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How I got over 600 NEW Twitter Followers in 24 hours - Let me help you!

Started by TheBusyBrain · 8 months ago

As many bloggers and web-savy surfers know, Twitter.com has become a HUGE resource for Micro-blogging and consequently driving quality traffic to their websites. The more followers you have, the more impact and traffic you potentially drive to your website with each and every Tweet!
New blog ... Continue reading »

73 comments

  • Marie Beausoleil

    7 months ago

    I just joined Twitter a few days ago, and I already have 81 followers, and I follow a lot more than that. I am chatting with people I'd never connect with otherwise, just little tidbits out of our day. I'm hearing about interesting (and some not so interesting) business sites, and I'm hearing news that I hadn't heard. It's great. I'm sitting in my living room, just me and my baby, and I don't feel lonely.

    Is it spammy? I don't know. But I know I'm loving it.

    Thank you, The Busy Brain. And yes, I'm following you. :)
    reply
  • Araceli Arroyo

    8 months ago

    Thanks for the promo, getting many new followers from this article.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Me Too! - You're Welcome!
    reply
  • TheDudeDean

    8 months ago

    I was wondering why I was being followed so much lately.
    reply
  • Marisa

    8 months ago

    I can't speak for everyone who followed you but I returned the Follow only after I checked out your twitter page, your blog and your blog's About page.

    Your tweets seem coherent but fun (" Watching the debate makes me hungry! Can you eat Acorns?") Your blog is informative (<a href="http://blog.thebusybrain.com/freeshipping... - Find the Online Retailers Offering Free Shipping!) and you have a sweet family.

    It really takes more than just adding people. Others may not have the same results that you've had. Just sayin'.
    reply
  • Geek-News.Net

    8 months ago

    Honestly I'm in the same boat. Had I not actually looked at this post I wouldn't have added you to my follow list. I try to checkout everyone of my new followers just to see who they are and where they came from but sometimes that becomes a bit overwhelming.

    Good approach however at getting new followers.
    reply
  • Richie

    8 months ago

    I should have read this earlier, that way I will have more people following me because of the domino effect this post has.

    Really genius!
    reply
  • Gerri

    8 months ago

    That is quite an achievement. I will go and follow people if I feel I will gain somehting from it. I wont go and do it just for the sake of doing.
    reply
  • GrammarNazi

    8 months ago

    I hate to do it, but someone must point out that this informal agreement is actually referred to as "Tit-for-Tat". The other is a tiny, yet delicious, breath freshening mint. :)
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    I corrected the misspelling! Thank you! That was actually a very funny way of pointing it out! ;)
    reply
  • Ryan Martin

    8 months ago

    I have to agree with Marisa. I don't automatically follow back. First off, there are a lot of spammers that follow and then quit, so you will follow them. There are also the annoying Twits, that post stupid (not even funny) things all the time. The third group of Twitters that I follow are people that I just get a bad vibe from.

    Otherwise, I am happy to follow back when people follow me :D
    reply
  • birdijo

    8 months ago

    Do you think any of the annoying Twits know who they are? Maybe I'm an annoying Twit. Bummer.
    reply
  • Jules

    8 months ago

    I'm with Marisa. I personally would like to think that someone follows me because they have read my Tweets, my blog, and my about me page. You know, like they think I might be interesting or something.

    Then again maybe I live in fantasy Twitter Land.
    reply
  • a47danger

    8 months ago

    Oh, great. A bunch of random strangers are following me now. Thanks so much.
    reply
  • Di

    8 months ago

    *BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA* Awesome satire!
    reply
  • cobwab

    8 months ago

    I hope you do not mind if I correct your writing?

    It's "tit-for-tat", not "tic for tac".

    Hope this helps. Thx for all the followers.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    I corrected the misspelling! "GrammarNazi" (hehe) pointed it out!
    reply
  • George_Gayl

    8 months ago

    Not sure whether or not this is satire or not, but certainly no strategy with this recommendation.

    Following this tactic makes Twitter spammy, something that nobody wants. As someone has mentioned, I hope that someone follows me because they are interested in what I have to say, not expecting a follow-back. I will only follow people back after I read through their tweets, check out their page, etc. The most appealing beauty about twitter is not the micro-blogging aspect, but the social aspect. If you are going to follow someone you have no intention of interracting with, then why do it? They probably aren't interested in your topics either. I think you get the gist here.

