You’ve taken the plunge, engaged your social media channels and you’ve been successful in gaining new followers on Twitter. However, as the age old saying goes, getting them is often the easy part…keeping them is harder. So how can you keep followers and grow your audience?
Here are 3 steps you had best try:
1. Start a Conversation
Yes you’re tweets may be full of your best comedic material, and you may have superb views on the latest happenings but Twitter isn’t the place go all ‘Sermon-ator’. Try having a conversation. By this I mean reply, retweet, direct message people, especially those that either reply to something you’ve said or mention/retweet it. Extend the common courtesy you would in the ‘real world’ and thank them. You should also try and return the favour by perhaps retweeting something they have said that interests you. Be social – it isn’t called Social Media for nothing.
2. Be Real
The nature of Twitter means we gain access to large volumes of information we cannot possibly digest, yet we have an interest in. Equally, aggregating and passing information to your ‘social group’ is a way of building your own audience as well as giving a small insight into your own views. However, constantly forwarding item after item and automated tweet after automated tweet can easily lose you followers. Take the time to give your own spin on an item of interest when you can. It’s not always possible, and you shouldn’t do it every time, but your followers will see you as more ‘real’ if you can do this.
3. Don’t ignore the little guys
Twitter users come in all shapes and sizes and uses. Some people make it their aim to engage with other users who have massive followings on the basis that they may get mentioned and build a bigger following from there. There is nothing wrong with this approach though it is placing a lot of emphasis on luck. It is better in my view to engage with more people with smaller followings who have similar interests/locations etc and engage together to grow and maintain your follower numbers. Sure keep a foot in both camps, but don’t ignore the smaller tweeps they can often be much more influential for you.
Simples!
Simon Brooke is a Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk or @Happy_Creative
