40 Proven Ways to Grow Your Twitter Followers and Engagement

We hear this all the time — whether it's from creators, e-commerce brands, or social media managers. Maybe you're just starting out. Maybe your growth has stalled. Either way, the goal’s the same: build a real audience that actually cares about what you post.

This guide breaks down 40 battle-tested ways to grow your audience on X (formerly Twitter). Some are quick wins. Others take a bit more effort. But all of them work — no bots, no fake accounts, no spam.

Let’s get started.

This might sound obvious, but one of the easiest ways to grow your Twitter followers is to just ask. If you're already active on other social media platforms, email newsletters, or your website, use those channels to direct users to your X profile.

Places to promote your X account:

• Facebook or Instagram posts
• End screens on YouTube videos
• Your newsletter footer or welcome email
• Product pages and blog posts
• Pinterest pins and captions

Here’s an example of a YouTube call-to-action that links to Twitter:

Visitors to your website are already showing interest — make it easy for them to stay connected. Add a follow button for your X profile in your header, footer, or within your blog content.

Try placing the button above the fold for more visibility. You can also test placing it on landing pages, about pages, or confirmation pages after a purchase or signup.

If you send a lot of emails—especially for business—It is a no-brainer to add your X handle to your email signature. It is a simple way to put your profile in front of dozens (or hundreds) of contacts every week.

Make sure your link is clickable, and consider using branded icons or callouts like “Follow us on X.”

Whether It is a business card, product packaging, or sales collateral, make sure your X profile is front and center. If someone already enjoys your product or service, a quick nudge might turn them into a follower.

Include @handles for personal profiles or brand accounts, especially for sales reps, support teams, and public-facing roles.

Hashtags still matter on X. They can boost the visibility of your brand, create conversation, and even go viral—when used wisely.

Make sure your hashtag is unique, memorable, and relevant. Avoid phrases that can be hijacked or misunderstood. Align the hashtag with a specific campaign, product launch, or branded giveaway.

Poor hashtag choices can backfire. IBM’s #HackAHairdryer campaign, aimed at promoting women in STEM, faced backlash for being patronizing. Learn from it: test your hashtags before going live.

A fast response on X builds trust. In a survey by Lithium, 72% of customers said they expect brands to respond within an hour to complaints on the platform.

Brands like Telstra use X as a frontline support channel to address issues in real-time and show transparency.

Spotify created a dedicated support account, @SpotifyCares, to handle issues without cluttering their main feed. It shows they're active on Twitter and ready to help.

This is one of the easiest ways to grow your X follower base after a conversion. If someone just signed up, made a purchase, or completed a lead form, they’re already invested in your brand—prompt them to follow you.

Want to drive social shares and traffic? Add tweetable buttons or widgets throughout your content. Make it easy for readers to highlight interesting stats, quotes, or takeaways and share them to X.

This method works especially well on long-form guides, product roundups, and thought leadership posts.

Don’t just hope users will say the right thing—guide them. Provide pre-filled tweet links to help users share exactly what you want in their posts. Highlight a value prop, a product stat, or even a quote.

Use this in:

• Confirmation screens
• Email campaigns
• Giveaways and contests
• Webinars or event registrations

Pro tip: Include branded hashtags or @mentions in the pre-filled text to increase visibility.

If users say great things about your product or service on X, you can favourite those tweets and showcase them as social proof. Brands like SkinnyMe Tea use the Twitter API to pull these testimonials directly into their site design.

This user-generated content adds credibility and encourages new followers to engage with your brand.

Woobox offers a native Facebook app that displays your Twitter feed on your Facebook page. This cross-channel strategy helps Facebook fans preview your content on X and encourages them to follow your profile.

Posting when your audience is online is critical for visibility. If your X followers are in other time zones, schedule posts accordingly to maximise your reach.

For example, Gleam is based in Australia, but most of our active users are in the USA and UK — so we schedule posts accordingly.

Running a twitter giveaway is one of the most effective ways to grow your account and reach a broader audience. Contests help you generate engagement, collect email leads, and select a winner for your Twitter campaign in a transparent, compliant way.