    Here's a better, strategically refined solution. Visit www.search.twitter.com and search for terms that you write about. See who's tweeting about those topics and engage with them on a 1-on-1 basis. Yes, it may take a little longer, but you may find yourself with a more loyal, and interesting following.
    reply
  • thatonegirl

    8 months ago

    That's my theory. Search for topics that you want to learn more about or you like to read about - and add.
    reply
  • Kojenwa

    6 months ago

    I think I like that strategy a lot better. Better for long term gain, no?
    reply
  • Dani McDaniel

    8 months ago

    Don't forget to add your name to justtweetit.com!
    reply
  • Rob Blatt

    8 months ago

    This must be a joke, otherwise you'd be telling people how to actually engage the community instead of how to game the system. Now you are instructing people to blindly follow everyone you are following. That's not necessary in the community.
    reply
  • JayH

    8 months ago

    Wow. You're totally missing the point of Twitter aren't you? Numbers, numbers, number...who cares about the numbers if one's Tweets are worth a crap. Now, I have not looked at yours, and am not claiming mine *are* worth a crap, that's just my opinion.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Actually, I don't think I am missing the point! Everyone's "point" of Twitter is Different! To you it may be to communicate with a select few friends. To a Business it is to generate new customers (the probable way Twitter will eventually generate a positive flowing Revenue Stream).

    I don't have friends that use Twitter! I'm the sole geek in my group of friends. Twitter to me is a place to meet new people, and network! Networking is about communicating with people you have NEVER spoke to before! Guess what...!?

    All these posts, all these people, I had NEVER seen or heard from before today! I think that is cool!

    I also love the fact that this is generating a lot of feedback, both "Pro" and "Con" to this idea! It doesn't bother me that people have a negative opinion. That's their right! I did this experiment on a whim less than 40 hours ago, and it has become quite insane! WAAAAY More than I ever thought it would be!

    It has continued its growth because there is a large group of growing people out there who seem to Love the idea... Otherwise it would have stopped DEAD in its tracks! Right!?
    reply
  • Jyou

    6 months ago

    It is cool, but when does it become excessive?
    Meeting new people is fun, but how will you meet all the people who friend you O_o? isn't it somewhat overwelming? Just curious about what you think about this.
    reply
  • Maire

    8 months ago

    1. As mentioned above, you've missed the point of Twitter.
    2. Do you get a commission for each exclamation point, or do you just have a supply that needs using up before the expiration date? o.O
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    !!!!
    reply
  • Maria

    8 months ago

    I don't think you get Twitter. At all.
    reply
  • solvire

    8 months ago

    I normally look over peoples tweets to see if they are just using it as a place to dump their nonsense every 5 minutes or if their blog sucks/rocks. Unfortunately if there is no value in their tweets I don't follow.
    reply
  • pissed off

    8 months ago

    stop being numpties and following people just to get your numbers up grow up and get real will ya!
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    How do YOU Feel? I put up a POLL HERE. Please take a second to vote!
    reply
  • George Cozma

    8 months ago

    What happens now is that the real Twitter users will unfollow you like crazy and all that you'll get left will be the spammers. Good luck promoting to these.

    Karma is a bitch
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Karma? Why does this have ANYTHING to do with Karma? I didn't kill anyone! I'm a good person with an idea that is doing NO HARM! If you don't want to participate in this, UNFOLLOW ME!
    reply
  • George Cozma

    8 months ago

    Unfollowing you would be a little hard since I don't follow you to begin with. What you're missing here is the entire point of social networking which is you know... to connect. Keeping the level of your follower base growing at a slow, but steady rate allows you to communicate, network and eventually build a meaningful relation with it.

    What you are doing is a mockery of Twitter. And you ARE actually harming something. You are lowering the quality of this medium, which with all its downsides still has a quality way above the par compared with the other social networks.

    You might believe that this new influx of followers is helping you, you might believe that you are increasing your exposure, but all that you are managing to do is to transform yourself into a noise source.

    As a credit to you though, this entire controversy does have a positive effect on your business, due to the debate it encouraged. This positive effect however will be short lived and none of it will pass on to the users foolish enough to follow your advice.

