can link it to your Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus accounts, as well as your company blog. You can also include a link in your email signature.
Make it easy and convenient for people to reach your account—it’s a simple way to remove one more obstacle to becoming a follower.
2. Keep it real.
In the Twitter universe, this means to make sure people see you as a real person. You can achieve this in a number of ways. First, always include a photo of yourself and your team. Studies have shown that Twitter accounts that include a profile picture have 10 times as many followers as those without.
Another tip: Don’t just populate your site with RSS feeds and generic auto-responds. Personally respond to tweets and comments. Offer useful feedback and make your intros to links interesting and attention-grabbing. People are attracted to personality, so let yours show through!
3. Remember the 80/20 rule.
In social media marketing, this refers to 80% information, 20% marketing material. When tweeting and posting, it’s important to remember that people expect solid, on-topic information. It’s why they’re following you! Wandering into irrelevant topics or indulging the urge to sell too often will cause people to drop out.
Deliver on the promise you made in your profile. Concentrate your efforts on providing followers with the kind of interesting, useful, problem-solving information they’re looking for—and keep the sell to a minimum.
4. Make offers.
Attract followers (and keep them coming back) by offering them coupons, specials and other promotions. Link to a promo code or other “call to action” that leads them to your site where they can engage in other activities.
5. Share valuable, relevant content.
Stay on top of industry news, and you’ll be able to post the latest buzz before many of your followers even know about it. Comment on stories and invite discussion. This turns you into a go-to resource, which boosts your Twitter following and attracts quality leads.
