There are 1600 people searching ‘How to get followers on Twitter,’ each month in the UK. That means there are 1600 people each month who don’t get the point of Twitter – and those are just the people actively searching for this term.

The point of Twitter isn’t to rack up endless followers – that’s just one of the metrics which we look at to analyse our success. Followers isn’t the end goal – it’s engagement! What’s better: thousands of followers with little to no engagement, or minimal followers who genuinely look forward to your next tweet?

Google ‘How to get followers on Twitter,’ and you’re served with 28,100,000 results, some published by hefty titles. The featured snippet from one such post includes the tip: ‘Post great content.’

I don’t feel ‘post great content,’ is nearly helpful enough. It’s vaguer than vague: what makes content great? It’s entirely subjective. And yet posting ‘great content’ is what Twitter was developed for, as a news site. If you’re not posting great content, why are you on Twitter? Because you’re a brand and you, er, just kind of have to be? Pah. Get out of town.

Below are 10 genuinely actionable Twitter tips, which I use day to day. These tips aim to get you thinking about your brand’s presence on Twitter: what are you offering, how are you offering it, and are you thinking about the wider picture?

 

10 Twitter marketing tips

1. Have a goal

What is your brand’s purpose on Twitter? Is it to sell? Reckless. Is it web traffic? Better. Brand awareness? Getting warmer. To build a community? Nice!

Find your social media purpose, then build your strategy from that. If you’re only on Twitter because someone said you should be, and all you do is shout about product and price, you’re missing the point.

 

2. Be discoverable

The number of relatively small brands who don’t use hashtags on Twitter baffles me. How do you think anyone is going to see your content if you don’t link it? Hashtags are your tweets’ keywords.

Research your hashtags to make sure they’re relevant. Finding hashtags is a mix of common sense, legwork, and a sense of humour. If you target a hashtag that’s entirely irrelevant, you’ll miss your own audience, and irritate another. Tools such as RiteTag are a good place to start if you’re stuck.

 

3. Remember your voice

Just because you’re on a different platform, doesn’t mean your brand’s tone of voice can go out of the window. Your tone of voice is one of the ties your customers have to identify you from your competitors.

Remain true to your tone, but add a pinch of humanity to your Twitter voice. It’s a sociable platform, so be sociable.

 

4. Keep it snappy

On Twitter, you have 140 characters to play with. Aim for fewer. That old adage, ‘less is more’ definitely applies on Twitter.

 

5. Bounce off others

No one likes a copycat, but there is nothing wrong with a little creative learning. Keep an eye on your competitors and other brands doing it well. Analyse what works for them, gain inspiration, and apply it to your own content. Once you’re in their position, others will bounce off your content – it’s a sociable process!

 

6. Variety is the spice of life

Have you ever seen a brand that posts the same thing over and over again? And how interesting was that? Not very.

Keep your profile engaging and up to date by varying your content. Share images, video, plain text, links, emojis… maybe even throw in a GIF or two (with caution), which can be especially effective on a #Friyay!

 

7. Be kind

This one is so important, and one that is so frequently forgotten. Social media is sociable. We have to engage with our audience, and with the audience we follow.

Put in the effort to reap the rewards. If you’re mindlessly posting and not engaging yourself, why should anyone else engage with you? It’s all about give and receive.

 

8. Dabble in Twitter Lists

Twitter lists are a relatively new one to me – and they’re great! Create lists to monitor your competitors and industry gurus. They’re an easy place from which to employ tip 7.

 

9. Get involved in Twitter Chats

If you’re not joining in with Twitter Chats – find a relevant one, plug it into your calendar, and make the time to join the conversation.

Twitter Chats are a great chance to really show your brand’s humanity. Begin by joining in, then start the conversations.

 

10. Add value

At the end of the day, if we’re not adding value, we don’t deserve to be on social media. Think about every single thing you post – if it doesn’t, in some way, add value to the conversation, don’t post it.

 

Go on then, what have I missed? I’m no guru, so let me know on Twitter!