My 10 Twitter Growth Commandments

I just hit the 26,000 follower mark on Twitter.

In the process of building that audience, I learned a ton about what works — and what doesn’t — on the platform.

Here’s my advice about how to unlock value on Twitter:

1. Tweet Every Day 

You need reps. 

You need consistency. 

You need to get better at writing tweets. 

You need the algorithm to see you’re active.

To see how someone with 117,000 followers uses Twitter every day check out this excerpt from my I Want To Know podcast with Amanda Natividad:

2. Reply To Every Reply You Get 

It doubles the engagement on your tweets. 

It resurfaces your tweets in people’s feeds. 

It encourages others to reply to you. 

Plus, it’s a nice thing to do.

3. If It Works, Post It Again 

And again. 

Once you have a hit, maximize the value you get out of it by tweeting it again in a couple months. 

You’re building a content library — not looking for one-hit wonders.

4. Prompt Engagement Whenever Possible 

When you share a tip or idea, give people a reason to reply. 

Ask if they agree. 

Ask for their experiences. 

Ask for their recommendations. 

More replies = more reach.

5. Focus Your Tweets On ONE Transformation Your Ideal Audience Wants To Make

Tweet about five unrelated topics and people won’t care about 80% of your tweets. 

And won’t follow you. 

Even if they do, they won’t engage with four tweets so the algorithm probably won’t show them the fifth.

6. Don’t Tweet Links 

The algorithm hates them and they won’t reach anyone. 

Once in a while it’s OK to post one if you must, but in general it’s a waste of time.

7. Reply To Others With Value 

Replies are a great way to grow your audience. 

But not if you just say “I agree!” or “🔥”

Reply with something valuable enough to make people want to check out your profile.

If you want to know how to find valuable content to share, check out my Content Compass Skill Session.

(Since you’re reading this post, I’ll hook you up: Use code COMPASS25 to get a 50% discount.)

8. Post A Pinned Tweet That Gives People A Reason To Follow You 

You have the opportunity to control the first thing people see when they check out your profile. 

Don’t waste it.

Here are 23 clever examples of pinned tweets to inspire you.

9. Your Bio Is Not About You 

When someone checks out your bio, they’re considering whether or not they should follow you. 

Use your bio to tell them what’s in it for them if they do. 

It’s not a resume — it’s a sales page.

Here’s my take on how to write an effective Twitter bio.

10. Aim For Relationships, Not Followers

Followers are overrated. 

Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics. 

One relationship can change your life and business more than 10,000 followers. 

Optimize accordingly.

(But I know you still want followers too so here’s how to get Twitter followers.)

BONUS TIP!

One of the easiest ways to grow on Twitter is to join the 21,067 readers who get my free For The Interested newsletter.

Each week I share proven strategies from successful creative entrepreneurs to grow your audience and business.

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