One of the largest hurdles for creatives in gaining exposure for their awesome work is building a social media platform. For the #WritingCommunity, other social media platforms pale in comparison to the support, encouragement, and advice given daily on Twitter. Starting at zero, many authors and illustrators struggle to find even a couple hundred followers, let alone 5,000. Here’s an effective strategy I used to climb all the way up from zero to 5,000. It worked for me and will work for you.
When you buy through my links, I may earn money from my affiliate partners. Learn more.
How Do You Grow Your Twitter Platform to 5,000 Followers?
Growing a Twitter following comes down to three simple areas:
- Awareness
- Engagement
- Frequency.
If you apply any level of additional focus on one or all three of these, you will see immediate benefit.
Twitter Platform Awareness
You can use Twitter in two primary ways.
It can be your personal corner of the world to share, learn, and interact.
Or it can be part of your business brand.
Depending on which you choose will cause you to use Twitter in very different ways.
Let’s assume you want to build exposure as an author or illustrator.
Let’s treat it like a business because at the end of the day, you want to benefit in some way.
You want people visiting your website to see your work.
You want people following your latest news, whether it be a book release or a painting for sale.
If you aren’t aware of how to leverage the incredible power of Twitter to build your personal brand and increase your exposure online, you’re going to be spinning your tires in the mud.
Twitter is a tool and each Twitter user is a window of opportunity.
Let’s say you Tweet a link about your book for sale on Amazon.
You only have 35 followers.
The odds are stacked against you that, when you post your Tweet, only a fraction of your followers are even online.
Of those online, only a fraction will engage or interact with your Tweet.
Let’s say from your 35 followers, only 3 interact with you.
Two visit your link on Amazon but don’t like or retweet your post.
One follower likes your post.
As a sidebar note in awareness, liking a Tweet can mean a plethora of things. It can mean…
- Thanks for taking the time to share that information.
- I like what you said.
- That seems neat.
- I think my followers would like to know about this
- This person worked so hard, I’d like to give them some encouragement.
- This is so true and relatable!
- Thank you.
- I see what you’re doing in your corner of the world and applaud you.
- Way to be bold.
- I appreciate you.
- I read your book and I LOVE it!
- I want more Tweets like this one.
- Oops, I accidentally liked that Tweet but don’t want to take the like away!
When someone interacts with your Tweet, an incredible thing happens.
You become interconnected to the other person’s network.
Business guru Seth Godin likens people in today’s connected age to billions of networks.
Each person opens the window to an entirely new network and the open windows can just keep opening.
The term ‘viral” on social media captures this perfectly.
When a piece of information gains enough traction to exponentially spread through hundreds and thousands of networks (think users and their followers), the information has gone viral.
It is a level of marketing that money simply cannot buy – though many will try to sell you on it!
I say all this to make you aware.
Each one of your followers is unlimited opportunity.
If you deliver content they appreciate, they open the door and share it with their network.
But remember back to what I said earlier.
Only a fraction of a fraction of your followers will interact with your content.
If you’ve got 35 followers, 3 may interact.
If you’ve got 5,000 followers on Twitter, 150 may interact by leaving comments, liking the tweet, re-tweeting your post, visiting your profile, or clicking your link.
You may think, well, that’s still only 150 people.
But that’s where this whole network notion goes bananas!
At 5,000 followers, there is a very good chance you’ll have followers who have far more followers than you.
What I’ve found to be true is often those with many, many more followers are very generous with their interactions.
They understand Twitter and treat it like a business, building their brand with quality content and helpful interactions.
If you, with 5,000 followers, have a Tweet engaged with by someone who has, say 46,000 followers, your Tweet gets a huge bump of activity.
That game changing follower has just promoted your content to the masses.
Now, instead of possibly 150 people interacting, your Tweet could be interacted with by 1,500 people.
That may mean an additional 10 people may follow you after seeing the Tweet.
A few may visit your website or product page.
Hundreds more may re-tweet or like what you posted.
Do you see where this is going?
Many people on Twitter aren’t leveraging the platform in such a way as to gain exposure, build momentum, and establish their personal or professional brand.
Followers are important, no matter what self-deprecating people may think because followers are simply people.
We want to help more and more people which means we need more and more exposure, more and more followers, and more and more interactions.
