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THREAD: I’m a scientist and I gained 1K TWITTER FOLLOWERS in FIVE WEEKS. Here’s how I did it. #medtwitter #epitwitter #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #phdchat
1. I changed my mindset about Twitter. When I first started my account, I thought of it as a personal platform where people yell at each other (true). But it’s more than that. It’s a PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING tool. Use it to find your tribe. I’m looking at you #epitwitter.
2. I made my profile searchable and memorable. Does your bio describe you or does it sound like a canned bio on your employer’s website (or worse: a dating site)? Describe your profession. Add some dimension like #vegetarian #endocrinologist. Give people a reason to follow you.
3. I offered content of value to my followers. To get (real) followers, you have to be worthy of being followed. Post recent journal articles. Post YOUR blog post and why it will help your followers. Ask a question and start a convo. No one will follow you if you offer nothing.
4. I followed FIVE new people every day that 1) I actually wanted to follow because they were interested, and 2) that had the SAME or FEWER followers than me. This last point made it more likely that they would follow me back.
5. I THANKED people for following me and I DID NOT UNFOLLOW THEM. Every time someone followed me, I made a point to say thank you and wish them well in a DM at some point during the next week. And don’t be the person that unfollows. That’s just crappy.
6. I jumped on the #FollowFriday bandwagon for the major communities I am part of on Twitter. Every profession has a searchable hashtag on Twitter. In my case, I follow three: #medwitter, #epitwitter, and #academictwitter. Find your community and look for #followfriday.
7. I stopped posting political content outside of my own professional area of expertise. I post a lot about #weightstigma and I do advocacy work in that area. But I don’t comment on politics if I can help it. I don’t insult people. There’s enough of that in society.
8. I ask poll questions that get attention. A week ago, I put up a poll in #epitwitter to make my community laugh about our title. People confuse epidemiology with skin doctors all the time. So I asked people what we could rename our profession to be less confusing.
9. I tag people I admire in my posts and ask them for opinions. This makes it more likely that Twitter users with larger followings will retweet your post. This works really well if you post a picture of THEIR BOOK or JOURNAL ARTICLE.
10. I actively tweet and comment throughout the day. Use Twitter to ask questions and answer questions. Share pictures of your fur baby. Share struggles. Share tips and learnings. Network, network, network!
That’s how I got 1K followers in about five weeks. I have met so many smart & talented professionals from this process. My #epitwitter friends have helped me with coding issues. My #medtwitter friends have got me to stretch my thinking about #healthequity. You can do the same!
Oh and one more thing. Twitter isn't your life. Don't let it take over your life. Use it to find like-minded people. But remember, non-digital relationships are more important. Twitter is a starting point, not an endpoint.
Also, every few days, purge your follower list. It doesn’t take long to check to see if people are real. Remove anyone who appears to be a bot or who only has a handful of followers!
