13 Formulas I Use To Increase Twitter Followers, Post Tweets + Traffic
I remember how I used to get zero interactions, zero tweets and zero traffic from Twitter.
I was like, “How the heck do I generate traffic out of Twitter when I can’t even get people to follow me? How do these guys get a lot of retweets when we create the same type of content? I create useful posts too!”
Trust me, it was pretty frustrating!
I sucked so bad at it until I decided to change my game.
Now my Twitter traffic has been steadily growing and each post receives around 100-200 tweets (sometimes even more).
In this post, you’ll learn how to build a strong presence on Twitter a.k.a building a solid Twitter reputation and how to get people to tweet out your content.
Here’s our formula: post shareable content + find your audience + engage = followers = retweets = traffic to your blog.
Before anything else, you have to upgrade to the new Twitter profile first. Click here to convert and hit the “Get it now” button at the very bottom of the page.
Let’s get started!
1. Design a kick-ass profile
You’ve heard it a million times already, but it’s true that you only get one chance to make a solid first impression. People will judge you within the first few seconds of meeting you.
So in order to capture their attention, you need to have a profile that looks trustworthy, unique and of course, memorable. Here’s how:
- Keep your bio short, sweet and to the point. Don’t ramble. You only have 160 characters to tell who you are so be as specific as possible. Use keywords as well so the people in your industry can easily search for you. Don’t forget to sprinkle some personality! Take a look at these great examples:
For live examples: Leo Widly / Kate Baird / Julie Deneen
- Use a recognizable headshot or a logo. Though I prefer using a headshot (since it’s more personal), you can also use a logo. It’s not really a big deal as long as your avatar looks relevant to your business.
- Add your site. You want more traffic, so don’t forget to add your blog URL.
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Use a custom header photo. Twitter has changed its header size into a jumbo one, so take advantage of this new feature to express what you’re all about in a creative way. You can use Photoshop, PicMonkey or Canva to design your own cover photo. For new dimensions and free template, click here. For design inspirations, head over to this board:
Make sure your header design matches the style to your blog. You can also include a call-to-action, your products, offers, etc. For more inspirations + free PSD templates, check out my 14 Stylish Twitter Header Photo PSD Templates.
Useful Resources:
- For generic or temporary header photos, click here.
- For awesome fonts you can use for your headers, pick from Webdesignerdepots’ awesome fonts.
Need a customized header?
2. Tweet Strategically
Ramp up engagement on your tweets by learning how to post effectively. Here’s a visual example of a perfect Twitter post (especially for your blog post):
Elements of a perfect Twitter post:
- Use high-quality image. Pair your post with attention-grabbing photo to boost retweets by 35%.
Use relevant or trending #hashtags. Tweets with hashtags gets 2x more engagement than those without. Use no more than 2 hashtags per tweet.- Keep your tweets short. Writing tweets in less than 100 characters receives a 17% boost in engagement.
- Use URL shorteners. Leave some room for retweeters. My favorite is Bit.Ly.
- Include a call-to-action like “check it out”, or “RT” for maximized interaction.
Tips on posting effectively:
- Be active. Post engaging tweets that you think your target audience will love – throughout the day.
- Repeat your tweets. It’s okay to post the same tweet every few days. People tweet a lot, so they probably will not see your post the first time around.
- But avoid over-tweeting. Don’t post in batch as you may annoy your followers. I post about one tweet every 15-30 minutes.
- Pin your best tweet. Pin your best tweet to the top of your profile. Highlight a tweet that contains a link to a blog post you’re proud of.
- Personalize some of your posts. Add your opinion or comment.
- Use automated tools to schedule tweets. I highly recommend using Buffer or Hootsuite.
- Tweet at the right times (especially your blog posts). Use Tweriod to find out the best times to tweet.
- Vary your tweets. Don’t be boring. Vary the type of content you’re posting while making sure they’re still relevant. Remember, one of your goals is to be interesting. Other type of content you can tweet about: News or trends in your industry / Questions / Humor / Gifs / Videos / Quotes that your users will love.
3. Set Up Twitter Cards
For maximum tweet engagement, set up Twitter cards. Boost your chances of getting more followers and driving more traffic to your post through content attribution.
If you’re on WordPress, you can use JM Twitter Cards or WordPress SEO by Yoast.
Look at how Mari Smith posted and pinned a tweet of Stuart Davidson‘s post with Twitter cards:
See how the tweet above linking to the Author’s website, name and Twitter handle? That’s another great way to increase your chances of getting more clicks!
4. Don’t be a total robot
Duh. Don’t just tweet and run. Be Human. Show that you care about your audience too.
- Respond and engage with those people who interact with you or share your tweets regularly. Start a conversation or do something that will make them feel appreciated. Tip: create a list called “engagers” so you won’t forget about them.
