Twitter is, so far, the fastest and the most exciting of all the social networks.
Everything happening right now in the world is also happening right now on Twitter. However, most people are trying to create a better Twitter account without having any plans. Tweets are sent out with no purpose, followers are ignored, and their audience doesn’t grow because of all these issues.
This practices need to be stopped. Every business needs a basic understanding of what’s going on. There are a number of proven ways that you can make your account grow. It’s been shown time and time again by successful accounts over the years and here are three field-tested tips to boost your Twitter’s performances.
1. Have a Clear Goal in Mind
Twitter is not your venue for pushing 140 character long press releases. This is quite commonly the first mistake that accounts make on Twitter. You need to realise these three things right now:
- Twitter is where you go to listen as much as you speak. This is social media, emphasis on social.
- Twitter is where you go to create partnerships. Retweets are there for a reason. You need to use them to build your connections with other Twitter accounts.
- Twitter is where you go to add value. You can answer questions, share information, and be a force for good in the community.
Those three points need to form the basis of your tweeting. Twitter started out, way before any marketers got their hands on it, as a place to share information you found useful. That is still how it is used amongst its core users.
That’s what you want to do, but how will you do it and at what time? That depends on your two options:
- Tweeting live: This is the great strength of Twitter as it is a hyper-current social channel where what’s happening NOW is what matters most. Jump on trending hashtags and topics to gain a whole new group of followers.
- Scheduled tweeting: With Twitter being ‘on’ all day across the world, a scheduling tool can do a lot to help expand your global audience. Tools like TweetDeck and Hootsuite will allow you scheduled tweets in advance so that you can still get your message out while you’re busy with another task.
Something you’re going to start noticing right away is how important it is to get more retweets. You can read more at the link, but your basic tactics learned above, and applied consistently, will start getting your followers pushing that retweet button.
2. Grow Your Followers Correctly
Being social on Twitter is one of your top priorities. There are a number of ways that you can do this:
- Join live chats: These are pre-arranged online ‘meetings’ where people all tweet about a certain topic. These will be hosted by one account who will determine a hashtag that will be used to track the conversation. The typical style is for a series of questions to be asked by the host, with answers being provided by the participants.
- Host your own chat: Once you have a large enough following, you can start your own chat around your own topics. Make sure that it’s a topic you know a lot about personally as people will turn to you during the chat for advice and guidance.
- Tweet current events: Over on the left hand side of Twitter you’ll see the Trending Topics list. These are the trending topics and hashtags that people are tweeting about worldwide, or in your area. Having your say about a current event, or tweeting new information, can push you into viral territory faster than perhaps any other technique. You have to be smart about the topics you choose. If you usually tweet about your quilt work, and then suddenly jump in on a trending topic about school shootings, will the followers you gain remain interested in your quilt working? I wouldn’t.
- Search and socialise: The Twitter search bar is the most underused communication tool online today. You can use it to look for topics, and people, who are interested in the same things as you. All you have to keep in mind is whether or not your actions are appropriate in the real world before doing them on Twitter.
3. Use Twitter Ads
Every social platform needs to make money, and paid ads are a big part of it. There are three different types of ads that anyone can purchase on Twitter to build their account. Knowing what they are, and when to use them, is the challenge:
- Promoted Tweets: This is a tool for promoting one specific tweet. You have the option of choosing an arrow target audience that Twitter will expose your promoted tweet to, making sure that you spend your money as wisely as possible. Even though you’re paying for the ad, realise that it will still be regular Twitter users seeing it, and they won’t respond very well to anything which feels like ad copy. They will, quite commonly, react poorly and troll you like crazy.
- Promoted Trends: These hashtags of your own that you pay to have placed in the Trends section. They will display at the top, looking like the example to the right. This is effective for promoting a hashtag you’ve already built up with some great content, but is not great for launching one.
- Promoted Accounts: Your account is as good as it can be? You have great content built up? Your following is already more than just your family and close friends? Good. Now you’re ready to try a Promoted Account Ad. Doing this too soon can squash your efforts as a weak account is one which won’t be followed as readily as a stronger one. This may be the last tactic you use out of those listed.
Before you invest in Twitter Ad spending, be sure to invest some time into your account, and how you’ll use the ads. Throwing money at a problem blindly rarely yields results, and blindly paying for Twitter Ads can do even less.
Conclusion
If your Twitter account is being used purely for “fun”, then feel free to tweet whenever and however you please. However, if you want to grow an audience, get a little bit famous, and spread your message effectively you will need to start with the tactics from above. Apply them on a consistent basis and watch your account grow bigger.