I’ve been asked by several followers (on Twitter) to show them how I’ve built my main Twitter account (@Matthew_Duggan) to over 2000 followers in the space of a few months. More importantly, they’ve asked me how to use Twitter to gain more clients.

The key to Twitter success, as indeed is the case for business in general, is to ‘over-deliver’ on value – provide more value for your readers than they would normally get from a business person in your field. This way, they know something about your expertise, which as I mentioned means that they’ve gone from being a clueless newcomer to being a warm lead when they get to your site. From this viewpoint, they are much more likely to engage with you and your site than if they just came to your site ‘cold’.

They will also appreciate you sharing your knowledge with them as it demonstrates your generosity.

I should state at this point that giving lots of value does not mean ‘over tweeting’ – posting loads of links and stories that aren’t relevant. This is something that will fast have you metaphorically kicked out of the Twitter premises. No, I’m talking about those that use Twitter to give real value to those that follow them.

Just look at any of the most followed people on Twitter, whether they’re in business or entertainment. They all produce immense value and in many cases, they deliver more than people expect.

Presenter, writer and witty English gent Stephen Fry has a massive 1.47million followers at the time of writing this and the reason – in my opinion – is not just his celebrity but the fact that he over-delivers on value. Readers expect him to provide them with a small glimpse into his world of filming shows, acting and writing. Not only do they get this (by the bucketload) but they also get lots of photos, updates and musings which make them feel like they’re getting to know Mr. Fry and what it’s like in his world. They also get to find out about his podcasts, some of which are free and some of which they pay for. His updates are also mini adverts for him as well as interesting fun for his followers. Every tweet builds his personal brand.

Actually, the most important words in that last paragraph for your success when using twitter for business are ‘make them feel like they’re getting to know…’ and more precisely ‘make them feel’. Your audience wants to feel like they’re getting value from following you. They also want to feel like they’re getting to know you. Feeling that (rather than just intellectually knowing it) is the start of a genuine connection with you.

Most of the Twitter users (or is it Tweeters?) that will initially be attracted to you will all have similar ideas in common and therefore have similar issues that need solving. This could be literally anything from how to increase their income to finding a good holiday destination.

Whatever it is, concentrate on giving them as much good, free information as possible to help them achieve their goals. Word will spread that you’re the person to talk to when it comes to your chosen niche and you will gain more followers which in turn will drive more people to your site on the same subject.

For the most effective way of building your Twitter followers, you need a clear method for Twitter marketing. So here’s a free video training session for you.

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