Twitter and Your Business: How to Get More Followers

[Today’s guest post is by freelance writer Laura Burkey.]

Whether you’re starting a business or you are a seasoned professional, the importance of Twitter has impacted nearly every industry. Social networks exponentially spread word-of-mouth marketing, which can be a double-edged sword. If there is positive feedback circulating about your company, then all is right with the world. If there are negative comments, it’s time to face them head on and solve those gripes publicly in the forum.

Still, what good is all of this if you have a small number of followers? Here are ways to increase your Twitter followers in a legal and legitimate manner:

1. Fill out your Twitter bio—only then will followers and potential followers know what your company is and why they need to follow. Not to mention, your bio is displayed on Twitter’s Suggested Users page.
2. Add links and hashtags to your posts, and don’t forget to link to your Twitter profile in your email signature, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, etc.
3. Put your Twitter handle on business cards.
4. Post twice a day on a variety of subjects that link to your company.
5. Follow other companies that are similar to your company.
6. Tweet and retweet the right type of content. Avoid old content, and definitely tweet important news items.
7. Take and post pictures on your Twitter account; photos are the most retweeted items on the social network.
8. Start a contest. Once a week, pick one of your company’s followers and give away a small prize. Everyone loves to get something for free. Advertise your contest, and then announce the winner in multiple places across social networks, the company blogs, etc.
9. Tweet about trending topics—when it makes sense. Search.twitter.com lists the trending topics of the day. When you use those hashtags, more people will know you are out there.
10. Track your results and figure out what types of posts people responded to the most. TwitterCounter supplies a report of how many new followers you pick up, and Qwitter sends an email to you when someone unfollows you.

    

11. Tweet about useful, insightful information. Remember that posts throughout a week should be 85 percent about them and 15 percent about you. No one wants to read a 24-hour commercial. Slip in posts about your company, but it’s more important to position your company as the No. 1 in the industry.
12. Mention and retweet other companies. Spread the love, and they will reciprocate. Plus, who better to endorse you than a fellow business? But tweet honestly. If you didn’t get great service from a local company, don’t lie about it. It’s better to avoid posting negative comments, however.
13. Schedule tweets using Hootsuite or Buffer when you can’t send a live tweet. Remember to time posts throughout the day, not just during business hours. After all, most of us look at our social networks while at lunch or before/after the work day.
14. Advertise on Twitter. By purchasing advertisements on Twitter or Facebook, it gives your company an extra boost in visibility.
15. Add your Twitter handle to directories such as WeFollow and Twellow.
16. Put a Twitter widget on LinkedIn that will display your most recent tweets. This plug-in can also be added to blogs and the company website.
17. Blog about your Twitter account, and add it to your tagline. Write concise, pertinent content, and you’ll be surprised how many followers you’ll pick up.
18. Host Tweetups, which are “real world” meetings. Connect with Twitter followers at a local watering hole or coffee shop. Bringing the virtual world into the real world allows others to connect with your brand and your company. This all helps to increase positive feedback.
19. Put a QR (Quick Response) Code on business cards, company letters, signs, etc., and have them link to your Twitter profile.
20. Add the company’s Twitter name to packaging, address labels, stickers, and other items that have mass distribution. Wherever the logo appears, consider adding the Twitter name.

Follow these 20 steps, and you’ll be well on your way to getting more Twitter followers for your business!

About the Author:

Laura Burkey is a freelancer who blogs about various topics, which include parenting, entrepreneurship, and physician reputation management best practices.