How to Get More Twitter Followers Today

Are you wondering how to get more followers on Twitter? Maybe you’ve been trying to grow your audience and you’re frustrated it isn’t happening faster. Perhaps you are tweeting regularly and even using hashtags, but your number of followers is staying the same. Don’t worry, we can help. SEO Design Chicago’s social media marketers will share the best ways to grow your Twitter following as quickly as possible in this article. Our experts have compiled their best tips (some legitimate, some less so) that are proven effective for upping your follower count.

Do I Need More Twitter Followers?

Whether your Twitter account is personal or for your company or brand, these days it does matter how many followers you have. As of October 2020, there were 68.7 million people using Twitter in the United States. That’s a lot of people you can possibly reach with a free Twitter account!

Particularly if you are using Twitter for marketing, you most likely need to increase your Twitter following.

Ten Ways to Grow Your Twitter Following

Here are several ways to get more Twitter followers fast. Fair warning: some of these are spammier tactics than others. We are not necessarily endorsing these tactics, but they are proven to work. Others are perfectly legitimate (and easy, too!)

Tweet More Often

How much are you tweeting? Whatever the answer is, at least double it. When it comes to Twitter, the general idea is the more, the better. In order to tweet all day every day, however, you will most likely need to use an automation or scheduling tool to help you. You may need to learn how to schedule tweets on Twitter. But don’t forget to engage with the people who like and follow along with your content, too.

Time Out Your Tweets Perfectly

Make sure to time your tweets to when your target audience is online. You can check out the best times to post on social media to decide when to schedule your posts. For example, most brands find that they have the best luck and engagement on weekdays, particularly in the afternoon. However, that could vary depending on your audience.

Don’t Be Afraid to Post Visuals

When we think of Twitter, we think of words, right? However, tweets containing visual content like images or videos actually see a lot more engagement. So, try to utilize some more visuals in your tweets! The more colorful and vibrant, the better. People tend to scroll through their Twitter feeds pretty quickly, so anything eye-grabbing will work well.

Utilize Hashtags

Be sure to add a few hashtags to any and all of your tweets. If you’re not sure how to start using hashtags, think of hashtags as a version of using search engine optimization for your Twitter account. You might attract some more likes and followers from other Twitter users if you use hashtags accurately and well. Try not to let your hashtags overwhelm your tweet, though. Or, try using a popular hashtag and jump on a trend, like #MotivationMonday or #ThrowbackThursday.

Engage, Engage, Engage

If you are only posting tweets, but not engaging with others on Twitter, you will not see much of an increase in followers. It’s important to acknowledge those who are trying to connect with you on the platform. If anyone mentions you, be sure to respond to their tweet. (Yes, even the negative ones, too.) While it’s absolutely fine to use scheduling tools to automate your tweets for you, you want to appear as a human behind your account, not just a robot. Don’t be afraid to use Twitter to chat with others on a regular basis.

Show Some Personality

Though if you are a company Twitter account you will want to keep it as professional as possible, don’t be scared to show a little personality. Like we mentioned above, people want to connect with a real person. So even if you are a professional, have a little fun on Twitter, too!

Auto Follow and Auto Favorite

Every time you follow an account, or favorite one of their tweets, you will show up in their notifications. Some of those people will see you, look at your account, and follow you back in return. This is the most frequently used tactic to inflate a Twitter following. If lots of random people engage with your content, this could be why.

This tactic – following accounts and favoriting tweets – will help grow your account, but it’s slow. However, if you automate this process, it works a lot faster. There are a few Twitter automation tools available, like Hypegrowth, which follows other accounts for you. TweetFavy favorites people’s tweets for you. And ManageFlitter unfollows people who don’t follow you back. This keeps your following to followers ratio balanced.

While these tools work to grow your follower count quickly, it will get you a following that might not engage with your content or really care. Ultimately, the goal is to create an engaged audience for your tweets.

