The Twitter Followers Playbook
Twiends has been helping people grow their twitter audiences since 2009.
Over this time we have learned a thing or two about twitter promotion.
Are you looking for ideas on how to get started?
Below is our playbook with over 50 promotion methods you can use today!
They are sorted based on popularity.
Showing all
Track your favorite methods on twiends
Promote on twiends!
We'll
exercise some license here and recommend that you use twiends..! We
help you connect with thousands of other users who are passionate about
twitter. You can list yourself completely for free, or you can feature
yourself for even wider reach. You can filter by country, and you get an
awesome home page to show off your best content.
Run a follow contest
A
follow contest is a great way to get free twitter followers, as users
are required to follow you to enter. Try and make your prize related to
your brand, as this will naturally target people interested in your
niche. Be sure to read twitter's rules on contests first.
• Guidelines for Promotions on Twitter Twitter
• 4 Awesome Types of Successful Twitter Contests Jeff Bullas
Follow users with similar interests
When
you come across a tweet that you like enough to engage with, then
consider following the other users who have done the same. There's a
high chance that you have the same interests and they may choose to
follow you back.
Follow those that follow your top followers
Identify
your top followers i.e. those that have the same interests as you and
engage with your tweets the most. Then scan their followers and follow
those that look interesting. There may be some overlap of interests with
these 'secondary' followers as they are consuming your tweets via your
top followers.
• How to: Search Followers of Other Twitter Accounts Social Talent
• Find & Analyze Your Followers SocialRank
Use #Hashtags
Hashtags
are a way to thread tweets together from different users. Tagging your
posts with a topical hashtag can help people find and notice your
tweets. Watch how the most popular users in your niche are using
hashtags, and follow by their example.
Reply to popular users
If
you have something interesting to say, then @reply to the tweets from
popular users. This may elicit a response from them, but more
importantly it will include your tweet in the replies section of that
tweet. Target tweets that are interesting and only receive a handful of
replies usually.
• What Are Replies and Mentions? Twitter
Tweet inspirational content
Not
all content needs to be in your target niche. Use a content discovery
app to get daily content that is inspirational, funny, or entertaining
in some way. Tweet some of this out every now and then. This content
tends to get retweeted and will increase your reach. Note that there is a
shift away from using quotes though.
Put your twitter link everywhere
This
means online and offline, everywhere you can put it. Link to twitter
from your blog, from your guest posts, from your videos, in your email
signature, and anywhere else you can think of, including facebook,
instagram, etc. Include your username on your offline materials as well,
from business cards t-shirts. This is one of the easiest ways to get
free twitter followers passively.
• Add a Twitter Follow Button Twitter
List yourself in directories
There
are plenty of directories online. Try to find people listings that
target your niche. If you can't find one then create your own listing.
They're usually free to add yourself, but they will sometimes require a
manual process of reaching out to a site owner or page author.
Improve your profile picture
As
you increase your reach and are seen by more people, your profile
picture may be the only thing they see. Make a good first impression
with a profile picture that stands out from the crowd. Show your
personality, use some color, and make sure people can see your face or
brand clearly.
Retweet the right stuff
Popular
users love getting retweets. Some may even interact with you
afterwards. Make sure to retweet stuff that you feel would be
interesting to your audience or add value to their day. This is a good
way to build substance as a curator of interesting info.
Reach out to peers
This
is slightly different than reaching out to an influencer. Here your
goal is to reach out to someone in your niche with similar or slightly
higher influence than yourself. You should try to break the ice by
featuring them in your content, commenting on their stuff, and building
visibility. They may follow you naturally over time, or you may need to
include them in an initiative.
• Top 7 Free Influencer Marketing Tools Brandwatch
Tweet to those you've written about
If
you publish good content that features someone then send them a tweet
notifying them about it. People love to read about themselves, and
they're very likely to retweet if it is positive. Some of them may even
follow you back.
Join twitter chats
Twitter
chats happen on a regular basis for many topics. They are identified
with a #hashtag and are open to all to participate. Find chats that
include people in your target audience and get involved. There is some
etiquette involved, so do some research before getting started.
• Find Twitter Chats In Your Industry SocialTimes
• 5 Steps to Hosting Successful Twitter Chats SocialMediaExaminer
Retweet important news
This
is quick and easy to do, but don't go overboard. You don't want to be a
newsfeed, you just want to put the most interesting stories out there.