    Karma is still a bitch.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    5 months ago

    UPDATE: It is now a couple months later, 13,000 Twitter followers now, and I continue to have meaningful conversations with my followers, and have literally spoken on the phone, or even met in person a good number of new twitter friends.

    Where's the bad Karma you speak of?
    reply
  • Aaron Irizarry

    8 months ago

    Not sure about this... i want actual interaction from peeps on twitter that read my blog or can discuss design related stuff... seems kinda spammy
    reply
  • Tabitha "Tabz" Smith

    8 months ago

    Twitter is all about the conversation - if you're gonna talk with those people or react to them - then I say go for it. If you're just doing it for the numbers, than people won't appreciate it.
    reply
  • Jordan

    8 months ago

    Interesting. Some people here take Twitter much too seriously. If you don't like this particular idea, don't do it. Who cares about the "point" of Twitter? The point is what you make it, plain and simple. Lighten up.
    reply
  • Rich

    8 months ago

    I really don't see why everyone is pissed off. I mean yeah it would have been nice to be told about the plan to create a giant "circle jerk" (haha) before being involved but hell you are on the internet. If you don't want the public to see what your post, or random people following you then why not protect your page??
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Thank you Rich! To do that, sign into your Twitter account, then:

    Click On "Settings"
    Click On the "Account" tab
    Enable the "Protect my updates" checkbox
    Click Save

    Finally... If you don't want to be a part of all this, although I will miss you, feel free to UNFOLLOW me!
    reply
  • Brooke Russell

    8 months ago

    I agree with Aaron above, it is VERY spammy. I do not appreciate all of the emails notifying me of random people now following me that I do not know or have nothing in common with. I would like to keep my page open to people who are genuinely interested in me and not have to deal with all these strangers following me and adding me to their lists to then be randomly followed by someone else. It feels creepy and predatory. I do not like it and do not recommend this method to anyone.
    reply
  • .·:*Çô®ôñåQüéëñ*:·.

    8 months ago

    What a wild Twitter ride!! Thanks for the feed! Now WHO needs Alltel's network, 'ya ding-dong! If you SPAM me I will unfollow! Feel free NOT to follow or to unfollow if that is the case. It ISN'T about the numbers! It's about honestly connecting !

    óÓò .·:*Çö®öñåQüéëñ*:·. óÓò·.
    Prevention Buzz Blogger
    http://buzz.prevention.com/community/category/c...
    reply
  • Brooke Russell

    8 months ago

    ~Missed my point entirely. I don't put anything on twitter that I would care about people knowing for that reason, but as well put by others above, I see the intention of twitter to be a social networking for like-minded and genuine people. What I find creepy is finding out that there are many many many strangers following me for no reason other than to hopefully gain some sort of 'following' from me, who have no idea who I am or know anything about me. My twitter posts are infrequent and probably boring and meaningless to anyone who does not know me or my circle of friends. That is why it is weird to have all sorts of random people following me for no reason. Ultimately it does not really matter, I simply do not follow back or block people I feel are just 'spamming' me. I would rather not have to bother going through all that though. Instead of being excited to have a new follower and check them out, I am disappointed to find that it will just be another dead end. Given recent events I think I will be locking my page. Shame really, but oh well...
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Brooke, Sorry, I deleted that persons post which you responded to. Although he/she was enforcing my actions, I didn't think it was appropriate. I'm trying to keep things civilized!

    I LOVE the discussion!
    reply
  • Brooke Russell

    8 months ago

    No problem, thought so. Thanks.
    reply
  • Laura "@Pistachio" Fitton

    8 months ago

    I love that you're listening to the discussion. I love that you're doing a poll about it. I love that you get that there is "no one way" to do Twitter right. But I have to cast my lot more or less with those saying this technique "misses the point."

    For one, i feel slightly "used" in that those of us who've decided to politely follow folks back, are suddenly getting connected with people who are just in it to jack up their numbers. No big deal, just, meh.

    But more to why I say "missing the point" it's a matter of maybe not thinking through the results of this. Will the follower numbers you end up with really serve your goals in the end? Maybe so, maybe likely, no.

    The slow organic growth of a network here lets you get to know people. I've found the periods of rapid growth caused me to miss a lot of genuine opportunities to really meet people within the streams. Jumping into 600 streams at once, I really have to wonder how many people adding those 600 will ever really *see* any of those 600. How much incremental traffic will it really drive, and how many of those Twitter connections will last if they were done "just to connect" instead of because there was some interest in the contents and or person.

