Easy and free ways to increase your Twitter followers

Starting out on Twitter can seem overwhelming. You have no followers, or just a few if you have some friends and relatives who follow you. So, how can you get your numbers up? These are a few free and easy things you can try.

Create a Good Bio
This is very important. People will be less likely to follow you if they have no idea what your account is about. I didn't put any focus on my bio when I first signed up with Twitter. I basically just said "I follow back." When I updated my bio to promote my book "Io Hunter and the Guardians of Aldernar" I experienced a sizable increase in followers.

Look for Relevant Hashtags
This can be challenging at first as you learn to find your way around Twitter. Hashtags can be a great way to find people to follow. For example, as a writer I often use the #amwriting hashtag to find tweets that are of interest to me. I check who likes or retweets those tweets. If someone has an about even number of followers and following, I'll follow them and see if they follow back. If they don't I unfollow. I've got a lot of new followers this way. But this is helpful in another way. A lot of other people are doing the same thing. If you retweet or like a tweet, your account bio will be visible to any who checks who is liking or retweeting that particular tweet. Some of those people may choose to follow you.

Always Follow Back*
Many people who follow you will unfollow if you don't follow them back. Your goal should be to get as much exposure for your tweets as possible. The more followers you have the more exposure you get. So, hold onto people who follow you by reciprocating. You can always unfollow people who stop following you or who become inactive on Twitter.

* Bots will follow you. Don't follow them back. It can sometimes be hard to distinguish bots from real people. Look for articles with tips on what to look for.

Tweet Relevant Content and Use Hashtags
If you would like to attract certain kinds of followers, tweet out content that would be interesting to them. And use hashtags to target them. For example, I love the Star Wars movies, so I'll often tweet Star Wars related articles or videos. I'll use hashtags like #StarWars and #TheLastJedi, so that people can find my tweets.

Interact with Others
Like tweets, retweet tweets, respond to tweets. Make yourself someone who is worth following.

Use Twitter Following Tools like Twiends
I have another post on the tool Twiends that goes into details on the pros and cons of this service. Check it out at A Review of the Twiends free Twitter followers tool. Be careful with these tools. Make sure they aren't violating Twitters Terms of Service (ToS) before you sign up.