Nine Reasons Why You’re Not Getting More Twitter Followers
If you are active on Twitter, you understand that it only takes a couple of seconds to decide whether to follow someone or not. It’s like hyper-condensed speed-dating on the Internet, with millions of options and little time to make a good first impression.
Original Blog Written By Donne' Torr On Hootsuite Blog
This means that you need to make the most of the screen real estate available to you: maximize the potential of your images; make sure your bio reads well; and always write your Tweets with the purpose of attracting potential followersThere’s an abundance of articles that talk about how to get Twitter followers, but in this blog post we’re going to talk about some of the possible reasons why you’re not getting more Twitter followers.
Your profile is incomplete
The most common mistake people make is to not completing their Twitter profile. Luckily, it’s an easy fix. Make sure you include a profile photo, cover photo, include your location, and add a link to another online profile or your website. Completing your profile allows your visitors to get a top-level understanding of who you are, what you do, and what to expect from your Tweets.
You tweet too much
Yes, you’re right, Tweets on a person’s newsfeed don’t last long due to the overwhelming amount of messaging on the network. However, don’t make the mistake of tweeting five messages in a row. Instead, spread your knowledge over a few messages (possibly by scheduling them in your social media relationship platform), and make your followers look forward to your Tweets instead of ignoring them. If you’re over-tweeting with the purpose of reaching the highest number of users, consider instead finding the best times to tweet for your network.
You rarely tweet
The opposite of the above, rarely tweeting also harms your chances of gaining new followers. If people see that the last time you tweeted was last month—or even worse, last year—it makes it look like you aren’t active on social. People want to follow people who actually tweet, so create a balance by planning a specific number of Tweets per day, per hour, and per week. A social media content calendar can help you figure out a balanced schedule for the most optimal reach.
Your Tweets don’t make any sense
Grammatical errors, broken emojis, too many emojis and too many hashtags also deter people from following you. People love a clear message, so don’t clutter your Tweets with jargon or confusing hashtags.
Your Tweets have a negative tone
Probably the strongest deterrent for potential followers is seeing people tweet intensely negative content on Twitter. Whether you are swearing, being politically incorrect or tweeting inappropriate NSFW (not safe for work) content, it’s time to stop—not only for the sake of gaining more followers, but for your overall reputation management. If you can be mistaken for a troll, you won’t get followed.
You’re not engaging with your Twitter audience
If you never tweet back to followers who mention you, engage in conversations, or provide your community with valuable content, your chances of gaining followers is low. People love engaging, interesting contacts.
You don’t follow back
If someone new follows you, follow them back. It’s also often a negative sign if your follower-to-follow ratio is really bad. Don’t fall into the trap of seeming cool by not following anyone and watching your follower count grow. It’s true that you should be picky with who you’re following—after all, it’s your Twitter feed to curate—but don’t stop following people back for the sake of numbers.
You use automated DMs
If you have automated your direct messages on Twitter, this is often seen as spammy behavior. Instead of automating, try and personalize every direct message you send.
Repetitive Tweets (your last 10 Tweets are identical)
Testing the same Tweet is fine, but spread these out on your social media calendar. When people come to your profile and see that your last ten Tweets are exactly the same, they will be completely turned off. Instead, use a social media content calendar to organize your Tweets so that you’re providing valuable content in a timely manner.
Donné Toor is Hootsuite's Strategic Content Writer. She focuses on Case Studies, Guides, White Papers, InfoSheets, HootTips, Client Success Stories and other secret projects.
