Image credit: scottwesterfeld.com

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You have hundreds—maybe even thousands—of followers on Twitter, yet every time you send out a Tweet, you get no response. It’s as if you’re Tweets are on mute. It seems like no one is seeing them; or worse yet, they’re seeing them but they just don’t care about what you’re saying.

So, what gives? What can you do to make people start noticing your Tweets?

Here are some tips to get you noticed on Twitter.

1. Focus on building relationships—I follow quite a large number of people on Twitter, and honestly, I don’t fully pay attention to each and every Tweet that pops up. You know which ones I do pay attention to almost every time? It’s the ones that come from people I know (whether I know them in real-life or just online). See, if you focus on building relationships with your followers, they’ll start to pay more attention to what you have to say. If there isn’t a meaningful connection between you and your followers, you’ll just blend in with all the other Tweets.
2. Connect with like-minded people—Remember earlier when I said it could just be that no one cares about what you’re Tweeting? One cause of this is connecting with the wrong people on Twitter. See, some people approach Twitter with an attitude of the-more-followers-the-better. Depending on your goals, that might be okay. But for me, I’d rather focus on getting quality followers than just quantity. By connecting with people who are truly interested in your niche, your followers will actually pay attention to your Tweets.
3. Tweet regularly—It’s sad, but it’s true: if you don’t Tweet on a daily basis, your followers will forget about you. If you’re absent too often, they might just drop you from their list. That’s why I recommend trying to Tweet at least a few times a day.
4. Tweet relevant content—Of course, Tweeting a few times a day is pointless if you aren’t providing quality content. Remember, Twitter is all about being a part of the conversation. So, to get your Tweets noticed, make sure you’re talking about relevant topics. For instance, if a group of your followers are engaging in a discussion about strategies for marketing a small business, a Tweet about tying your shoes will probably get lost in the shuffle.
5. ReTweet for others and they’ll ReTweet for you—Okay, so this isn’t a hard and fast rule, but there is something to be said for the power of giving. I know when I see someone ReTweet my content regularly, I’m much likelier to help them out in the future.
6. Create an eye-catching avatar—When your dashboard is flooded with Tweets, it can be hard to discern one person from another. That’s why a truly unique avatar is so effective. It cuts through the crowd, making you immediately stand out. Just make sure the avatar you choose makes sense for your brand.
7. Use compelling headlines for links—In a way, getting people to notice your Tweets is no different than any other form of marketing. It all comes down to creating great headlines that beg to be clicked. So, when you’re Tweeting a link out to a blog post, article, video, or picture, make sure you follow these tips for improving your headlines instantly.

What do you do to stand out on Twitter? Share your best tips with me in the replies!