How to grow and nurture a massive following on Twitter as a freelance writer
Kaleigh has been tweeting for more than a decade now. At the time of writing this post, she has 47,000+ followers (3,000 more since we recorded this podcast episode!)
Here, she discusses how she thinks about Twitter and how she grew her following—all while sharing some sage advice for other freelance writers wanting the same value out of their Twitter account.
Why Twitter is the place to be for freelance writers
Twitter is a fantastic tool for building connections and feeling a sense of community you might not be able to access otherwise. Maybe you’re living in an area with no local meetups or there aren’t many freelance writers in your area—either way, staying connected with fellow writers and business owners on Twitter can fill that void.
For Kaleigh, it wasn’t really until the past five years or so that she started really leaning into Twitter, utilizing it as a tool for building authority and sharing advice and other things she knows and has experienced. Here are her tips for fellow freelance writers wanting to do the same.
Focus on a specific area of expertise and position yourself as the go-to source.
Think about it: you have a reason for following the people you do on social media. Maybe you find them entertaining, informative, or relatable. If you followed someone for their comedy, wouldn’t you be a bit surprised when they started posting something completely different in tone and message?
If you want to use Twitter to support your freelance writing business, you should focus on a specific area of expertise. Go to Twitter to teach your followers tips and advice and get answers to your burning business questions. For Kaleigh, that means sharing writing tips.
Think about why people followed you in the first place, and lean into that. Pick a lane and stay in it. She does occasionally tweet something personal, but it’s more related to her personal brand than something completely unexpected.
“Twitter has been the #1 best time investment for my business. Having such a strong presence there positions me as the go-to person for the service that I offer. So if a client within that space needs blog content, people ping me in replies.”
Follow people who talk about the same kinds of things—writing, freelancing, building your own business—and study their approaches to inform your own posts. You can also talk about things learned during the day or things that run through your mind when you’re editing someone else’s work, for example. Kaleigh’s general rule of thumb is to share things she thinks other people would find helpful or really relate to.
Consistency is key, but remember you’re in control of what you see, hear, and say.
If you’re committed to growing your Twitter following, keep consistent with how often you post and interact with others. Inconsistent posting can affect how often people see you on their news feed, and people like to interact with accounts they talk to or read about regularly, whether they follow you or see you chatting in comment threads.
Posting consistently doesn’t mean lowering your quality, though. You’re in control over what you post, so don’t post something just to maintain your ideal quota. Make sure you’re posting something you both believe in and know will have value for your audience.
“Consistency is really important. Don’t disappear off the platform for days or weeks at a time. People like to interact with people who they see on their feed regularly. And when you do take a break, be intentional.”
Here’s what I’m not saying: post consistently, all the time, without any break. Take every opportunity you can to take Twitter off of my phone over the weekends or when you’re away on vacation, so you literally can’t check the notifications and feed. Twitter can unintentionally take away much more time than it should, so it’s better to be safe than sorry if you don’t want to get sucked in.
And when you do have it on my phone, don’t allow push notifications. Don’t forget that you have the only say in when that information comes your way. If you find yourself getting distracted or frustrated by things like notifications, turn them off and keep that peace of mind.
Interact with the niche community you’ve found.
Maintaining your Twitter account and growing your follower count is about a lot more than posting pithy and short comments every day. It’s about engaging with the group of people you’ve found. Follow the accounts you really want to follow and see in your feed, and then interact with them. Get in there and participate!
“Especially living in the Midwest, where there’s no local meetups or coworking, there’s not a ton of opportunity for person-to-person connection in real life. Twitter, for me, has been the supplemental feeling of connection and sense of community that I don’t have in a physical way here.”
Building your network of people leads to talking to each other regularly, linking one another to job opportunities, conference speaking opportunities, and occasionally, even meeting in person. But the key to doing that is to learn from others and interact with them on their posts, too—not just your own.
Key takeaways
Finding your community on Twitter can take a lot of time and energy, but there are so many opportunities that it can provide you with, too. When you consider the relationships you’re making, the potential connections for jobs or conference sessions, and more, building your following on Twitter is beyond worth it.
Subscribe to the Freelance Writing Coach podcast and stay tuned for more tips.
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