Gaining Traction on Twitter

Taylor Childress

Social media is one of the main ways people are getting their careers started, buzzing about their business, landing an interview and so much more. But sometimes, it is hard to gain followers and begin to be successful in the “Social Media World.”

In the social media landscape, Twitter is still one the most-used social media engines by business for activities like recruiting, meeting people, buzzing about an event or pushing out information. So, how do you gain followers? Here are three tips to gain more Twitter followers to make the most impact with your account.

1. Make your profile approachable:

Too often, people have a busy profile picture or too much wording in their bios. That isn’t necessarily bad, but simple is better when it comes to Twitter. Make sure your picture shows your face and isn’t too busy. Try to avoid angles with the picture and keep it square. Some companies like to have their employees use logos or random graphics. Try to steer clear of that so your account isn’t mistaken for spam, which can lead traffic on your page elsewhere. The bio should be clear but still tell who you are with pizzazz. Your bio will help people determine if they want to follow you. So, keep it simple and not too wordy.

2. Tweet and engage often: 

Consistency is key when it comes to any social media outlet, but with Twitter, it is very important when it comes to maintaining and gaining followers. If you don’t tweet often, no one will be interested. Tweet two times a day minimum. Remember to take into consideration the timing of the tweets, as well. If you tweet at 6:30 a.m. that might not be the best time. People are getting ready for work or getting to work and no time for their phone. Tweet around mid-morning, noon and evening. Also, keep in mind that engaging daily with your followers is just as important as how often you tweet. If you’re not talking to or responding to your followers, they will lose interest. Likewise, retweet others’ tweets that you find informative.

3. Hashtags, hashtags, hashtags:

Hashtags are still more important than ever on Twitter. Hashtagging opens up a new door in the social media realm. Monitor what is trending, and if you have something relevant to say on the topic, use the trending hashtag. People will check hashtags all day long and retweet your tweets, which in turn, gains new followers both from within the U.S., as well as from around the world. But, try to not over use the hashtags. Make them relevant and original.