The tactic for getting followers fast is kind of similar.
If you invite people to a party who are quiet and come on their own, it's not going to be much of an event. There's nothing wrong with those sorts of people. But they aren't the catalyst that makes for an epic event.
You want the kind of people that bring twenty other people with them, and are sharing details about the address on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They're noisy, and they make things happen.
To find people like that I followed people who retweeted other people's content that was similar to my own. You don't just want followers. You want evangelists.
Honestly, in the early days I was pretty obnoxious about it. I followed people like a certifiable nut case. I was on a mission. But if you want it to work, you've got to work it.
I'm going to give you exactly what worked for me. Please take note:
1) Follow people who recently retweeted something. We're talking about within fifteen to twenty minutes. They're likely still online and will follow you back. Sound a little OCD? Maybe, but it works.
2) Pay attention to what they retweeted. If you'd never tweet something like that? Don't waste your time and your valuable follows. You want the maximum effect.
3) Don't be an impatient goofball. Give people AT LEAST three days to reciprocate. And don't let me find out that you later unfollow your followers. Completely uncool. Loyalty matters.
4) Occasionally, someone will get upset. If you want to grow a following you are probably going to annoy a few people. They'll ask something like "Why are you following me?" My response was always, "Because you retweeted a quote I liked. I thought we might have common interests." Beyond that, don't waste a lot of time with it. There's too many great people to focus on the party poopers.
5. Be generous. Retweet other people that you follow. Show that you're happy to be helpful. That is an amazingly powerful way to make lasting friends and build a following.
6. Post enough content for people to retweet. That's how I ended up starting tweetjukebox.com. I wanted to have quotes going out around the clock. That gives people a chance to notice you. Check it out. It sure has worked for me.
7. Interact with people. It's called social media for a reason. So be social! The people you have followed will comment on a post, or ask a question. Take the time to respond.
Bonus Tip: Have fun. It shows when people are upbeat on Twitter. Grumpiness isn't especially attractive. Smile. Enjoy it. There are tons of cool people on Twitter.
Oh yeah! Please share this article!
That's it folks. Here's to rapid growth.
Please let me know how it works out for you.
