Lots of people ask for tips on building a follower base in Twitter. If you are wondering about this, you should also ask youself another question: what's your goal? My colleague, Lisa Creech Bledsoe, and I are both avid Twitterers. However, we Tweet for entirely different purposes, and our communities of followers is radically different because we have different objectives.
Why I Tweet: @JeffTippett
I Tweet in an attempt to build community. Admittedly I'm that annoying
guy in the line at Starbucks that's asking how your day is goingâ€"what
exciting events are coming up in your life, etc. I have an innate
desire to chat and build horizontal relationships. If you don't believe
meâ€"just ask my colleagues! This natural tendency plays out for me in
Twitter. I'm seeking a large group so I can learn from them, help them
when they need help, and ask for help as I need it. Thus, a large
horizontal group of followers is important to me. Of course, I'm always
excited when a few of the relationships become vertical relationships.
Why I Tweet: @Glowbird
For me, Twitter is all about breaking news, field-related links, and
strategic partners. So I follow major bloggers and other news sources
like Techmeme, Mashable, Jowyang, New York Times, and even an NBC
cameraman who twitters his impressions before the news stories hit. My
favorite corporate Twitterers are those who not only use Twitter to RSS
me links to news, but who also speak as individuals. In addition, I
want a strong local community of peers, so I will add people whose
profiles let me know they are geographically nearby, particularly if we
share industry or personal affinities.
My Strategy: @JeffTippett
Ultimately, I find followers by following people of interest to me. I'm
into social media, cycling, working out, running, politics, and social
networking (well, plus a few others). I look for people that are
talking bout these issues. My hope is that they will follow me as well.
I've started noticing a trend that helps me predict whether or not the
person will return the follow. If they have a higher amount of people
that they are following compared to the number that's following them I
find the odds play in my favor that they will follow me. Conversely, if
they have a lower amount of people they are following versus following
them, the chances are slim to acquire a new follower. I've even asked
my followers (those with whom I have a close relationship) to Tweet out
to their networks to follow @jefftippett. A great time to do this is
after you've done something to help them. It doesn't hurt to ask!
My Strategy: @Glowbird
For breaking news and field-related links, my strategy is often to work
backwards: I look on internet sites that I like (for example, Mashable or MarketingPilgrim)
to see if I can find people there who Twitter (like Pete Cashmore or
Andy Beal). I also use Twitter-specific search engines like Terraminds to find businesses or people on Twitter. For local links, I look on wikis, get connected at events, and find people to connect with by browsing the profiles of followers of my other friends on Twitter.
A List of Where to Look and How to Add
• Twitter's public timeline. Peruse the feed for conversations that
interest you. Then check out a specific Twitterer's posts to see if
they are a match for your goals.
• Other people's followers. Check out your friends' followers. You may
share common interests or goals. You can even ask your friends to
invite their networks to follow you.
• Traditional networking events. Ask people if they use Twitter and exchange Twitter names so that you can add each other.
• Other social networks. Put a link to your Twitter account in other social sites like StumbleUpon, Digg, LinkedIn, LastFM, or Facebook. Often people that you like or are connected with there will also opt to follow you in Twitter.
• Blogs and other sites you love. Where do you love to go on the
internet? Is someone on the site offering a Twitter link or feed? Look
in bio sections to find links for your favorite bloggers and add them.
• Twitter search engines, aggregators, and specialty sites. Use
Terraminds.com to search for subjects and people on Twitter. Watch for
great twitters on StrawPollNow or Tweet140. Look at Twitterverse
and click through to keyword conversations that engage your interest.
Then add the people who are saying things you would like to hear.
• Your email. Add a signature to your emails that includes a link to
your Twitter account. Often people will clickâ€"if for no other
reasonâ€"out of curiosity. Those that already Twitter may follow you.
• Engage in the timeline conversation. Jump into the conversation of
your current followers. The best tweets are helpful, friendly, and
funny. If your friends enjoy and respond to your comments, then their
followers will have the opportunity to see your tweets. If the
conversation interests them, many times they will view your account and
opt to follow. Tweet new followers and ask them a question. Chances are
they will answer and then their followers have the opportunity to see
your name and potentially follow you.
Set a goal and make it happen. Your goal may be higher or lower based on your objective. There are plenty of ways to make it happen!
So, why do you Tweet? Are you trying to build a following? If not, why not? If so, why? We'd love to hear from you...