Try and stick to topical news, or items very relevant to your field.
This is a great way to insert your voice into the conversation and show
substance as a curator.
Reply to @mentions of you
When
people @reply to your tweets or @mention you then respond positively.
Maybe this involves taking a conversation further or just showing some
wit, but it will create more conversation threads for people to stumble
across. Of course, feel free to ignore the spam.
• What are Replies and Mentions? Twitter
Interact with others
Twitter
is not a broadcast medium like TV or radio, it is a broadcast AND
interaction medium. Think of it more like a presentation or show, with
plenty of audience participation. Like an entertainer on stage doing
'improv' with your audience, or a teacher fielding questions from
students. On twitter this means replying, commenting and mentioning
others as much as you can.
Tag influential people
If
you're attending a conference, then take a photo of the presenter on
stage and post it to twitter. Try to make it relevant and pick a concept
out of the talk that is worth sharing. Remember to tag the tweet with
their username. There's a good chance they'll retweet you, especially if
they are not famous already!
Schedule your tweets
Tweeting
regularly is important for keeping your followers engaged. Engagement
also has the secondary benefit of increasing your exposure to new
potential followers. Find the times of day that lead to the highest
engagement and schedule your tweets around those times.
• Best Time to Tweet Research Buffer
• 3 Twitter Tools To Determine The Best Time To Tweet ShoutMeLoud
Feature yourself
Some
websites with active twitter communities allow you to feature yourself.
Twiends is a good example, having pioneered this approach since 2009.
Find websites with communities that you like and pay to feature
yourself. Beware of websites offering to sell you followers (eg. $5 for
1000 followers), these are fake and can result in suspension.
• Feature Yourself on Twiends Twiends
Write a guest blog
Maintaining
a blog can be hard, so people will often accept guest posts if they are
well written. You may have to build up a small portfolio of written
work before starting your outreach, but you'll usually find some takers.
This is a great way to demonstrate substance, and to link back to your
twitter profile.
• The Ultimate Guide to Guest Blogging Kissmetrics
Tweet the right content
What
do the leaders in your niche tweet the most about? Which of their
tweets get the most engagement? Start to build a list and try and
replicate their practice, using your own unique content, voice and
personality. There are many tools that allow you to analyse this now.
• 15 Essential Content Creation Apps You Need Right Now Jeff Bullas
• Infographic: The Most Popular Infograhics Siege Media
Run a webinar
Webinars
are essentially online learning events similar to real-world seminars.
The advantage of webinars is that they can be recorded and posted
online. They are a fantastic way to show your expertise, and can net you
some of your most engaged and loyal followers. Entice the audience to
follow you by offering more follow-up info via twitter.
• How to Run Your First Webinar BoostBlogTraffic
Reach out to influencers
This
is hard work but incredibly powerful. Identify the people in your niche
that get good engagement on their tweets. Reach out to them with a
clear and concise value proposition: Offer them something of value to
share some of your content with their followers. Try and break the ice
over a few weeks by featuring them in some of your content, sharing
their stuff, or getting a third party to introduce you.
• 8 Tips on Running Effective Influencer Campaigns SocialMediaToday
• How to Find Influencers on Twitter RazorSocial
Live-tweet an event or show
If
you have access to an event and are able to provide value-added
commentary about it then live-tweet it. Announce that you'll be live
tweeting to your followers so that they can either tune-in or tune-out.
Use a #hashtag to thread the tweets together, and try capture the best
ideas, quotes and thoughts from the event.
Comment on news
Attach
yourself to things that are happening now and relevant to your
audience. This can be a follow-up to news you've retweeted, or just some
thoughts about something that's happening. You don't have to break the
news to be a part of it.
Improve your bio
For
some people the decision to follow you is made when they read your bio.
Make sure your bio says who you are and what you know, but try and do
it in a humble or quirky way. Don't call yourself an 'expert' or 'guru',
let your tweets communicate that for you. Try and get across that you
have some value to add in your niche.
• 5 Ways To Improve Your Twitter Bio Connected Comedy
• How to Make Your Twitter Profile Stand Out Social Media Examiner
Embed your tweets
It's
very easy to embed your timeline or a single tweet on a website these
days. If you have a blog then use the twitter embed tool to place your
tweets on it, especially those that are topical to your posts. You can
also get your tweets embedded on someone else's website, especially if
you do them a favor and create some content for them.
