Part one of this two-part article series reviewed how Twitter can be a useful business tool for anyone looking to build a business or personal brand. Having opened a Twitter account, it’s important to be strategic in your selection of usernames and those you follow. A keyword-appropriate username and appropriate followers help you align with your niche community.
In an online environment, people need to have information about you that helps them gauge whether or not you are the person they want to meet. They need to feel that they can trust you and that they like you. Without this report, they will not engage with you. Yet too many people still set up Twitter accounts without photos or biographical details and wonder why they have few followers.
This second article looks at how you build on this positioning by creating a compelling profile that engages your community and makes it an easy decision to choose to follow you. Although one can choose to follow an account without an invitation, there is no obligation for that account to follow you in return.
To encourage people to follow you in return, you need to make your profile stand out and build trust. The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for potential customers to learn about you. Your headline is the opportunity to explain yourself and your business in 160 characters. You can also upload your photo and a link to a destination site.
It is possible to set up auto-follow mechanisms, which means that every time someone follows you, your Twitter account will follow them automatically. The downside of this system is that you will be following people who may not be part of your target community. Keep a close eye on your follower list and immediately disassociate yourself from spammers and providers of offensive content by “unfollowing” them.
If the people you follow have autofollow set up, your follower list will start to grow. It also means that if you choose to “unfollow” them at a later time, your follower count will drop as well. In the longer term, it’s better to grow your follower list without automation: a strong profile, relevant tweets, and a good reputation within your niche will attract more engaged followers who decide to follow you proactively.
To help you grow your following, Twitter gives you the option to follow other Twitterers that you think are appropriate for your profile. They are based in part on keywords like your location and profession, as well as keywords from your profile and tweets. Since you want to develop a following of the “right” people for your business and brand, your profile needs to be keyword friendly for the suggestions to be relevant.
If the suggestions meet your selection criteria, follow them. Over time, you’ll start to see that you and your followers are following similar people. The higher the number of mutual followers, the more you will integrate into your target community.
Your choice of words in your headline will make a very important first impression. Be aware of the consequences of your selection: are you including keywords that people search for? People make their decisions in a matter of seconds – if there isn’t a picture, bio or biography that doesn’t appeal to them, they just won’t bother to go online.
You need to make it very easy for someone to see what you offer them in order for the association with you to be valuable. Take the time to look at people’s headlines and observe their reactions to reading them. What headlines make you think a person is worth following and what makes you think they are not?
An accountant who decides to follow a provocative comedian or politician or outspoken and controversial celebrity risks alienating potential followers. On the other hand, these followers could be a good fit for the overall brand identity that an artist/creative individual has created for themselves. For the accountant, it would risk reputation and professionalism, for the creative, there is a sense of transferred talent or celebrity by association.
If this is an account you’ll be using for business purposes, remember the balance between providing the human touch and being too personal. Does your potential follower want to know that you are single, recently divorced, or happily married? Does it add to your value or professional offering? Will your niche like or loathe your choice of music or political affiliation? Is it relevant to the service or product you can offer them?
If you reference your religion or political views in your headline, you may attract like-minded people or repel them. If you proclaim yourself a “visionary” or “guru”, “nerd”, “on a subject, will people feel more confident or will they think you are arrogant or someone with inept social skills…?
Given the great importance of your title, take the time to really consider what is appropriate. While you want to keep your voice authentic, avoid being too clever or funny—it can backfire if your target audience isn’t impressed with your wit and humor. Ultimately, you need to make it clear that you are a friendly and approachable person, with skills and knowledge that you are happy to share.
Reinforce your headline with an equally appropriate and professional photograph. Use the same photographic image across all of your online social media platforms to build consistency and recognition. Photos of you at your wedding, at a party or at the beach will not look good against a commercial brand that reflects professionalism and stability; save them for Facebook or other non-professional private channels.
Finally, include a link to a destination site that can go into more detail and provide more information about what it does and offers. This can be your main website, your blog, your YouTube channel, or your LinkedIn/Facebook page.
The key aspect of a compelling profile is how easily a potential follower can see what you do and the value you offer. When looking at your profile, they want to see consistent branding: professional and inappropriate tweets that reflect the professionalism of your photography and the promise implicit in your core offering. If they can see like-minded people following you, and preferably people they’re connected with, they’ll be more inclined to follow you too.