Getting a lot of followers on Twitter is something that isn’t too hard to do if you follow a few simple steps, and having several hundred followers can be a powerful tool if you are trying to market something or promoting a product, service or business. However, most people go about getting followers the wrong way, and then wonder why they don’t have very many people following them. There are a few solid ways to make sure that people are hearing you when you tweet however, but the first step before you begin, is to create a twitter account.

The first, and perhaps the most common sense way of getting followers is to tweet something interesting and useful. Unless you are a celebrity or some other well-known figure, the fact that you are at Starbucks having a latte is going to be of interest to very few people. Tweet something that people will find interesting enough to read the rest of your tweets.

Add your Twitter link to your email signature. This allows everyone that you send an email to easy access to following you on Twitter. Also, if you happen to have a blog then make sure that you put a link to follow you at the bottom of each post or on the sidebar of your blog. If someone reads your blog, and likes what they read, they will likely follow your twitter to be apprised of new posts.

Following other people is a great way to get followed. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, check to see if the person you are planning to follow has a large number of people they are following. If they follow 25 to 50 percent of the people that follow them, then its a good bet they might follow you back. Also, if they don’t follow you back, send them a personal email asking them to follow you. They might have simply forgot to follow you when they got the email notification you were following them.

List your Twitter account in directories like WeFollow and JustTweetIt allows people that are looking for Twitter accounts to follow a place to find your information. Include enough information so that they will be able to know what your Twitter account is about You can also join Twitter groups where you will find like-minded individuals that may follow you because you are in the group. There are quite a few of these groups out there on virtually any topic you can think of.

Another great way to make yourself more attractive to potential followers is to customize your Twitter page with backgrounds and other tools that make you stand out from generic Twitter pages. Choose images or backgrounds that reflect your personal style.

While on the subject of images, make sure you include one in your twitter profile. Having a blank image space makes you look boring and will probably turn people away before they even get to your actual page.