7 Simple Ways for Small Business Owners to Grow Their Following on X (Twitter)
Updated: Jan 21
Photo by Delmaine Domson via Canva
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Bonus Tip 💡: Stay Ahead with Strategic Post Scheduling
As Twitter transforms into X, this platform remains one of the most effective tools for small business owners to cultivate a following and connect with their audience. With over 550 million active users each month, X offers a vast pool of potential customers for entrepreneurs to engage with, presenting a golden opportunity to boost visibility and foster meaningful connections within their communities.
X offers a golden opportunity to boost visibility and foster meaningful connections
In this rapidly evolving environment, X has implemented significant updates, including the removal of legacy verified badges, the disappearance of post headlines, and the introduction of new paid tiers for users. These changes are reshaping the platform in ways that impact both casual users and businesses alike.
But this is just the beginning. Elon Musk has ambitious plans for X, envisioning it as a "super app" that transcends traditional social media. During a 2023 all-hands meeting, Musk articulated his vision for X as a platform where users can manage payments, send messages, watch videos, and make calls - all from one location. As X continues to evolve, it may become a comprehensive hub for a variety of digital activities.
While the platform is changing, the core principles of growing and engaging your following remain steady. Building a strong presence on X still requires a blend of consistent activity, strategic engagement, and thoughtful planning.
In this blog post, we’ll explore simple ways for small business owners to grow their following on X, providing practical examples and tips that you can easily implement to achieve organic growth.
1. Optimize Your X Profile
Profile by The Woodturner’s Wife on X
Your profile is often the first thing potential followers will see. Ensuring it is clear, professional, and reflective of your brand is crucial for creating a lasting impression. The Woodturner’s Wife, the owner of a small business that creates wooden home decor, serves as an excellent example of this, as shown above.
Key Areas for Optimization:
Profile Picture: For personal brands, use a high-quality headshot. Businesses should feature a logo that’s easily recognizable.
Bio: Make your bio concise yet descriptive. Explain what your business does and add relevant keywords to boost discoverability.
Link: Include a link to your website or a landing page. This will direct traffic to your business beyond X.
Pin a Post: Use the pinned post feature to highlight your best content or a key message about your business. This could be an introduction to your brand, an announcement about a new product or service, or a promotional offer. Pinned posts remain at the top of your profile, ensuring that they are the first thing visitors see.
An optimized profile makes your brand more approachable and credible, which encourages people to follow you.
2. Post Consistently
Consistency is key to growing your X following. Businesses that tweet regularly - at least 1-5 times per day - see better engagement rates. Maintaining an active presence helps keep your brand top-of-mind for your audience.
Some key tips:
Schedule your tweets: Use tools like Hookle to create a consistent posting schedule, even when you’re busy managing other aspects of your business.
Diversify your content: Mix original tweets with retweets, replies, and polls to create a variety of content that engages your followers in different ways.
3. Use Hashtags Smartly
Post by Diana D Designs on X
Hashtags are essential for increasing the reach of your tweets by making them discoverable to a wider audience. However, using too many hashtags can dilute your message. According to data, tweets with 1-2 hashtags see the highest levels of engagement. Diana D Design, a crochet designer, serves as a great example of this, as illustrated above.
Focus on trending hashtags relevant to your industry or audience. Consider creating your own branded hashtag to encourage followers to engage with your content. By strategically using hashtags, your tweets will show up in search results for those looking for content related to your business.
4. Engage with Your Audience
Post by JEWELer on X
A great example is JEWELer, who has replied to one of her customers above, showing personal interaction and genuine engagement, which fosters loyalty and attracts new followers.
Building a strong following isn’t just about posting content - it’s about being part of a community. Small business owners who actively engage with others on X are more likely to grow their followers.
Some key tips:
Reply to comments and mentions: Show your audience that you’re paying attention by responding to their questions or feedback. The sooner the better.
Retweet or quote tweet content from others: Amplify the voices of other businesses or individuals in your industry by sharing their content.
Start conversations: Ask questions, share your thoughts on trending topics, and spark discussions that your audience will want to participate in.
Interaction is crucial in developing relationships and encouraging followers to stick around.
5. Share Visual Content
Post by Small Business Matters on X
Adding images, videos, and GIFs to your tweets can significantly boost engagement. In fact, tweets with visuals are 34% more likely to be retweeted than those without. The example above - showcasing a carousel of how this snack bar started and where it is now - is a perfect demonstration of how visuals enhance storytelling and engagement, ultimately helping to grow your following in the long run.
Key tips to consider:
Share behind-the-scenes photos, product images, or event videos to add a visual element to your brand’s story.
Create simple infographics or tutorials that offer value to your audience.
Visual content captures attention in the fast-paced X timeline, making it more likely for your tweets to get noticed and shared.
6. Run Contests and Giveaways
Video by USA_Sport on X
Running contests or giveaways is an effective way to quickly boost your follower count. Accounts that run contests grow their followers 70% faster than those that don’t.
Key tips to consider:
Offer a product or service as a prize to encourage people to participate.
Make the contest simple: ask participants to follow your account, retweet the contest post, and tag a friend. These rules will help expand your reach to new potential followers.
Contests create buzz and drive traffic to your profile, helping you build a larger following in a short amount of time.
7. Customer Testimonials
Post by cosmomedspa on X
Sharing customer testimonials on X is a powerful way to build credibility and trust, just like Cosmo Med Spa from Atlanta has done above.
Sharing testimonials is an effective strategy to grow a following because it builds trust and credibility
Sharing testimonials is an effective strategy to grow a following because it builds trust and credibility, which can attract new followers. Testimonials provide social proof, and when small businesses share positive customer experiences, it helps engage potential followers and encourages them to connect with the brand.
Stay Ahead with Strategic Post Scheduling
Growing your following on X as a small business owner can feel overwhelming, but by focusing on these simple strategies, you can organically expand your reach.
However, constantly pushing content online can be daunting, and that's where scheduling becomes invaluable. While you can schedule posts directly on X, the most efficient way is through a social scheduling app like AI-powered Hookle, which allows you to schedule posts across multiple channels at the same time.
With Hookle, you can also automatically generate content, auto-search for images, and smart-schedule posts using AI - all in one seamless process for all your social accounts.
Ready to grow your social media presence? Try out Hookle for free to keep your X strategy consistent and effective!
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