How-To Tuesdays: Twitter 101 - How to Get your First 100 Followers

To keep myself in check and post regularly, as well as write quality content for you guys, I have decided to start a new posting series: How-To Tuesdays. Once a week I will write how-to posts about craft techniques, craft projects, online marketing, blog writing, selling craft and whatever else will come to my head.

Today first of the series: Twitter 101 - How to Get your First 100 Followers

Twitter is an extremely useful online marketing tool for craft sellers. 140 character messages - the essence of Twitter - are perfect to notify your followers about new items in your shops, articles you wrote and interesting things you found on the web. But for the tool to be useful you have to ensure that a considerable number of people read what you are writing. Here is how to go about getting your first followers in 5 steps:

1. When you create your account do not neglect adding photo, bio and link to your shop, blog or webiste. As with any other online activity, empty profiles work like repelants to online community.

2. Once you have created your account, go ahead and follow big brands and authorities in your field. If you plan to use Twitter to promote your etsy shop start by following Etsy or Artfire . If you are more interested in human rights, follow Human Rights Watch etc.

3. After finding the big names, check who follows them. If someone is interest in etsy, there is a good chance they will be interested in your crafty tweets too. Follow them. Do not be afraid to follow too many people. You don't have to read each and every tweet. If someone turns out to be spamming or boring you, you can always unfollow them. Following people is the best way to get followers!

4. Use Twitter Directories such as WeFollow or TwitR. Add yourself to categories that describe your interest (for instance craft, handmade and etsy or humanrights, travel and development). In each directory you can only use three tags so choose them carefully. Thanks to directories, other Twitter users will be able to find your account. But remember to also use the directories to find people you might like to follow.

5. And last but not least create valuable content. To make sure that people will follow you and stay loyal to your tweets, make sure that what you're writing is of value and interest to others.

And always remember, Twitter might be a very easy way to promote your shop but it doesn't mean that you don't have to put any effort. It takes a certain amount of work to create and cultivate good relationship with your follower base. Don't believe in easy solutions ("I'll show you how to get a 100 followers a day!") and stay personal.

Next Tuesday: What Should I Tweet About?