Speak at conferences
It's
not that hard to get a speaking slot at a conference, especially if you
have some skills. They come in all shapes and sizes. Have you got a
great piece of online work or videos already in circulation? Well offer
to present a short summary of it at a local event. Start there, grow
bigger, and be sure to mention your twitter handle once or twice.
• What You Need to Know About Speaking at Conferences Ashe Dryden
• Tips for Public Speaking speaking.io
Advertise on twitter
One
of the most effective ways to promote yourself is on twitter itself.
They offer solutions for promoting your profile, your tweets, or your
other assets. Each method allows you to target a slightly different form
of engagement. This is really powerful when used in combination with
another initiative, such as running a contest.
• How to Target Your Twitter Ads Twitter
Blog about your twitter account
If
you have your own blog, write a post about your twitter account. Post
about how you like twitter, how you hate twitter, who you follow, etc.
Make sure to mention your twitter account (and suggest that people
follow you) at least once in the article.
Host a tweetup
Tweetups
allow you the opportunity to connect with twitter users in person. You
can host them at your local coffee shop, restaurant or conference. Use a
hashtag to thread the event and announce it many days before to your
twitter followers. You may need to offer to pay for the coffee if just
starting out!
• How to Organize a Successful Tweetup Mashable
• 9 Ways to Find Twitter Users in Your Town Mashable
Create twitter lists
Lists
are a useful way to group people by topic. You can see all the recent
tweets from people in a list without having to follow them all. It also
signals to these people that you find them relevant, and they may in
turn engage with you. Others may also find the lists useful and follow
you or the list in turn. You can also add yourself to the lists too.
• How to Use Twitter Lists: A Professional’s Guide Sprout Social
Join a local networking event
Small
business owners and other groups often organize local networking
events. They may just be weekly meetings where everyone gets 5 mins to
talk about their niche, or they could be larger with outside speakers
giving presentations. Make sure your twitter username is on your
business card, as you'll be handing this out a lot.
• It's All About Who You Know and Your Local Network Grasshopper
• How To Start A Networking Group That Will Actually Work FastCompany
• Benefit From Networking MarketingDonut
Run a photo contest
If
you have a product, idea, or concept that is visually appealing, then a
photo contest may be perfect for you. People enter by posting a photo
on twitter, so their visuals will be your voice. This works especially
well if you have a loyal audience already. You can also ask people to
enter using your pre-selected photo's.
• Guidelines for Promotions on Twitter Twitter
Post a video tutorial
People
love to watch video's. For many it's their preferred route for learning
something new. Some people have difficulty learning from written
guides, and prefer to learn from content that is easier to absorb.
Creating video tutorials for your area of expertise is a great way to
get 'relevant' exposure for yourself.
• Introducing Autoplay Video.. Twitter
• Producing Your First Youtube Tutorial Hongkiat
• How to Create Video Tutorials - A Five Step Process I'd Rather Be Writing
Write a book/eBook
Few
things communicate expert status like being a published author. Print
titles can carry more clout, but eBooks are growing in popularity too.
Self-publishing is an option, or you could try a traditional publishing
house. Either way, get it out there, and you will be demonstrating your
substance in bucket loads.
• How to Write a Book wikiHow
• 21 Dumb Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your First E-book BoostBlogTraffic
Offer deals in store to followers
Never
underestimate the power of your bricks and mortar locations, especially
in the retail space. This is a great place to offer deals and
incentives to visitors to get them to follow you on twitter.
Do a radio interview
These
are great for showing substance and personality, whether that be for
entertainment, expertise, or news. Don't be afraid to consider AM/FM,
satellite or online stations. Make yourself available as an expert,
local entertainer, or commentator, and reach out to some stations to see
if they have any upcoming opportunities.
Add twitter to your address labels
Address
labels are an advertising and branding opportunity. Include your
twitter information right on the outside of your packages and envelopes!
If you are already doing this with your logo and other info then it
shouldn't cost any more.
• Search For 'Custom Shipping Label' Google
Run a tweet contest
Tweet
contests are good for expanding your reach to new people. They work
well if you already have an engaged audience and want to reach their
followers. They require that people send a tweet or retweet to enter, so
they should be coupled with good content that their followers will find
interesting. Again, make sure you read twitter's rules on contests
first.
