21 steps to gaining more followers:

1. Be a Tweetor who adds value:

Using the 80/20 rule, spend roughly 20% of your time talking about what you re doing in an entertaining and humorous way. And the other 80% enriching others with news, advice, links, etc.
       A good way to learn what to tweet is to simply follow top Twitter users, and you can also check out sites like stufftotweet.com

2. ) Post and announce your Twitter profile everywhere in the real world you can:

 Put your Twitter handle on everything-your business card, your website, radio and television, promotional materials and business letters, books, magazine articles, your email signature, and definitely on social networking profiles like Facebook and LinkedIn.

3.) Fill out a captivating bio:

First impressions are important in life and Twitter is no different. Make sure not to leave your bio blank, as it is one of the first things people should see to decide they want to follow you. Make it interesting and always reflect any expertise that you may have.

4.) Put up a professional looking photo of yourself:

 You don’t even have to spring for an actual professional photographer. Just go to a well-lit room or outdoors during good sunlight, and get a head and shoulders shot of yourself dressed up, smiling, and looking your best. Don’t assume it must be a standard head shot, the best photos for professionals especially is actually to have a photo of yourself engaged in your work-anything to give people an idea of who you are as a person.

5.) Take advantage of the sidebar:
In your Twitter profile, you can add a photo to the sidebars; take advantage of this fact to add more info about who you are and what you do. Using text added to the sidebar image you can accomplish just that, and add your website for example or whatever else.

6.) Encourage people to Re-tweet your comments:
Occasionally for something you find the most newsworthy, add “please re-tweet” or “please RT” to your tweets to remind people to share what you have said if it merits repeating you feel. In some case, some of your followers may be twitter newbies, in which case they don’t know what re-tweeting is and you may want to tweet a link to them explaining about.
       By getting re-tweeted, your brilliant insights will get exposed to other people’s followers thus growing your own. Lastly, use the website retweetist.com.

7.) Learn to use hash tags:

Using hash tags can help potential followers find you by searching for topics of interest you tweet about.

8.) Join the discussion of other people’s hash tagged comments.

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