Twitter is a powerful tool, allowing you to quickly and easily reach a large audience with your message.
But if no one is “following” you (having opted into your personal Twitter network) then you are shouting into an empty room.
So how do you get more followers? If someone doesn’t know you personally, why should they follow you? How can you convince them that you are someone worth listening to?
Well first make sure that you look good.
Fill out your bio completely. This is the only place where you can tell people who you are and convince them that you are worth listening to. (Your bio is also displayed as part of Twitter’s “Suggested Users” page, giving it even more power for convincing people to follow you.)
Customize your page. Twitter allows you to control a great deal of the graphics on your page. Take advantage of this to make sure your page looks both professional and original. Upload a good background image and select a profile picture that makes you look both with a better background, avatar and bio info. The better your page looks, the more likely it is that people who see that page will want to follow you.
Then make sure that you are seen.
Email signature. Make sure that your email auto-signature has a link to your Twitter profile. This ensures that whenever you email anyone, you are inviting them to follow you.
Social Media. Your other social media networks – your connections on LinkedIn and your fans on Facebook – are a perfect place to mine for Twitter followers. Invite everyone to follow you on Twitter, and then periodically mention your Twitter activity again and again, enticing them
Your Website & Blog. All of the work that you do to drive traffic to your website and can be giving your Twitter following a boost! Make sure you have a prominent link from your website and blog to your Twitter page (and that you regularly mention all the great information that visitors can find over on Twitter).
Use Your Mouth. These days people tend to separate the online and offline worlds. Don’t!!! If you are giving a speech, be sure to mention that you will answer follow up questions on Twitter. And if you are sitting down for coffee one on one, be sure to mention a great article that you just linked to on Twitter. Tell people about it, and they will come!
Provide Value. This is the most important step. People follow you to help themselves, not to help you. They follow you to get VALUE. This can be great information, entertaining perspectives, or good deals. But they are following you because they believe you have something valuable to offer. So don’t disappoint.