• Guidelines for Promotions on Twitter Twitter
• Running a Retweet Contest Quick & Easy
• 7 New Tips for Running a Twitter Giveaway Mashable
Write a magazine article
Magazine
articles are a great medium for explaining things in depth and
demonstrating your substance. Try to find the list of topics that your
favorite mag will be covering in future issues, and reach out to the
editor if you feel you can contribute.
Become a book contributor
Some
authors may not be able to fully cover all the topics in their upcoming
book. You may be able to help them out with a chapter or two. They may
be especially open to this if you offer to promote the book jointly with
them once it's published. This is a great way to be listed as a
contributor or co-author, and to demonstrate your knowledge in a
specific field.
Improve your username
Please
don't use profanity in your username, it will turn people off. And keep
the numbers to a minimum. It doesn't have to match your name, but
consider using something that people can easily remember and type into
google if required. Keep it simple, keep it clean, and make it
memorable.
• How to Choose a Twitter Username When Yours is Taken BloggingWizard
• Changing Your Username Twitter
Do a podcast
Podcasting
is a great way to showcase your expertise and gather an audience. A
podcast is much like a blog, but it is recorded audio instead of written
words. You can create your own podcast, or be featured or interviewed
on a popular podcast. Either way, make sure you mention your username at
least twice during your podcast, including once right at the end.
Do support through twitter
Now,
we're not suggesting you throw away your helpdesk, but add twitter as a
support channel. You may find that users are already tweeting questions
at you. Most good helpdesk software already offers twitter integration.
• How to Use Twitter for Customer Service Mashable
• 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Improve Customer Experience SocialMediaToday
• How to Care for Customers With Social Media SocialMediaExaminer
Become a forum moderator
Consider
becoming a moderator on a community website in your niche. These are
usually forums but could take other forms as well. You can usually add
your twitter info to your bio, or possibly even your post signatures. If
you are helpful and active you can gain many supporters through this
effort.
Host a debate
Debates
can be formal or informal, and can often elicit a passionate response
from participants. They're also a great carrot when doing outreach to
influencers in your niche. Get some of them involved on two opposing
sides of a debate and take the role of moderator or participant
yourself. This gives you context and allows you to reach their
followers.
Research and publish a report
Reports
and white papers are still an essential form of communication for
industries and markets around the globe. If you have any data or
research to share, or even just helpful ideas, publishing a report or
whitepaper can successfully get you the attention of industry leaders,
media, and social media.
• How To Write A Great Report: BiggSuccess
Add twitter to your company vehicles
You will typically add your company name, website and logo to your vehicles. Consider adding your twitter too.
• Search For 'Custom Stickers For Car' Google
Do a twitter poll
Twitter
polls are an interesting way to get engagement from new users. In
effect you are letting your audience create your content for you through
their votes. Some users who vote in a poll will retweet it too,
allowing you to reach their followers. Some will also receive a
notification when the poll ends, allowing you to reach them again.
Write a feature column
If
you have the dedicated time, offering to write a feature column for a
magazine or newspaper will not only assist the editor with their
workload but give you the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise
week-in, week-out.
• Writing Your Own Column wikiHow
Add twitter to your packaging
If
you ship products then you should add twitter to your packaging. Even
put a leaflet inside with an incentive to following you on twitter.
People are usually happy to receive their new stuff, so try and acquire
them on twitter at the same time.
• Search For 'Custom Label' Google
Add twitter to your checks
An
often overlooked branding opportunity is the company checks. Custom
check companies should allow you to include your twitter username on
your checks.
• Search For 'Custom Checks' Google
Add some swag
Promos,
gifts, swag, or whatever you call it. If you're giving this stuff out
then make sure your twitter username is on it. This is one way to get
free twitter followers just by giving stuff away.
Run a print ad
Print
ads are one of the more expensive forms of advertising available to
small businesses today, so every time you invest in that type of
advertising you need to maximize your return. A great way to do this is
to include your twitter username in the ad.
• Are These 6 Social Media Mistakes Ruining Your Print Ads? CompanyFolders
Tweet interesting photos
Research
has shown that tweeted photo's can substantially increase engagement
from followers. This is a great way to get your message passed on by
your followers to their followers, thereby increasing your reach. Make
sure your feed contains a healthy stream of shareable visuals.
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