Do you want more followers on Twitter? Right now, there is a bit of a controversy whether more followers = better on Twitter. When you get a lot of followers it is probably true that a few hundred followers might be just as effective for you as a few thousand. But, many of the people who read this blog are just starting to use Twitter and need to build a critical mass to start with. Just make sure that you keep your following small enough so that you can pay attention and interact with them rather than just having them scroll through your Twitter feed.
There are two ways of adding more followers — the natural way and the mechanical way. I think that both methods have their place.
How to Find Twitter Followers the Natural Way
Chris Brogan has some great tips for getting more twitter followers – here is a summary:
1. Post unique information – 3-4 times a day (no, autoposts and shares of other people's blogs don't count).
2. Search Twitter for people talking about your passion — and then join in the conversation. Replying 10 to 20 times a day is not too much.
3. Devote some time every day to sharing up and coming people's posts. This is a great way to make friends with with the people who you share with and with your followers who get to meet new resources.
4. Take part in #hashtag discussions. The Ultimate Blog Challange has a great ongoing chat — the hashtag is #blogboost
5. Give people enough room to retweet your posts (i.e. don't use all of the 140 characters).
6. Spend some time on your Twitter profile and make sure that it is intriguing. Have someone else review the profile and photo and tell you honestly whether your profile draws people in.
I think over the long term, the natural way is the only way to build followers. But, when you are just starting out on Twitter – sometimes it helps to mechanically get your first couple hundred followers just to get going.
How to Find Followers on Twitter the Mechanical Way
The easiest way to build your follower base quickly is to follow other people. The easiest way to find people who might like what you have to say is to look at who is following people “just ahead of you” in your niche. You can go to Twitter and see who is following a given person and follow those people. There is a service justunfollow.com that allows you to easily find and follow people who are in your niche.
What are your best strategies for finding followers on Twitter?
