Twitter is a great social media platform to connect with your audiences. But sometimes it can seem like your Tweets are getting sent into the void and aren’t connecting with enough people. These simple tips will help you increase your reach and influence on Twitter and make the most out of every Tweet.

Interact with your target audience

Find and follow similar companies and people in your field. You can do this by searching for companies and keywords and following accounts that are relevant to your interests. When you follow someone new, Twitter will often automatically suggest related accounts to follow – use those! Then, engage in conversations about topics related to your field.

Find and follow key influencers in your field and participate in their posts. Ask questions and engage with their content. You can also scroll through their past Tweets and see their most shared content. Take note of these and see if you can learn anything from their success.

Create valuable content

Make sure the content you are creating always adds something of value to the conversation. It’s a good idea to follow an 80 / 20 rule. This means 80% of your activity on Twitter should be interactions with others and only 20% should be Tweets or posts promoting yourself or your product. You can use tools or social media managers to schedule Tweets for times that maximize exposure.

Use good Twitter etiquette

It’s important to make sure that as you’re creating your Tweets, you use simple Twitter basics to make sure your Tweets are clean, professional, and effective.

• Use proper grammar – This tip might seem like an obvious one, but keep in mind that there’s no way to edit Tweets. Always give your Tweet a quick edit for obvious spelling errors.
• Don’t start a Tweet with @ – The @ symbol followed by a name is a way to tag an account in your Tweet. Though it can be a good idea to tag someone, starting a Tweet off with a tag will limit who can see it to your and their followers, thereby limiting your Tweet’s reach. It’s better to start the Tweet with another word for example: “Check out this great article by @NYT.”
• Limit hashtag use – Hashtags are a great way for you to find and engage in conversations relevant to your brand. But too many hashtags will actually hurt your Tweet and appear cluttered.

Promote your Twitter account

Make sure there’s a social media button on your website or blog that links people to your Twitter account. This also goes for your other social media platforms. Tell people where to find you and include links to your Twitter on any social media account you can.

It’s also a good idea to cross promote giveaways, promotions, and polls to your other social media accounts. For example, you could make Facebook and Instagram direct your followers on those platforms about a Twitter poll and encourage them to vote.

This will help you reach as many people as possible. Encourage people to follow your Twitter account as well. Adding a simple reminder to your bios, emails, or other content is an easy way to let people know where to find you. If you have business cards or other print promotional materials, you can add your Twitter handle to those as well.

If you have it in your budget, you can also pay Twitter to promote Tweets for you. This will boost your Tweet’s exposure and make sure it’s visible to people who match your account’s algorithms. Regardless of how you promote it, make sure your Twitter account is easy to find and promoted across multiple platforms.

Be unique – be yourself

It may seem like there are a lot of dos and don’ts, here. But the most important thing to remember is that your Twitter account and Tweets should be a reflection of you and your brand. Don’t try to be someone else – be yourself. You have something to add to the conversation. Following these tips and guidelines will help clarify your voice and make sure you’re getting the most out of your Twitter account and maximizing your exposure.