Manually Follow, Automatically Unfollow

Rather than use automation to do the hard work for you, you can also spend time every day following lots of people. For example, look for you accounts who have a close follower/following ratio. They likely follow back most accounts. Or, search the hashtags #followback or #teamfollowback and follow those accounts.

Mass Unfollow

This next trick is a way to create an artificially famous account. First, use the tactics above to build up a large Twitter following. Then, unfollow nearly everyone. This is called the “mass unfollow.” It’s a tactic that is used on both Twitter and Instagram. Anyone who views your profile after you do the mass unfollow will assume you are extremely popular. It’s sketchy, but effective.

Use the Perfect Profile Photo

This next tip is both legitimate and easy! Make sure to have the best possible profile picture on your Twitter page. Don’t forget to pick an excellent header image, too.

Write a Descriptive, Optimized Bio

Many bios on Twitter are generic information taken from the “About Us” page of a company’s website. However, did you know there are several ways you can optimize your Twitter bio to help you gain followers? Here are a few tips.

Include a Call to Action

Rather than a basic bio, why not include a call to action in your bio? If you want your followers to check out your site, for example, include a well-written, strong call to action. Short of including a call to action, be sure to be as specific as possible.

Optimize Your Bio 

If you want people to find you in Twitter search, think of optimizing your bio the same way you optimize website content for search engines. How do you optimize your bio? By including a few relevant keywords and your location. What if a member of the media or a potential customer is searching for your company? How would they find your account?

Avoid Hashtags

This might seem to go against the grain, but putting a hashtag in your bio doesn’t actually make it easier to find your account. In fact, it gives your visitors something else to click on to leave your page, which is the last thing you want.

Don’t Be Afraid to Recycle Your Best Tweets

What are your most popular tweets of all time? If you’re not sure, check the platform you use that schedules your tweets (like HootSuite or Sprout Social.) If the tweet contains evergreen content, keep tweeting it every once in awhile. And don’t forget to post the popular tweet to the top of your profile, too!

Find Relevant People to Share With

Whenever you share something on Twitter, share it with people who might like it. For example, if you write an article about Twitter marketing and share it, mention people in the tweet who talk about the same topic in their bio. They will probably hit retweet, like the tweet, and perhaps even follow you back.

Link to Your Twitter Profile from Other Places

Be sure to link to your Twitter pages from as many other platforms online as possible. For example, you can put your Twitter handle on:

• Your website;
• Any physical signage;
• Other social media platforms, like Facebook and LinkedIn;
• Your email signature;
• Include it on your business cards;
• Your bio at the end of the blog posts; and
• Any presentations you make to clients, potential clients, speeches, etc.

Connect with Your Friends from Other Platforms

You probably spend time on a lot of other social networks other than Twitter. If there are people who you regularly engage with on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, or even WhatsApp, don’t hesitate to look for those people on Twitter, too. If you are having a great conversation with someone on Slack, for example, seek them out on Twitter and be sure to connect with them there, too. These are excellent follows because they are high-quality.

Why Do Bigger Twitter Accounts Grow Faster?

Truth be told, it seems that the bigger your Twitter account gets, the easier it is to acquire followers. That is at least in part due to how Twitter is designed. Twitter tends to recommend accounts that already have many followers. There is also the idea of the bandwagon: psychologically, we assume that an account with a lot of followers must be a good account.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting More Twitter Followers

1. How long does it take to gain a significant number of Twitter followers?

The timeline for gaining followers varies greatly depending on your strategy, content quality, and engagement level. With consistent posting and engagement, you might see gradual growth of 10-50 new followers per week organically. More aggressive tactics like strategic following and automation tools can yield faster results – potentially 100-500 followers per month – but may result in lower engagement rates. Building a genuinely engaged following of 1,000+ followers typically takes 3-6 months of consistent effort. Remember that quality matters more than speed; a smaller, engaged audience is more valuable than thousands of inactive followers.