    Again, while my basic reaction to the technique is to (sadly) shake my head, I have to give you some credit for sharing the idea and hearing out the responses.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Thank you, and very well put! As of my arrival home from work today, I was overwhelmed by the scale at which this has gained tread. As I was just mentioning to a New Contact I met a few minutes ago (Shawn at http://www.projectrethink.org/ ), I'm not used to ruffling feathers! TOTALLY NOT MY INTENT!

    But, my intent WAS to meet people like Shawn, and yourself! True PEOPLE you wouldn't mind saying hi to on the street without fear of getting a sales pitch thrown in your ear!
    reply
  • Mix

    8 months ago

    Hey BusyBrain...Feathers definatly ruffled here. Incredible idea and follow through. Although I'm not a "Twitter-er", You're the one of the best contacts I have and will keep. I think it's excellent. I follow "He who dies with the most friends...
    reply
  • Busy Brain Jerkoff

    8 months ago

    You're off my follow list, and I blocked all of your friends
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Ohhh! You sure Showed Me! (Thanks for following my suggestions if you didn't agree with this debacle)
    reply
  • Ross_The_Pit_Boss

    8 months ago

    When I get a notification that I have a new follower, I immediately go to their twitter page and read their bio, check out their home page and then read their tweets. If all of the above fit in with me and what I like/am doing, then I return the follow. If it doesn't, or as in the case with some of the serial tweeters out there (you know who you are! lol), I simply do not follow them.
    Simple really. You either choose to follow or not. Yes, you'll get a few emails saying you've got new followers, but that is how the system is designed. You can always do what I do, check 'em out and if they're "not worth it" don't follow 'em and delete the email.
    reply
  • lemonknickers

    8 months ago

    Hi busybrain I think I am on your list, that's fine with me, I was wondering where all the new followers were coming from! - I've been watching other folks twitters and it seems some people aren't so happy with it (I guess they haven't figured twitter is a two way street yet) On youtube they call it "sub4sub" again it's a love, hate thing with people guess this is tweet4tweet!
    reply
  • TheHighLife

    8 months ago

    I am not a mom
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    7 months ago

    I love this! Nice Hat BTW!
    reply
  • darryl ohrt

    8 months ago

    BusyBrain:

    You're building a wonderful network of spammers. Worse - you're teaching a network of people who want to use a cool new tool how to act like the sleazy used car salesperson at a party.

    Have you ever been to a networking event, where someone cruises through the entire room in 7 minutes, hands a biz card to everyone, and considers themselves "networked"? (While the room laughs behind his back)

    This is exactly what you're teaching your readers to practice. Twitter doesn't work like the old-school internet tools. You don't 'win' by having more followers. The value of twitter is in the value of what you share, and how you share it. It's certainly not about tweeting every time you've written a blog post.

    If I'm on your list, please remove me.
    reply
  • sarahatwood

    8 months ago

    I can't be mad at a fellow Floridian but I am slightly annoyed. http://www.sarahatwood.net/2008/10/21/tit-for-t...
    reply
  • What A Mess You've Created

    8 months ago

    I have unfollowed you and blocked anyone connected to you. You clearly don't know the first thing about building a real, substantive network. All you care about is racking up #s. It's spam, it's sleazy and it's the exact opposite of how to effectively use a social networking platform. Oh, and that 'Tit for Tat' as you call it is an auto-follow script. You have know idea what you're talking about. The blind leading the blind. Pathetic.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Tit for Tat is my description for the fact that they follow you back, whether it be by script ( TweetLater.com is a good one ) or by their own will. So, evidently I know exactly what I'm talking about, you just don't know how to accurately interpret what you read.