Now that you are aware of Twitter’s power to showcase your hard work, you need to know how to gain followers.
Twitter Community Engagement
Engagement is king when it comes to growing your Twitter followers.
Many low-follower count Twitter users look up at a celebrity account and notice they have 5 Million followers and are only following 17 people.
So, they think they just need to put out better content and the masses will come running.
That couldn’t be any further from the truth.
When you are growing in any industry, it’s important you set your sights on the next step, not the next floor.
Who is just above you and what are they doing?
What you’ll find and what I found by experience, is following others is the single best way of gaining followers yourself.
But you don’t want to just start following random people.
You want to find the right people who are active Twitter users engaged in your niche.
If you’re an author, take a look at who’s interacting with the #WritingCommunity hashtag.
Other great hashtags being used are #WritersLife, #WriterLift, #AmWriting, #AmQuerying, etc.
When you see Tweets in these categories, open up the comments, likes, and re-tweet lists to see what users are interacting.
This is a great sign they are interested in the writing niche and active.
The last thing you want to set your sights on is an inactive user in the wrong niche!
As you examine these lists of people, read their biographies (bios) and see what they’re all about.
You may not be interested in many of them, but others will pique your interest.
If you appreciate what they’re saying, doing, or involved in, give them a follow.
I’ve found a commonly used statistic to be very true.
Usually, 30% of people you follow will follow you back, IF, and that’s a BIG IF, they are active in the niche you are targeting.
I see a lot of people who are following 3,000 accounts but only have 20 followers themselves.
This is likely due to targeting the wrong type of person or not having content that speaks to their target audience.
If they would only share their thoughts in various Tweets, interact with content, and follow active users in their niche, the 30% statistic would ring true.
Besides following other users to grow your own following, it’s critical to like, retweet, and comment on other people’s Tweets.
This is quality engagement.
When you begin helping grow someone else’s exposure, they will certainly take notice.
Even with my large and ever growing Twitter following of nearly 12,000 (at the time I wrote this article – it later jumped to 27,000), I notice those who consistently engage with my content and it causes me to want to find ways to support them back.
So, if someone has liked a lot of my Tweets, I may go check out some of theirs and give some of their Tweets a boost to my following.
See how this works?
Engaging with like-minded people and following those you appreciate will grow your following faster than you can imagine.
Increase Your Tweet Frequency
If engagement is king, frequency is the loyal queen in building your platform empire.
No one wants to interact with a leech.
In fact, if you’re not Tweeting, liking, commenting, or re-tweeting regularly, you can bet the farm your follower count will begin to decrease.
Inactivity is a metric many Twitter-based platforms analyze to help users (especially those with larger follower counts) prune the dead branches.
Don’t be a dead branch and waste your effort curating your followers.
The more frequently you engage on Twitter, the faster your follower count will rise.
But don’t get tempted to trade quality for quantity.
The most beneficial engagements are authentic engagements.
Erroneous or bad taste interactions will result in people leaving you in droves.
Consider how you can comment to someone’s Tweet in such a way as to provide help, encouragement, or motivation.
If you are thoughtful and considerate in how you treat people, you’ll become a magnet for people to follow.
They will admire you and include you in their own Twitter endeavors, like follow back Friday (#FF) where users create lists of people they respect to encourage others to follow them.
Engage and engage frequently is the key to growing your Twitter followers from zero to 5,000.
After 5,000 followers, it’s a whole new game.
Maybe I’ll write a post about that next if you would find it helpful.
Let me know in the comments below, would you?
If you really want to up your social media marketing game on Twitter and other social media platforms, check out Andrew Macarthy’s book 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
In the digital age, we are more personally responsible to communicate our brand if we hope to have the success we are aiming for.
Andrew’s book will help illuminate proven tips on many choice platforms available.
Did you find this post on growing your Twitter platform to 5,000 followers helpful?
I’d appreciate you sharing this post on social media using the buttons provided and I’d love to hear from you.
- What has been challenging for you to grow your Twitter following?
- What have you found to be helpful? Leave your thoughts AND Twitter handles (use the full link http://www.twitter.com/rhys_keller for example) in the comments so we can consider following you!
- Don’t forget to subscribe to my website using the sidebar subscription!
