Top 9 mistakes that prevent you from attracting followers on Twitter. Twitter is one of the most convenient and promising platforms for authors. You don’t have to be a celebrity or expert to attract followers. It’s easy enough to create quality content and avoid common mistakes. Writer Kiran Drew shared his experiences and failures in promoting his personal profile.
09. Not stick to a uniform profile style
- You need to be able to earn attention. Here’s a typical subscriber acquisition algorithm.
- The reader sees the tweet, then looks at the author’s name and profile photo.
- If he liked it, he hovers over to read the bio and profile description.
- If he is intrigued, he goes to the profile.
- Then he can subscribe or just walk by.
Most authors fail at the first stage.
They don’t know how to grab the reader’s attention. Of course, this is not about decorating the page in neon colors or using ridiculous descriptions. The main thing is to be able to answer the main question of the reader: “What useful thing can I find here?”
This is what my profile looks like:
People often judge a book by its cover. Yes, this is unpleasant, but it must be taken into account.
Further biography. The reader probably doesn’t care where the author was born. In 5 seconds, the owner of a Twitter profile must answer three main questions:
- Who you are? “A writer with a passion for self-development”
- What do you suggest? “Build Potential and Be Successful”
- How do you do it? “Articles and threads”
To notice the first successes, you just need to abandon the model “here I am” in favor of “this is how I can help you.”
08. Do not use automation tools
Some people think that 5-10 tweets a day are enough to grow your profile organically. However, this can be challenging for those who do not want to spend a lot of time on social media. Twitter requires consistency. Without using automation tools, the author can only rely on motivation.
However, this is not the best strategy, and here’s why:
- posts come out at different times,
- can’t follow the content strategy,
- constantly distracts from real life.
Constantly thinking about posting something online can be detrimental to motivation and focus.
To avoid this, you can simply tweet all the tweets in one session. This saves a lot of time and energy. Then you just need to put the postponed publications for a certain time.
“By combining similar tasks, you maximize your energy and productivity. This makes it easier to get started and you are more likely to continue writing over a long period of time, ”advises Tim Denning, coach, business consultant, and blogger.
Automation can be trusted to third-party programs. Here are some helpful resources:
- Tweetdeck (free),
- Zlappo ($ 9.99 per month),
- Hypefury ($ 19.99 per month).
07. Do not edit texts
Content should be engaging and useful. Typos and poor wording can scare off the audience and negatively affect the promotion of your profile.
Twitter has a limited number of characters, and as Seth Godin said, the limitations are conducive to creativity. Try to edit the text sometime after writing it. Better to do it the next day. Test yourself with the following questions.
- Can I get the message across more succinctly?
- Is the text visually appealing?
- Is it educational, entertaining, or inspirational?
Here’s an example of well-designed tweets and as well as several examples of a bad tweets.
Most importantly, remember that even a great idea can be ruined by a bad presentation.
06. Do not think over a content strategy
For the first six months, I wrote on Twitter without any strategy. However, this did not give the desired result. Content should be consistent and meaningful. Otherwise, readers will just pass by.
It is not necessary to occupy any narrowly focused niche. Twitter is a great place to get real-time feedback. But having a strategy will allow you to competently plan and structure your content.
Tweets must fall into one of three categories.
- Development. These can be general topics, advice, observation, humor, self-improvement. But don’t stop there.
- Authenticity. Personal texts and stories. People are interested in watching a real, living person.
- Authority. Expert content in one of the areas.
The most optimal ratio of categories is 3: 1: 1, respectively. Development content will attract subscribers, and authenticity and expertise will help you stand out from the rest of the creators.
05. Do not comment on other people’s posts
For the successful development of a profile, it is not enough just to create useful and high-quality content. You must constantly demonstrate your activity by commenting on posts on similar accounts. However, this must be done wisely. Comments should also provide some value to the reader.
As David Perell said, “You need to strive to make your audience a little smarter.”
Good comments should:
- Teach,
- Entertain,
- Inspire.
All together is desirable. And in this matter, you also need to be consistent. I used to comment when I had time. But this did not bring the expected results.
Here are some tips on how to write comments.
- Create each tweet on the “Yes, and …” principle. Add more information, more advice, more value.
- Comment on large accounts. This can attract their audience. However, you need to act quickly, as many are using the same strategy. Enable notifications for 5-10 large accounts in your niche to be among the first.
- Reread before publishing. Comments should also be of high quality, clear and concise.
- Write as you speak. Try to be friendly, joke, ask questions, and give compliments.
04. Don’t share your story
A personal story is the most powerful interaction tool an author has. It can be the hallmark that sets you apart from the other 199 million users.
Personal stories allow you to attract and resonate with new readers.
When I started posting some of my life facts on Twitter, audience engagement skyrocketed. It is not enough just to give life advice, you need to back it up with real examples.
Small details about your problems, hopes, dreams, and worries add depth to your content, which 98% of accounts lack.
03. Don’t write threads
Threads are an effective way to get more followers. They allow you to give more valuable information to your readers. Threads can be used in two ways.
- Concisely present a large amount of information.
- Test ideas for content and then flesh them out if the thread is successful.
Try to choose relevant and interesting topics to get more engagement. Each retweet is an opportunity to attract a new audience.
02. Don’t call for action
Attention is great, but it is important to be able to direct it correctly.
Social platforms lack intimacy in the interaction between author and reader. In addition, users and authors are highly dependent on the service’s algorithms. The solution may be to subscribe to the mailing list.
I’ve been creating content for over a year, and during that time, 67 people signed up for the newsletter. Twitter has brought me, 55 people, in just the last two months.
At first, I was scared to offer a subscription, as it seemed to me that it would be intrusive on my part. But this is only if there is no value and useful content in it. There is nothing wrong with adding links at the end of useful and successful threads.
However, do not dryly urge readers to subscribe. Here are two ways to design an offer in such a way that users themselves want to follow the link.
- Newsletter. “Are you an author and want to unleash your potential? Then you might like my Goal Building newsletter. Every week I gather information and share helpful tips on how to succeed on the Internet. “
- Lead magnet. “Can’t decide on your niche? Check out my free tutorial What Is My Purpose. Here you can find simple and effective exercises to help you stop procrastinating and start working. “
Tip: Don’t post external links on Twitter. Post them in replies, not in the original tweet.
01. Don’t have fun
Twitter is by far the best platform for authors. It takes a lot of effort and time to achieve something worthwhile on the Internet, and it is very important to enjoy what you do. This will allow you to move on and reach new heights.
Connect with other people, set goals, unite in communities, and try not to repeat my mistakes.
