If you’re on Twitter by now you’ve surely seen the Twitter pages of such high-profile Twitterers as @kevinrose, @barackobama or @britneyspears who are being followed by tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands Twitter users. But what if you’re just a regular person with a blog, website, art or business that you want to gain a little exposure for?
Well, the good news is that Twitter can help you get the word out about pretty much anything. And no, you don’t have to be the founder of a popular website, an international pop star who’s constantly stalked by the paparazzi or even the President of the United States. The magic of Twitter is that it allows anyone (even you) to connect with all kinds of people that you may not normally have a chance to connect with.
Here are some basic tips to get you started with your own following on Twitter:
Make Your Twitter Profile Appealing
This means filling out all the fields on your Twitter profile – name, location, web address and bio. You also want to be sure to upload a pic. If you’re not crazy about the whole headshot thing, then consider uploading a cartoon-style photo or avatar. And finally, nix the default Twitter background for one of your own. Do a Google Search for “backgrounds” and find one that suits your taste. If you can, try to see that your Twitter background coincides color-wise with your background.
Get Involved in the Twitter Community
No one is going to want to follow you if you don’t have anything interesting to say. So be sure to post tweets on a regular basis to give Twitter users a reason to follow you. This can be anything from tweeting about your hobbies or interests or popular topics such as technology or celebrity gossip. Post links to interesting articles that you come across and pose questions to your Twitter followers to get a conversation started. And whatever you do, DON’T just post links to your own blog posts or articles! This is not what Twitter is about. Smart Twitter users will drop you faster than you can say tweet, so watch the self-promotion thing. The occasional link to your blog or article is perfectly fine; posting 20 links to your work in one day is not.
Use the Twitter Search Option to Help You Find Followers
Twitter Search (http://search.twitter.com) is a great tool when you’re searching for other Twitter users with similar interests. You can search for any term – MySpace, writer, vegetarian, pregnant, etc. and Twitter Search will display a list of Twitter users who are tweeting about that same term. So if you’re trying to connect with Twitter users with similar interests, Twitter Search is definitely the way to go. Follow interesting Twitter users and they’ll most likely follow you back after checking out your profile and seeing that you have an interesting profile and common interests.
Follow Those Who Follow You
When someone chooses to follow you, you’ll receive an email from Twitter letting you know you have a new follower. It’s common courtesy to follow people back, but feel free to be selective about those you follow. Check out their profile first and if it looks like you have common interests or they really are someone you would like to follow, then follow them back.
Be Patient
Establishing a presence on Twitter doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t worry too much in the beginning about whether you’ll ever have as many Twitter followers as Britney Spears. If you get involved in conversations on Twitter and don’t come across as a spammer who’s trying to sell something, Twitter users will naturally find you and want to follow you.
Follow these Twitter tips and you should see your numbers grow steadily. And who knows, you may even reach Twitter celebrity status one day!