2. How many times should I tweet per day to maximize follower growth?

Most successful Twitter accounts tweet 3-5 times per day minimum, with some high-growth accounts posting 10-15 times daily. The key is consistency rather than overwhelming your audience. Start with 3-5 quality tweets per day and gradually increase if you can maintain content quality. Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to maintain consistent posting throughout the day. Mix original content, retweets, replies, and engagement tweets. However, avoid automated posting exclusively – ensure you’re also engaging in real-time conversations to build authentic relationships with your audience.

3. Are Twitter automation tools safe to use, and will they get my account banned?

Twitter automation tools exist in a gray area and carry some risk. While Twitter’s terms of service prohibit aggressive automation, many tools operate within acceptable limits by mimicking human behavior. Safer automation includes scheduling tweets and basic engagement, while risky tactics include mass following/unfollowing and aggressive auto-liking. To minimize risk, use reputable tools, keep automation activities moderate (don’t follow 1,000 accounts in one day), and always combine automation with genuine manual engagement. Focus more on content scheduling than follower manipulation, as Twitter is increasingly cracking down on inauthentic growth tactics.

4. What’s the optimal follower-to-following ratio I should maintain?

For new accounts, a 1:1 ratio (following roughly as many people as follow you) is normal and acceptable. As you grow, aim to gradually improve this ratio to 2:1 or better (more followers than you follow). Accounts with ratios of 10:1 or higher appear more authoritative and attractive to potential followers. However, don’t obsess over this metric early on – focus on building genuine connections first. The “mass unfollow” tactic mentioned in the article can artificially improve this ratio, but use it carefully as it may damage relationships with people who supported your growth.

5. How do I know if my Twitter growth strategy is working?

Track multiple metrics beyond just follower count: engagement rate (likes, retweets, replies per tweet), profile visits, mention frequency, and click-through rates to your website. Use Twitter Analytics to monitor these metrics monthly. Quality indicators include: followers who actively engage with your content, mentions from real accounts, organic retweets, and website traffic from Twitter. If your follower count is growing but engagement is declining, you may be attracting low-quality followers. Aim for steady growth with consistent or improving engagement rates rather than rapid follower spikes with poor engagement.

6. Should I buy Twitter followers to jumpstart my growth?

Avoid buying followers as it typically results in fake, inactive accounts that hurt your engagement rates and credibility. Purchased followers rarely engage with content, making your account appear less attractive to real users and potentially triggering Twitter’s spam detection. Instead, invest money in promoted tweets or Twitter ads to reach real, targeted audiences interested in your content. If you must consider paid growth, use legitimate services that promise real, active followers through organic marketing tactics rather than bot networks.

7. What types of content get the most engagement and attract new followers?

Visual content (images, videos, GIFs) typically receives 150% more retweets than text-only tweets. Trending topic participation, especially with relevant hashtags, increases visibility. Behind-the-scenes content, industry insights, helpful tips, and engaging questions perform well. Twitter threads explaining complex topics often go viral and attract new followers. Live-tweeting events, sharing quick wins or lessons learned, and providing timely commentary on industry news also drive engagement. Remember to maintain an 80/20 rule: 80% valuable, entertaining, or educational content and 20% promotional content about your business.

8. How important are hashtags for gaining Twitter followers, and how many should I use?

Hashtags are crucial for discoverability but should be used strategically. Use 1-3 relevant hashtags per tweet – more can appear spammy and reduce engagement. Research trending hashtags in your industry and participate in relevant conversations. Create a branded hashtag for your campaigns or community. Mix popular hashtags (for reach) with niche hashtags (for targeted engagement). Avoid overused hashtags like #follow4follow as they attract low-quality followers. Instead, focus on hashtags your target audience actually searches for, such as industry-specific terms, event hashtags, or trending topics relevant to your niche.

Do You Need Help Growing Your Twitter Account?

We can all use some help growing our social media followings. SEO Design Chicago’s social media experts can help you increase your Twitter followers.