My Twitter handle, @EthanParry3, currently has 63 followers.
Although that number is quite small, many of my followers have much more. Thousands. What is the secret to having more Twitter followers? Is getting more friends on Twitter an art or a science? I could beg and plead with people to follow me, but there are more effective ways at getting more attention.
Among BuzzFeed’s 10 suggestions of growing your Twitter followers, these are the ones that resonated with me the most:
Have a voice
Be yourself.
Many times individuals try too hard to be professional, and their writing doesn’t reflect their personality at all. People want to interact with other people, not a robot. Those who share their voice and true self will gain more followers.
Know the difference between sharing your work and annoying self-promotion
I am sure you know someone who is always promoting herself. You know, the individual who retweets a retweet and then adds, “Look how many people are talking about my article, product etc.”
I strive to find a perfect balance between my own tweets and those of others. I communicate to my followers, “You are interested in what I have to say and I am interested in what you have to say.”
Adopt this attitude and gain followers.
Be timely
Individuals want to be up to date on the latest news. Be sure to live tweet during important events that everyone else is watching.
Provide timely and engaging content to gain followers.
Business Insider’s Chart of the Dayprovides us with even more detail as to what are the top factors that affect Twitter follower growth. The chart also proves quantitatively that negative sentiment, hashtag use, and self-mentioning tweets can suppress follower growth.
Do you have any tips to increasing followers on Twitter?
Do the principles that apply to Twitter also apply to other social media sites like Facebook?
Ethan Parry is a public relations professional who is particularly passionate about social media, SEO, and content development topics. Tweet him at @ethanparry3.