With Gleam, you can run high-quality social media contests with verified actions, real engagement, and giveaway picker tools to select random winners automatically. Once your campaign ends, you can easily announce the winner with built-in email notifications or public posts to maximise visibility and trust.

See how Beardbrand grew their X followers by 1500% in just 2 weeks with a single campaign:
https://gleam.io/stories/beardbrand

Try a live Twitter giveaway template:

If you like this competition & think your business can benefit from using Gleam, feel free to signup and start running awesome campaigns.

Finding influencers on X who can authentically promote your product or service is one of the most effective strategies to grow your following. An endorsement from a relevant account can quickly boost visibility and follower count.

You can use tools like Followerwonk or search keyword-rich bios directly on X to find creators aligned with your niche.

From our experience, traffic and conversions from influencer mentions tend to outperform traditional paid ads — especially when the content is native and trusted by their audience.

Having a profile image dramatically improves trust. In fact, accounts with profile images gain up to 1000% more followers than those without.

To optimise your X profile, test using a personal photo vs. a company logo — depending on the tone and goals of your account.

Use bright colours, facial expressions, and contrast to help your avatar stand out in crowded feeds.

Your X bio is more than a personal summary — It is a critical piece of your brand identity. Use it to attract the right followers, establish credibility, and insert strategic keywords.

We recommend including:

• Your location or niche hashtag (e.g., #Melbourne, #DTC)
• A short CTA or product hook
• Emojis or line breaks for readability

If someone uses your product and posts about it — engage with them. Whether they're micro-influencers or regular users, showing appreciation builds loyalty and spreads word of mouth.

One creative way is offering upgrades or gifts for free shout-outs. We did this when an X user mentioned our free plan — we upgraded her to Pro.

These kinds of authentic actions can create loyal ambassadors and boost follower growth over time.

X now prioritises rich media content — including photos — in users’ timelines. This shift means visual content has the power to drive higher engagement, expand your potential reach, and grow your twitter follower count faster.

Brands often use images to spotlight user generated content, showcase product launches, or announce seasonal giveaways. Be sure your visuals are high quality and branded — it helps you stand out in a crowded social media platform.

Jumping into trending or playful conversations between brands can earn massive visibility and engagement. These moments go viral quickly, driving long-term follower growth.

Take inspiration from Tesco Mobile and Jaffa Cakes — their witty back-and-forths captured attention from the entire Twitter audience and earned high-quality exposure.

You can also collaborate with complementary brands or influencers to double your reach on social media platforms. Oreo and Old Spice ran a light-hearted exchange that generated comments, retweets, and giveaway interest.

Live events offer a prime opportunity to engage active users on X. Conferences typically have a branded hashtag — and joining the discussion with valuable comments or insights can help you reach a broader audience and gain high-quality followers.

Tweet summaries, ask questions, or share real-time insights. This type of timely content can boost your visibility and help you connect with new users organically — especially if your Twitter account is listed on your event badge or nameplate.

Speaking at an event? Always include your Twitter / X handle on your presentation slides — ideally at both the beginning and the end. This makes it easy for attendees to follow you on the spot or during your talk.

<img src="https://directus.gleam.io/assets/8ffed053-5ec0-4408-a35b-ac7ff326cac3" alt="Incorporate Twitter profile into presentations" title="Add your Twitter handle to presentations for wider reach" class="shadow-diffused"

Some speakers even run live giveaways or use a comment picker to randomly reward new followers. It is a smart way to boost engagement and make your talk more memorable while building your Twitter followers.

Many potential followers check your About or Company page to learn more about your brand. This is a perfect spot to invite them to follow your Twitter account. For better results, link to a personal profile if you're building around a founder or influencer identity.

When a user posts something great about your product or service, retweet it or favorite it. This is one of the easiest ways to turn fans into advocates and show new visitors that real people engage with your content on X. It also helps reinforce your brand across social media platforms.

