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As much as people talk about “engagement” on social media, we all know what most people still focus on: follower counts. The more followers you have, the greater the influence you are likely to wield. So it’s perhaps no surprise that Twitter users have resorted to a number of controversial tactics – ranging from pure “follow-for-follow” strategies to outright buying of followers – in order to boost their follower counts. The good news is that you don’t have to compromise your ethics in order to broaden your reach on Twitter. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to gain more Twitter followers.
#1: Engage with all mentions, retweets and tags
Engagement is still the way to go on social media, and on Twitter, that means responding to anyone and everyone who is mentioning you on the platform. Many people use social media dashboards like Buffer to track all the retweets, mentions and tags. Using them gives you a chance to conduct real-time monitoring of all conversations happening that involve you. Ever wondered how top celebrities and influencers always seem to know exactly where the action is taking place? This is how they do it.
#2: Link your Twitter profile to all other web assets
Most likely, if you have a Twitter account, you also have a website. You may also have an assortment of other social media accounts, ranging from Facebook to LinkedIn to Twitter. So why not link them all together so that you can tap into all the possible synergies? And if you have a website, don’t forget to add all the social media buttons at the top or bottom, so that people can easily connect with you. This makes it easy for them to check out your site, form a positive impression of you, and then decide to follow you on Twitter.
#3: Participate in the Twitter community
You’d be surprised at just how easy it is to participate in the broader Twitter community, including Q&A sessions, chats, debates and polls. Even something as simple as commenting on popular Twitter posts counts as participation. The reason for doing this is simple: it’s a way to expand your base and pull in people who aren’t already within your specific niche or vertical. They will notice your valuable content and want to follow you.
#4: Use hashtags whenever possible
Think of hashtags as a way to improve your Twitter search results. Many people looking for the latest on a particular topic or subject will use hashtags to see what people are saying about it. Thus, even if you are making some very profound and insightful comments on that subject, you won’t be found UNLESS you use the right hashtag. You don’t want to overdo things here – a maximum of three hashtags per post should work just fine, but even a single hashtag can be effective. Just make sure you are using “real” hashtags and not the phony, made-up hashtags that brands want you to use. (e.g. #Lexus is probably better than #DecembertoRemember)
#5: Update your Twitter profile
This is probably the easiest step you can take to bolster your Twitter follower count. Update your profile photo, update your header image, and make sure you include links to all relevant websites. The more that your profile looks like a real person and not just a “bot,” the more likely that someone will be to follow you.
Final thoughts
So, as you can see, there’s a lot that you can do starting now in order to boost your Twitter follower count. Focus on engaging with followers and fans (and critics), tweet out valuable content, and constantly look for ways to make your Twitter posts easier to find for others. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your Twitter follower count.