Christina
February 18, 2022This was one of the best written, most concise, and honestly, most realistic posts I’ve read on growing on Twitter. Thank you for laying everything out so clearly! I guess the biggest determining factor from my end is also having time to make those genuine connections. Before I started blogging, I never understood how much time and effort social platforms take to grow. But your words were encouraging and I will KEEP AT IT! 🙂
Rhys Keller
February 21, 2022Wow, Christina, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I appreciate you and the time you spent digesting the information. Well said…KEEP AT IT! Hard work pays off!!!
Cassie
February 18, 2022Hi Rhys,
Thank you for sharing this post. I have a tiny Twitter account that I am trying and TRYING to grow to that elusive 5,000 followers. I fall into the blogging niche and have enjoyed getting to know and read the blogs from other bloggers, including those outside of my niche. We have a lot to learn from each other and can grow together. I hadn’t considered looking at my analytics to see when engagement is best for me. I interact regularly, like/ retweet/ comment daily. It still seems to be something I’m just not getting right. I am not giving up though. I am having a good time with the group of people that have decided to join me on my journey. I will remain consistent and put the work in so, perhaps, that number will grow. I appreciate the guidance.
~ Cassie | letsgrowmom.com
http://twitter.com/letsgrowmom/
Rhys Keller
February 21, 2022It will happen, Cassie! Sometimes getting where you need to go simply comes down to not stopping. It can often feel elusive and far away, but if you take it day by day, you’ll reach your destination soon enough. Remember this, growth is typically exponential. At first, it may take days to get just a few solid followers…but down the road, you’ll see swings of 10 and 100 over the same time duration. Don’t give up! Keep showing up and let your personality shine. You got this.
Mandy Capehart
March 16, 2021Hi Twitter Coach Rhys! 😂
“If you are thoughtful and considerate in how you treat people, you’ll become a magnet for people to follow.” This is all it comes down to, in my book. I unfollowed a bunch of writers who recently became obsessed with “fighting off internet bullies” but they embodied the same behavior. It was gross. Your advice is not gross. Thanks for caring and showing up authentically for others!
Mandy!
http://www.twitter.com/mandycapehart 😉
Rhys Keller
March 16, 2021Thank you for reading and sharing that, Mandy! It helps me sleep at night knowing my advice is not gross, ha! But seriously, yes. A small spark can set a forest ablaze. A small rudder can steer a massive ship. How we treat people in the little moments can set the stage for a lifetime of influence or loneliness. We get to decide! I think you’re well on your way being a magnet!
Moss Clement
January 19, 2021Hi Rhys,
Engagement and frequency stand out to me because you will fail in your Twitter marketing effort without engaging with your followers and eventual audience. Engaging with others shows that you value their presence. Moreover, being regular is also vital in growing your Twitter followers as it contributes to building your trustworthiness. Nonetheless, I also want to add that relevance plays a crucial role as well. If the content you share is not connecting with your followers, they will gradually leave for a more relevant account.
Thanks for sharing!
Rhys Keller
January 19, 2021Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Moss! I completely agree. Engagement, frequency, and relevancy are vital elements in the Twitter growth puzzle. With attention spans becoming ever shorter, our poignant, timely messages are becoming all the more critical. Thankfully, so few people implement these types of solid, tactical strategies and so, if we do, our platforms quickly rise to the top for visibility, engagement, and connection.
Paul @ SideGains
November 19, 2020Very nicely laid out Rhys with clear guidance. I’ve been a stopper and starter when it comes to Twitter and what you say rings true from my experience when I’ve been in starter mode!
Like many things, knowing what to do is one thing… but putting that knowledge into practice is another. As with many others, I’m a “lone wolf” trying to spin lots of plates, each one being important. When your account was smaller, how did you manage your commitment to regular, valuable Twitter engagement with all the other things you need to ensure happen to keep your business going?