    BTW - I can see just fine! Thanks for stopping by!
    reply
  • Tim Allik

    8 months ago

    I'm not pissed off much because let's face it, the stakes are so incredibly low when it comes to Twitter. Twitter likes to think of itself as a sort of earnest communitarianism but in the end (let's be brutally honest here) is mostly raw, unfettered self-promotion. Mr. Busybrain's motives are refreshing because they are so utterly, shamelessly transparent - a rare thing indeed in Twitterland. I do question the quality of your network, however. I see, for example, that you've signed up to follow such esteemed Twitterers as @penis_exercises. Remember, size isn't the only thing that matters when it comes to your Twitterverse.
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    LOL! That twitter name has my curiosity -*ahem*- Aroused! ;-)
    reply
  • DrCraigS

    8 months ago

    Bust Brain,
    I truly don't have an opinion about the merit (or lack of) that many of your respondents seem to have. Boy, people sure get worked up over trivia, don't they? It's been an interesting social experiment; not the first time it's been done either. Some social media trainers are even advocating the 'mass-follow' approach to broadening one's twitterverse. I agree with the advice to those who wish to maintain a closed social circle...enable 'protect my updates.'
    reply
  • Ben Tremblay

    8 months ago

    It's a good way to increase the number of subscribers, but you really get a bad ratio of following vs followers. Following 8,000 people and having 4,000 followers is not seen as a good thing for a lot of twitter users.
    reply
  • Chris

    8 months ago

    Good idea. Thanks!
    reply
  • Sandraa Hudson

    8 months ago

    I like to follow people that make tweers that are of interest to me.

    I read what people post, and want to be reading only what is of interest to me.

    When someone follows me i read their profile and what they have tweered about to see if I want to follow thew,
    reply
  • Michael Cummings

    8 months ago

    I do find that this was a good 'experiement' but im not sure what the point of following everyone and having them follow everyone on your list was for if you are just going to go unfollow everyone later.

    You followed me and without me even knowing that this little experiement was going on, I followed you back. Over two days I got quite a few new followers because of this little stunt, but then I go to send you a direct message today to ask you about your domain name that amazon wants to buy and I see that you have unfollowed quite a number of people, including myself. What is the point if not to be some kind of popularity contest for yourself? I understand you are a marketer, but if you are just out to mess up the dynamics of the system then I think the experiment had ill intentions.

    I find it to be a huge twitter foul to follow and then unfollow for the sake of gaining followers alone.

    If anyone agrees or disagrees with me you can find me on twitter @michaelcummings
    reply
  • AthenaEmily

    8 months ago

    You rock!
    reply
  • Chris Jacobson

    8 months ago

    Well that only lasted for so long. I followed 2,000 people in about 45 minutes and can't follow anybody else. :(
    reply
  • TheBusyBrain

    8 months ago

    Prune it down! You can remove any of the people who didn't reciprocate your follow!

    Use Twitter Karma to do it automatically - http://dossy.org/twitter/karma/

    Or Manually by going through your "Following" list and remove anyone who doesn't have the "Direct Message" link under their username.

    ALSO, keep in mind - If you are on my list of followers, you will continue to get followed as new people discover this concept.
    reply
  • Kemeny_x

    8 months ago

    I know im late to this discussion, but this is exactly the same as just adding random people on facebook, or any other social site.... people have been doing this since the start.... nothing really new here......
    the problem....... no quality followers.... most of the people you add this way just end up being and feeling spammy/spammed..

    BE SMART

    i think its just better to follow the “Tit-for-Tat” people.... say some smart stuff... actually a bunch of smart stuff... and the followers will come on their own.
    reply
  • TheMarque

    7 months ago

    Wow, is this why I have been getting so many followers lately? I didnt even know this. haha...
    reply
  • Laura

    7 months ago

    Thanks for publishing Brian....I chose not to follow you. I'd like to develop meaningful contacts via Twitter, not just people who want to market to me.
    reply
  • BillyWarhol

    8 months ago

    Interesting* How do I get the Good Looking A-Lister Twitter Hotties to Follow me???
    ;))
    reply
  • therichbrooks

    8 months ago

    Busy Brain,

    I don't think your intent was evil, but I have to question your goals. Yes, Twitter is different for everyone, and I doubt we're using it as it was first intended. If jacking your numbers was the goal, well you succeeded. However, in skimming through theses comments, it seems like you may have alienated some people who were more valuable to you than "one more follower."

    I haven't checked out your tweets, or read any other posts than this one (linked from a Tweep of mine), so I don't know how valuable each of your tweets are. I'm guessing you're fairly clever, so maybe they're worth checking out.

    Yes, this will undoubtedly increase your # of followers, but unless you're providing them with valuable tweets, they'll leave and what are you left with? Better to grow your following naturally, over time through quality tweets and following the right people...whether or not they follow you back.
    reply

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