When talking about Twitter, many folks mistakenly focus on the wrong metrics. They worry too much about their follower count, as they try to increase that number above everything else.
In reality, the number of people who follow you (or your brand) on Twitter matters very little.
You see, Twitter has become a very noisy place, so the possibility of one of your followers even seeing a tweet from you in their feed is extremely small. There is so much activity on Twitter, it is very easy for the average user to miss your tweet in the flood of everything else.
But don’t get discouraged. I still believe Twitter is one of the very best social networks to build awareness, authority, and trust. You just have to go about it strategically, using the right tactics.
So, that brings us to the bulk of this article. Below, I will share five tactics that I use on an almost daily basis to boost my engagement on Twitter. Keep in mind, I’m not talking about growing a following. That will happen naturally, as a consequence of using these tips.
But of course, don’t just take my word for it. Give these tactics a try to see how the work for you or your brand!
1. Engage with big brands
This is a pretty simple technique, but I am continually amazed at how few people use it. You see, big brands love Twitter. Some, like @TacoBell, @AmericanExpress, @Delta, etc., employe entire teams of people dedicated to maintaining a strong social presence on the platform. Since these big brands already have incredible followings and influence on Twitter, it makes sense that you should engage with them.
If you do it with style, you might even get a retweet, which can be worth quite a bit in terms of engagement and reach. So make a habit of following and chatting with some big brands. It will pay off dividends in the end if they like what you have to say.
Just don’t be a jerk about it and beg for attention. That’s not cool, bro.
2. Use fewer links
The single biggest peeve of mine on Twitter is the overuse of links. Granted, I’ve been guilty of doing this myself, but I’m trying to cut down on the number of links I share (really, I promise!).
It’s just so easy to dump a link in a tweet and let it go. But what value does that add to the platform? The real value on Twitter consists in sparking conversations within Twitter, rather than constantly sending people away from Twitter. Try to keep people engaged with the content of your Tweet, rather than by making them click on a link.
3. Improve your hashtag game
Ah, how can we discuss Twitter without mentioning hashtags? By now, you know what hashtags are, but are you using them correctly? There are two basic ways to use them.
First, you can add them to your tweets as a way of categorizing or indexing what you’re talking about. For instance, if I’m tweeting about this article, I’d use hashtags like #TwitterMarketing or #TwitterTips. The other way people commonly use hashtags is by making it part of their message itself, as a final proclamation of sorts. If you consider yourself a hipster, you’ll immediately know what I mean. #HipstersLoveTwitter #SeeWhatIDidThere
There are pros and cons to using hashtags in both of these manners. The most important thing to remember is not to overuse hashtags. If you’re posting more than two or three hashtags in a single tweet, you might need to reevaluate your strategy (and maybe your life too). Don’t become an over-hashtagger! Is that even a thing? If it is, don’t be one of those. Seriously.
4. Search for and jump into relevant conversations
Twitter is one of the few places on earth where you can randomly interject yourself into a conversation without it seeming (too) weird. That’s what Twitter was made for! If you’re not already using the search feature, give it a try.
One of my favorite secrets to finding great conversations is to use the “-http” search modifier along with a relevant hashtag or phrase. This removes most of the search results that contain links, thus cutting down on the noise and making it easier to find the good stuff.
Want to see the difference? Here is a noisy Twitter search for “#marketing” and here is the same search using the “-http” modifier. Notice a difference?
5. Be responsive
Last but not least, make sure you’re responding to people who reach out to you. Whether this means saying thanks to someone for following you, or answering a question, try to keep the momentum alive.
Twitter is all about things that are happening right now. Being responsive goes a long way, especially if you’re representing a brand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tweeted at a company with an important question and got a reply over a week later! Why even bother being on Twitter if you’re going to move that slow?
Of course, I know we can’t be plugged into Twitter every moment of every day, but if you can respond to people within 24 hours, you’d be among the top tweeters.
Share your own Twitter tips with me!
Well, that’s all I have for now, but there is obviously much more to learn about building engagement on Twitter. I’d like to hear your suggestions on the topic. Send them my way on Twitter and I’ll retweet the really good ones.
Want more exclusive Twitter tips?
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The checklist is meant to help you take action right away on some of the principles I outlined above, while covering some of the more advanced strategies and tactics I didn’t have time to mention in this article.
There’s no easier way to start putting these ideas into practice than by downloading my free bonus checklist. Click below to download it for free, right now:
