While running an errand the other day, I came across this truck in the Target parking lot, part of a marketing campaign for Bare Escentuals.  I’m sure the marketers who spent lots of money on this truck wanted people to think, “Who IS that I’m driving behind?  Bare Escentuals?  I just LOVE that make-up!”

Not me.  As a social media geek, I immediately thought, “Hmmmm, who IS it I’m following on Twitter?” And this got me thinking…

So you’ve decided to dive into Twitter for business or pleasure, and of course when first signing up, it’s challenging not to have Follower Envy.  “He has 20,000 followers?  How’d he do that?  I need 20,000!”  After all, what will your potential customers think of your social media skills when you only have 17 followers?  Those 17 might be some of the most important people on Twitter with huge followings and great influence, but appearances (and thus numbers) DO matter.

To increase your followers:

• Make sure your bio section says something unique and interesting about yourself, and in under 140 characters.

• There are many services that locate Twitter members who have common interests.  Follow some of those people… most will quickly follow you back.  Be sure to choose people whom you won’t mind reading their posts, because once you follow them, their tweets are ALL living on your Timeline.

• Find a commonly used hashtag (#) and post a tweet, using that tag.  (You can find some of those tags in the Trend list that appears on the left when you click on “Home.”)  You can then start responding to tweets by others also using that same hashtag.  Basically, by engaging in conversations on Twitter and being a good social citizen, you’ll find others to follow and vice versa.

• I love reading tweets from thought leaders in the industry, people who point you toward links that update you on the latest and greatest developments.

• Find lists created by some of these thought leaders… these lists are often chock full of great people you can follow.

• Don’t forget people or businesses who are competitors of your clients… what better way to learn about what’s happening in the industry, and maybe even what’s being said about your clients?

And to help you further in your quest to curb your Follower Envy and to become a better social citizen, here is a link to “The Only Twitter Applications List You’ll Ever Need”.

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