10 Ways Businesses Can Earn Their First 100 Twitter Followers

Starting a new Twitter account can be a daunting task. You have to consider branding, content, networking, campaigns, promotions, etiquette, management… not to mention building up an audience to actually see your tweets.

Here are 10 ways to grow your first 100 Twitter followers, so you’re tweets won’t fall on deaf ears.

1. Follow others. One of the quickest ways to get more Twitter followers is to actively seek out and follow others. The more accounts you follow, the more likely they will follow you back – so follow a few hundred, and 100 of them should follow you back within a few days!

2. Purchase ads. If you don’t have the time or patience to grow your first Twitter followers organically, you can purchase promoted account ads and get your account in front of thousands of targeted potential followers. This is a great option for businesses that need to grow quickly.

3. Use search. Search for your local connections, industry experts, business connections and more. If you find interesting accounts, give them a follow. Many will not follow you back, but if you do this consistently, you will start to see more and more following you back as your account grows.

4. Update your business cards. Add your Twitter handle to your business cards, and new connections will be likely to follow you. This can be a great way to increase targeted followers, since everyone you share your business card with is a potential prospect, partner or other business connection.

5. Tell everyone. Chances are, you know more than 100 people. So why not tell them that your business has a Twitter account? Leverage your existing network by asking them to follow you on Twitter. Send them an email, a text, a message on LinkedIn… however you normally converse with them, just send them a little note to let them know you’re on Twitter, and you’d like them to follow you.

6. Use hashtags. By using hashtags in your tweets, you will ensure they are seen by a wider audience than just your followers. This means that even if you have only a dozen or so followers, your tweet could be seen by hundreds if you use the right hashtags. And, while not all of those who see your tweets will follow you, a handful might each time.

7. Host a Twitter chat. By hosting a weekly or monthly chat on Twitter, you’ll quickly become a central node in your community. If you can advertise your chat to your target audience, you should see dozens or possibly hundreds of participants each week. As the host, participants will nearly always follow you at some point during the chat, and you should hit your 100 followers in no time.

8. Offer a giveaway. Want to incentivize people to follow you on Twitter? Give them something for free! A $5 gift card to your nth follower, or entering every follower’s name into a draw for a larger prize are both viable options for a Twitter follower giveaway.

9. Add a Twitter widget to your website. If you are tweeting regularly (which, of course, you are!), it is a great idea to add a Twitter widget displaying your latest tweets to the sidebar of your website. This will show visitors that you have a Twitter account and that it is active, and they can follow you with a single click.

10. Retweet others. It’s better to give than to receive. If you’re looking for more followers, reach out to others by retweeting their content. This interaction will show up in their notifications tab, and they might give you a quick follow.

(Growth chart image via Shutterstock)