Stop right now. Don’t even look at your follower count on Twitter for another month, at least. For some of you this might be a challenge, so let’s go ahead and make it into one. I’m willing to bet that if you ignore how many people follow you and instead focus on interacting with the ones who do, you’ll have a much more effective presence on Twitter, which will turn into lots of things for you down the road (networking, referrals, leads, and yes, even actual sales).
I’m Serious
The first question to ask yourself is why you want more followers. Many people try to gain loads of Twitter followers just to be able to spam them with links and special offers, and I believe they’re missing the point big-time. Twitter can be used many different ways, but I believe the most effective uses are real-time customer service and building a rapport with your community. You won’t build a rapport with anyone if they think you’re spamming them and not listening.In a nutshell, you need to care. Care about your brand, care about your industry, but most of all, care about your people. Answer a question or offer help without attempting to sell anything. You’ll gather a following because people will learn that you care, and that you’re a real live person, not some cold and impersonal computer interface broadcasting messages into the ether.
Are you up to the challenge?
If so, mark your calendar and get started. A month from now (or more) look back on your progress and try to be objective. Did you engage in conversations? Did you lend a hand? Did you avoid selling anything? Then go ahead and have a look at your follower count; I bet it went up.