Rhys Keller
November 23, 2020Thanks for sharing, Paul! I’ll be the first to admit my early Twitter days were basically throwing lots of paint on the walls and hoping something stuck. My efforts were mostly in vain, sporadic, and spur of the moment. My biggest breakthrough was when I realized 30% of people I followed, followed me back. But I didn’t just look for anyone to follow. I looked for people who I believe would find my content interesting. I started with followers of people who followed me. With normal Twitter follow limits in place, this caused me to be intentional about the types of accounts I followed each day, week, and month. Little by little, that consistent effort paid off with more and more followers. As my follower count grew, I took a close look at my Twitter Analytics. I realized the majority of my audience was most active between 10am and 2pm in my time zone. This data was backed up by engagements. I’d notice significantly more engagement on Tweets sent in this time frame than less ideal times. There’s always more to it and I think another blog post is in order. However, let me just add one little note that is well worth saying over and over again. If you’re like me, you’ll easily get wrapped up with all the “other things” instead of “the thing” that adds to the bottom line of your business. I have gone through seasons where I was more consumed with social media growth than content creation. While ebb and flow is fine, it’s important to always return to the foundation, critical keys to success. For me, it’s creating new, high-quality content. The secondary thing is social media growth. Whatever it is for you, make sure it’s getting the best of you. Let secondary things get less of you. Hope this helps! Keep in touch. I think you’ve got some glorious success ahead.
:Donna
October 11, 2020Rhys, you did a great job explaining so much to do with social media! I know that Twitter really opened my world and connected with people I never would’ve interacted with any other way 😀
Rhys Keller
October 12, 2020Thank you, Donna, for such a thoughtful comment! I’m really glad you found the Twitter information helpful. Each time I get started on a social media platform, they seem so overwhelming and hard to understand. But after a while, the tried and true methods for growth become more intuitive and systems can be created for continued growth, like in the Twitter tips shared above. Cheers to lots of growth, Donna!
Suresh Allu
September 26, 2020Rhys, this is an amazing article which really helps how to get the best out of Twitter.
Thanks for sharing wonderful blog post ??
Rhys Keller
September 26, 2020Thanks, Suresh! Glad you found the Twitter tips helpful and encouraging. Growth and engagement on Twitter doesn’t need to be a mystery!
Maco Stewart
January 24, 2020Rhys, did you ever do that over-5000-followers article you discussed writing above? Thanks.
Rhys Keller
January 27, 2020Not yet! But maybe I need to? It’s a different ball game when you cross the 5,000 follower mark on Twitter. Finding the right people to follow, to be followed by, and managing the increase in engagement can be a challenge. I’ll put it on the schedule. Be sure to subscribe so you know when it posts!
Clarissa
November 15, 2019Thanks for these great tips to help me fine-tune my Twitter game.
Rhys Keller
November 15, 2019You’re welcome, Clarissa!
goatdogsimple
September 3, 2019Thanks for the great pointers! I’m a new blogger trying to figure out the social media part of sharing content. It’s definitely proving to be key.
Rhys Keller
September 4, 2019There is no better time to start blogging than right now. Blogging and social media platforms have all be streamlined, simplified, and are full of people interested in what you have to say. Just don’t let your hustle be your form of hiding (a perspective Seth Godin discusses). Many times, we can choose to be busy with something that isn’t what drives our purpose. You can grow your Twitter all day but if you’re not generating unique content, it’s useless. Do both and remember to always push yourself. Get better and one day you’ll look up from your work and see a tribe of people cheering you on.
Nyxinked
August 30, 2019Very helpful article. Thank you so much for sharing.
Rhys Keller
August 30, 2019Thank you and so glad you found it helpful and informative!
Kristina Sullins
August 29, 2019I appreciated the information you shared. I will make a better effort to be more involved in my Twitter.com/familyoutdoors
Rhys Keller
August 30, 2019Thanks, Kristina! Yes, the more authentic engagement you can provide to other people will not go unnoticed.
Nancy Jarmin
August 27, 2019I’ve completed an historical novel set in Latvia 1939-1944. As I begin the agent querying process, I’m also trying to attract a quality Twitter following. Finding followers who identify as readers of historical fiction is a slow go. I’m excited to have your suggestions to spur my efforts along. http://www.twitter.com/n_jarmin_author
Rhys Keller
August 27, 2019That’s so exciting! Completing a book and getting it ready to submit to agents and publishers is a big accomplishment! I have no doubt you’ll do similarly great building your connections on social media. Mark this moment so a year from now you can see how many followers you’ve grown!
Nancy Jarmin
August 27, 2019This is an excellent article and exactly what I’ve been hoping to find.
Rhys Keller
August 27, 2019Thank you, Nancy. I’m so glad you found it helpful!