8 Reasons You're Not Getting More Followers on Twitter

Are you frustrated with Twitter?

• Do you tweet regularly, but barely get a response?
• Do you follow lots of people but don't get followed back?
• Do you retweet other people's tweets, but never get retweeted?

You're not alone.

And you're probably wondering how to get more followers without paying for them, right?

No worries. We've got you covered!

Here are 8 common mistakes that could be hampering your efforts in the Twitterverse -- along with some tips on how to correct them.

8 Reasons You're Not Getting More Followers on Twitter

1. Your User Name is Weird

Twitter engagement begins with followers — if no one is reading your tweets, no one will to respond.

So make it easy for fans to find you by making your user name as obvious as possible.

Stay away from cryptic user names or names with lots of numbers. And use your business or blog name if possible! >> Click to Tweet

If your company is called Straight North, make your Twitter profile @StraightNorth.

Then people won't have trouble finding you, and your followers will easily connect your tweets with your brand.

2. You Haven't Optimized Your Twitter Profile

Many people set up Twitter accounts, but then leave everything blank.

Using your profile to showcase your brand & to tell what you do will help you get more followers. >> Click to Tweet

So follow this simple checklist to ensure your profile is fully optimized:

• Upload a profile photo

  If you’re running a business account on Twitter, upload your logo as your profile photo, the way @PostPlanner does below. If you’re running a personal account, upload your own headshot. Avoid cartoons, celebrity photos or unrelated images. Remember, the key here is to make your profile easily identifiable with you & your brand.

• Customize Your Design

  Twitter gives you the ability to customize your background & header image, so use both to reinforce your branding, the way Nashville-based @LifeFitnessAcad does here:

• Include a Bio & Your Location

  Summarize your business in a few catchy lines & make that your bio. And add legitimacy to your account by including your location.

3. Your Tweets Are Too Long

You probably know that Twitter only allows you 140 characters per tweet.

But did you know that using that full amount makes it harder for others to share your content -- since their comments won’t fit with a retweet? >> Click to Tweet

Aim to use fewer than 120 characters to give your followers space to retweet your stuff with their thoughts, like @BiscuitFest does here:

4. You Tweet Constantly

Nobody wants to be around a motor mouth -- someone who never stops talking.

When you tweet over & over & over, you become a motor mouth in the eyes of your followers. >> Click to Tweet

Rather than tweeting every minute, tweet consistently but focus on quality.

5. You Never Tweet

Just like tweeting too much can be detrimental, so can not tweeting at all. Social media is about being social, and being social requires content, interaction & engagement.

Don’t set up your Twitter profile & forget about it. And don’t tweet once a month & expect fans to follow. >> Click to Tweet

You need to actually use Twitter if you expect to be successful on the social network.

6. You Tweet Irrelevant Stuff

If you're a marketing firm, focus your tweets on marketing. This doesn’t mean you never post anything else -- but it does mean you mostly post content relating to you & your industry.

Don't set up a Twitter account for your healthy food blog & discuss financial news or politics. Your followers expect you to post about topics that relate to your industry.

If you don’t, they may lose interest. >> Click to Tweet

And remember, there are lots of ways to generate fresh content for social media.

7. You Ignore Mentions

When someone asks you a question or sends you a word of congratulations on Twitter -- respond! >> Click to Tweet

Followers will see that you actually engage with people & will be more likely to interact with you.

Not to mention that it's a great way to show off your stellar customer service!

8. You Promote Too Much

Many brands & bloggers automatically tweet links to new blog posts or resources, and that makes sense — it helps update your followers with new information.

But that shouldn't be all you post. >> Click to Tweet

Use Twitter to share links, opinions about industry events, photos, behind-the-scenes info, etc. — otherwise your followers may turn away.

Your Thoughts

Do any of these Twitter mistakes sound familiar to you?

Have you gotten caught up in:

• too much self-promotion
• too much tweeting
• not enough tweeting
• irrelevant tweets

Check out this blog post if you need some more help:

• These 10 Twitter Marketing Links will Revolutionize Your Tweets

How will you improve your Twitter habits this year? Has this advice been helpful?

What tips would you like to pass along to others in the comments below?