Top 5 Ways to Gain Twitter Followers

Are you using Twitter as part of your marketing strategy? More and more businesses are answering “yes” to this question. In fact, 75% of all businesses have a presence on Twitter (James T. Noble).

But (there is always a “but”) one of the hardest things to master is growing your Twitter audience.

Roadside is here to help! We have put together five best practices to increase your Twitter following.

No.1: Your Setup

Your profile reveals a lot about your dental practice and its presence on Twitter. For example, imagine a potential patient walking into your dental office and there is no wallpaper, no paint, no furniture, no signs, and no team members to greet them. What do you think the potential patient would do?

Exit the building and never come back.

The same is true of your Twitter profile. If a potential patient lands on your profile, what do they see? Is your profile equipped with a profile picture depicting your team or doctor? Is your background and cover image fully branded with your logo? Does your bio explain why you are a great dental practice, which will lead them to your website?

Or, do visitors  see an egg, no wallpaper, and just a name?

It is imperative to fully brand your profile and give information about your practice, otherwise potential followers won’t be sticking around.

No.2: Send People There

If you built a your dental office and didn’t tell anyone about it – are you going to get visitors? Of course not, because no one knows about it.

The same is true for your Twitter profile.

Once you have set up your profile you need to start talking about it. Some of the best methods for this are:

• Including a link to Twitter on your website.
• Linking to your profile from other social networks.
• Writing a blog about being on Twitter.
• Sending out an email to your clients about your Twitter profile.
• Including a link in your email signature.
• Including your Twitter handle (e.g. @RoadsideMmedia) on your printed materials.

These are great ways to spread the word about your Twitter profile. However, the best way to tell people about it is when they come into your office because people respond better to human influence.

No.3: Follow Others

“Do to others, what you want them to do to you” (The Bible). This famous proverb is true when it comes to Twitter. If you want someone to follow you, start by following them.

You can find people to follow by using some directories such as:

• Followerwonk
• Twellow
• Wefollow
• Twitter Lists (these exist on the personal profiles of Twitter uses)

Follow people who are relevant to you. Don’t just follow people for the sake of boosting numbers.

Once you have started following them, develop a relationship by retweeting their content, joining in public conversations, and providing valuable content.

Providing relevant and helpful content allows people to view you as a resource, which will inevitably result in them following you back.

It is worth noting: People are more inclined to follow someone who already has a following, so building connections can attract even more people.

No.4: Get Tweeting

What is the point of being on social media, if you aren’t going to socialize?

Twitter is a fast paced network, so tweeting regularly is a must. This will keep you in the minds of your current followers and greatly increases the chance of getting retweeted or mentioned, boosting your reach to non-followers.

When you tweet, think about what will bring value to your audience and potential new followers. Share industry news, links to blogs, other people’s content, and remember to use hashtags (#).

Take advantage of Twitter chats that allow you to use a hashtag to join public conversations. This will expose you to more potential followers.

No.5: Twitter Ads

Paid advertising is proving more and more successful for businesses on Twitter. One way to increase your following is to “Promote Your Account.” Twitter allows you to pay for your account/profile to appear in the streams of non-followers, increasing your reach.

Twitter also offers promoting tweets and trends to help boost your content.

There are a number of easy ways to improve your followers on Twitter. However, it is worth noting Twitter is not just a numbers game. If you have hundreds of followers it does not guarantee success. Don’t be fooled into buying followers because these have no value.

The important factor is to attract followers who will bring value to your dental practice whether through retweets, helpful content, or becoming a patient.

Have we missed any tactics you have used to increase your Twitter following? Please share your thoughts.