By Kyle Courtright

We all know that social media plays a big role in today’s culture. For better or for worse social media has become so engrained into society that businesses can be turned into overnight sensations after a post goes viral. One of the biggest platforms? Twitter. It can be daunting to start a Twitter account and stare at your profile page. The zero right under ‘Followers’ is a little overwhelming.

How do you gain enough Twitter followers to start making an impact on your business? Over the last few months, I have turned my attention to Twitter and have learned a few things along the way. Here’s what I have learned.

1. Strategic Following

Don’t get on Twitter and start following a bunch of random accounts. The goal is to gain followers in your space or followers that could be potential clients. Find people with large followings in a similar field. Look at their posts, follow the people that are liking and retweeting that content. Chances are that those people are active on Twitter, have similar interests and would be more apt to follow you back.

2. Sincerity

In an age of impersonal online interaction, a ‘thank you’ can go a long way. When someone follows you back, thank them! Be sincere. Build your network. People that feel that sincerity will be more likely to retweet your content. The more retweets, the more eyes on your small business.

3. Networking

It may seem odd, but yes, you can network on Twitter. And you should! Don’t focus solely on building your following. Take the time to network, to see what other businesses are out there. Interact, connect and learn from them. I have gained a few key contacts from Twitter that have been very helpful in helping me pursue business goals. The contacts you gain can not only add to your following but can be invaluable sources of information for your small business.

4. Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to content, focus on quality over quantity. Don’t bombard people’s home page with useless content. That’s the quickest way to lose followers. Take the time to carefully curate the content that you want to post. Don’t only promote your own business, but post things that build your credibility. Post articles or resources that you find interesting that you think others may find helpful. The more quality your content is, the more followers you will gain and keep. Gaining followers is only half of the battle, keeping them is the end goal.

5. Research

There is so much good (free!) information out there on how to gain a following on Twitter. The biggest lesson I’ve learned as a small business owner? Never stop learning. Don’t expect followers to appear out of the blue. Be proactive. Do your homework. Hard work pays off.

I hope these tips were helpful, they have gone a long way in helping me to grow my Twitter following over the last few months. What have you done to gain followers on Twitter? I would love to here any tips that you might have! While you’re at it, follow me on Twitter @kcourtdesign!

More content you might like: