I am a fan of Twitter; it’s a remarkable resource! I like the way that it can be different things to different people, refusing to accept rigid definition by the pundits who claim to know all. This post is inspired by a series of past tweets sent in response to a plea to “Please follow me! Please! Please! Please!” by someone with that single post on her profile page.
Whatever Twitter is to you, almost everyone would like to have more followers. If you want to become an influencer on Twitter, you need followers to hear your voice, engage with you and spread your message.
Some people auto-follow everyone back, but what about the rest of us? How do you attract quality followers? A lot of people are like me: I check the profile of every person who follows me in order to decide whether or not I want to hear what they have to say. I also actively seek out new people who look interesting to me. What do you have to do get Juli – and others – to follow you?
Here are 11 Tips for Getting Me to Follow You on Twitter:
- Wear clothes in your picture. If you think THAT is my secret fantasy, we’re just not going to get along anyway.
- Don’t be a huckster. 100% tweets about your product belong on the Paid Programming channel. I hit the off button when that’s what I find on your page.
- Be interesting. Share: thoughts, news, info sources, help, quotes, quips & RTs! The mocking stereotypes people use about Twitter are right when they poke fun at some of the content. I really don’t care which fast food joint served up your hamburger or when you walked your dog.
- Keep a low profanity ratio. An occasional “Oh *!#@!” is real life, but a four letter word in every tweet demonstrates a lack of creative thought. Pass.
- Be interactive. Lurkers are just strange, whether in an alley or reading people’s tweets in a darkened room.
- Find a theme. Try planning 4-8 tweets on one topic. Get them hooked! This triggers interaction with others who have similar interests.
- Be an expert. Search for keywords where you’re knowledgeable – respond with answers, resources & insights.
- Don’t be an expert! There are three people who are genuine social media gurus and that’s probably not you. Small fish. Big pond.
- Enjoy yourself! When you are genuinely having fun interacting with others, it shows – and people want to know you.
- Find like people. Follow new people interesting to you, @ message them with something relevant to their stream and RT some of their better posts.
- Get noticed by big guys. When a Twitter superstar @ talks to you, people will follow you. @ comment on their posts or ask a meaningful question. Be sure to respond to them intelligently – people are watching!
Yes, you want more followers on Twitter, but remember that it’s not just about numbers. You want people who are there because they want to be part of the same community as you. Interact! Add value to the conversation! Followers will find you. Now make them glad that they picked you. @Juli_K