It is easy to vent on X, but consistent negativity can alienate followers. Keep your tone uplifting and use criticism constructively. If you're running a Twitter giveaway or support thread, make sure your response builds trust. Positive customer interaction is a powerful growth strategy for long-term follower retention.

X is all about connection. When someone follows you, consider following them back — especially if they’re active or part of your target audience. It not only signals appreciation, but it also triggers a notification and potentially an email from X, reminding them you exist.

Curating lists of relevant users in your niche (like influencers, competitors, or active fans) helps you keep track of conversations and engage with high-quality accounts. It is also a great way to get noticed. When users are added to lists, they’re notified — a subtle but effective way to boost visibility.

We started curating a Social Media People in Australia list for outreach.

Make it a goal to reach out to three new people on X daily. These could be potential collaborators, micro-influencers, or brands you admire. Over a year, that’s over 1,000 potential high-quality connections — many of whom may follow back or engage with your posts.

This tactic works especially well when you’re promoting user-generated content, giveaways, or engaging threads. At Gleam, we often spotlight users to build traction and community:

This is a powerful tactic to gain followers quickly and reach a broader audience. If a celebrity or influencer retweets you, your X post can suddenly be exposed to thousands (or even millions) of users.

It is not easy to pull off, but if you create high-quality content or launch a viral X giveaway campaign that aligns with their audience, the chances go up. Just make sure your winner selection process and tweet are authentic — fake accounts will hurt your credibility.

Jumping on trending hashtags can increase your potential reach, but only if it adds value. Mindlessly joining trends without context can alienate your followers.

In this example, we promoted a relevant product during a book launch. It kept the brand on-topic while increasing engagement through user generated content.

Your X campaign doesn’t need to stay on X alone. Reuse the same hashtag across your social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to build consistency and encourage cross-channel participation.

By connecting your hashtags across social networks, you strengthen your campaign message and help followers on one platform find your X content.

Users love to engage. Asking a question is one of the best ways to get users to interact with your X account. Do it more.

Videos now have a prominent place inside the X feed. Users can play them without leaving the platform. Videos are a great way to drive more interaction and Retweets.

If you run an online store, X is a great platform to distribute exclusive discount codes to your followers. Merchants can also combine coupon drops with a contest to increase visibility and engagement.

If your product targets a niche or demographic, reach out to relevant accounts for exposure to their X followers. Some influencers might trade shoutouts or offer placement for a small fee — always clarify upfront.

Promoted posts are a fast-track way to reach a broader audience while building your organic follower base. Combine strong visuals and a clear CTA to maximise ROI.

When you favourite a tweet, users often receive a push or email notification. This can be a subtle but powerful way to attract high-quality followers — especially when your profile and pinned post deliver a strong first impression.

We’d love to hear what other techniques you’ve used to grow your X following — tweet us at @gleamapp or tag us in your campaigns!

Quite a few businesses break their Twitter / X staff out into a hierarchy, featuring the main company account with individual staff accounts. This helps improve exposure, plus also allows individual employees to build their own personal following (whilst still being attached to the company).

Goes without saying really, but this is the kind of content people love to retweet — whether It is interesting facts, stats or jokes. Try to liven up the X feed of your followers instead of the usual boring announcements.

Keep your followers interested in your brand by rewarding them regularly. This helps bring in new followers and boosts loyalty from your existing base. Use Twitter / X giveaways or exclusive offers to build long-term engagement and increase your follower quality.

Pinning a high-performing or evergreen post to the top of your X profile is a smart way to showcase your brand, highlight a recent campaign, or promote your best content to every new visitor.

Whether It is a viral tweet, a customer testimonial, or a giveaway announcement — use this prime real estate to drive more engagement and turn casual scrollers into active followers.

If you're ready to turn your growing audience into engaged fans and customers, Gleam makes it easy. With our Twitter giveaway picker, you can run secure, branded contests that verify entries, select winners fairly, and maximise your exposure. It is a user-friendly way to grow your X presence, boost engagement, and reward real followers — not bots. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, Gleam gives you the tools to run giveaways that work.