- Find people you admire. Tweet out their content or simply craft a thoughtful message for them. Tell what you like about them, how you admire them, etc.
- Participate in Twitter chats. Take advantage of chat groups to make friends. Check out Brian Fanzo’s list and find chat groups that are relevant to you.
- Retweet. Found something useful? Valuable? Remarkable? RETWEET and add your opinion!
- Don’t auto-send direct messages. I’m getting dozen of auto DMs every single day. About 90% of them are spam or advertisements and it couldn’t be more annoying. So please don’t join the bandwagon. People simply dislike it (and Twitter too). Read 5 Reasons Why Auto DMs Are Bad.
5. Connect with the influencers
Take the time to find and build relationships with the most influential people in your niche who can share your content with their followers. Remember, getting your content spread out by the leaders in your industry can easily boost your credibility since it was curated by the people they trust. Their fans can become your fans as well. Here are some simple methods to get on the radar of the influencers:
- Feature or mention them in a post (that they or their audience will love) and notify them about it.
- Interview them.
- Say hi, introduce and start a conversation.
- Regularly tweet their content until they notice you.
- Follow them.
More resources: learn how to find industry leaders and The Definitive Guide to Influencer Targeting.
6. Follow and follow back
Following folks in your vertical is a good starting point to increase the number of your followers.
Find people that share your interests and follow them. And start building relationships by sharing their content or by simply saying hi.
Half of them will most likely follow back since you’re in the same industry and well.. you have a kick-ass profile!
But it won’t be that easy until you use a management tool. I am currently using Tweepi (platinum package) to search for active users in my field, which cost around $7.49-$14.99/month – depends on the package but I recommend getting the platinum one.
Use this tool to:
- Find real targeted followers. Easily follow active folks in your field. You can even find people in your area!
- Clean up following. Flush people who don’t follow back and those who are inactive.
Take a look at the example below. See how I can search for “active” Twitter users in my niche using keywords from their bio:
(PS: I’m not affiliated with them or whatsoever. I just love them.)
Warning: Don’t abuse this system though. Don’t constantly follow and unfollow as Twitter might see you as a spam. Read Twitter’s following rules and best practices.
7. Add “Follow” button or a Twitter widget
Add a Twitter follow button somewhere visible on your site – either on your header, sidebar or perhaps, to the bottom of every post.
You can generate follow buttons here or twitter widgets (with follow button) here. If you’re using WordPress, you can one of these plugins: social media widget or social media feather.
8. Give Incentives
Just like in blogs that offer contests in order to gain more followers and readers, you can also do the same for your Twitter account.
People love joining online contests that provide wonderful prizes.
So if you have a Facebook account or Google+, you can announce that you’re having a certain type of contest and as a requirement for joining the contest and having a chance at the prize, they must first follow you or retweet a particular post on Twitter.
This can be a great and fun way to increase your Twitter followers.
9. Add “Tweet” share button on your site
Encourage your readers to spread your content by including a “Tweet” sharing button on every page of your site. These buttons are usually located at the bottom or top or side of your post.
- Get the tweet sharing button here.
- If you’re using WordPress, use Flare, AddToAny or Shareaholic.
10. Join Triberr
I’ve noticed a big jump in my social shares since joining Triberr.
It’s like a reciprocal platform where bloggers are gathered together to promote each other’s posts, which is also an awesome way to reach new audience.
It can be a little overwhelming for newcomers but if you dedicate some time to explore and learn its concept, you’ll find it really easy to use.
Useful Resources + Tutorials:
11. Include your Twitter handle on share buttons
Make sure your Twitter handle (username) is included within the content of your “tweet” sharing button so you can easily figure out who tweet out your posts and thank them.
12. Add tweetable content
If you have a particular message or quote, why not convert it to a tweetable link to make it easy for lazy people to spread your content?
- Use ClickToTweet to generate one.
- If you’re on WordPress, use Click To Tweet (by CoSchedule).
13. Share other people’s content
Remember the saying: “Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?”
Besides filling up your followers’ stream with awesome content, you also enable yourself to make great connections in your field by supporting other people’s content.
I like it myself when people share my posts (especially those who do it consistently). It motivates me to check them out and see how I can return the favor.
To find people in your market, use Google, Social Media, Technorati. To collect your favorite blogs and curate awesome, use Feedly.
Final Words
Here are the roads to get the most out of your Twitter efforts. The more targeted following you have, the more interactions you get, thus the more people will spread the word about you.
And remember, the more people follow you, the more likely you’ll appear in the “Who to follow” or “Suggestions for You” feature by Twitter.
For Pinnable Graphic:
What about you? How do you increase your Twitter followers? Do you get traffic from Twitter?
