In order to get followers on Twitter, it is important to have a solid strategy building on content, engagement and rewards. It is vital here to remember that quantity rarely trumps quality. In other words, Twitter users prefer reading good content, as opposed to a jumble of words that makes no sense at all.
Creating an Avatar
Avatars are there not only to make your Twitter page look aesthetically pleasing, but to make it more personal. Give potential followers a face they can relate to, rather than the impersonal standard image leaving you a mystery. Naturally, an avatar should be professional looking. As the size of Twitter avatars is relatively small, it is best to stick to a shot of your face here.
Commenting
Get your voice out there by commenting on relevant tweets/ news and joining conversations your followers (and, of course, your brand) care about.
Retweeting
Keep up-to-date with tweets from followers concerning your interests/ products and retweet relevant content. This is a great way of attracting the interest of the original Tweeter.
Countdowns
Countdowns provide an excellent opportunity to throw up reminders to be seen and potentially attract new followers throughout each day until the date of the event counted down to. This could, for example, be a countdown to Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas, the New Year, and so on.
Twitter Exclusives
Content, promotions and contests excusive to Twitter are another excellent method of attracting new followers/ potential buyers if selling a service/ product.
Asking for Retweets
When in conversation, ask people to retweet your posts/ comments. No need to make a great fuss about it, just give them a reminder that it would be great to see retweets and know that you are not forgotten.
Commenting on Blog Posts
Commenting on interesting, relevant blog posts using your @username and hashtags may rouse enough interest in readers to go visit your profile and become followers. Do not Spam here, just blogs that hold a true relevance to you.
‘Follow’ Buttons
Another good way of getting additional followers on Twitter is to add a ‘Follow’ button to your Website. Obviously, this will only have an impact if you ensure your site gets plenty of traffic in the first place.
Peak Hours
Finally, make sure your tweets actually get read by tweeting during peak hours. There is no official research into ‘peak Twitter times’, but some studies suggest the best times to get seen (and responded to) are around 09:00; 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00. Ideally, research when your followers are around and schedule your posts to coincide with those times.
