How to Add Twitter Followers Every Day…And for Free!
Guest post by James Martell.
If you have a Twitter account but are clueless about how to get more Twitter followers, then you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to share with you three very useful strategies that will enable you to get free Twitter followers, guaranteed.
Be Careful:
Even if, for some reason, you decide not to use my strategies, I do want to caution you about using software programs supposedly designed to increase your Twitter following. Most of these programs don’t work, and they certainly don’t teach you how to get more Twitter followers.
What’s worst of all is that they are almost always against Twitter’s term of service. This means that they can actually cause you to lose your Twitter account, leaving you even worse off than when you started. So stay away from these programs, and instead follow my steps for how to increase Twitter followers.
What’s Twitter?
I have to tell you that I was once in your shoes – maybe even worse. Just a few years ago, I didn’t get the “Twitter” thing at all. But I decided it would be a good idea to at least try it out.
Now, it’s a huge part of my business. I might not have millions of followers like all the major celebrities, but I do have 5,403 loyal followers to date. Also, since I’ve started using the three strategies we’re going to discuss, I’ve watched my following grow a little each and every day!
I can promise you that no matter what you’re promoting with twitter- whether it be kids rocking chairs, dental services, or joovy caboose reviews – my strategies can and will work for you.
Strategy 1: Syndicate an Online Newspaper
So, let’s get going with Strategy 1! For this strategy, all you have to do is syndicate your own online newspaper based on a Twitter list, user, or a keyword. Then, you publish the newspaper to your Twitter followers each day.
My newspaper, The Guest Blogging Daily, was created using paper.li, my Twitter account, and a Twitter list. You can check it out here: http://paper.li/JamesMartell/1308523225.
I absolutely love paper.li, and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Not only does the site create a lovely paper, but it’s so very easy! Everything, and I mean everything, is 100% automated, so you barely do any work at all. The site posts to your Twitter when each daily paper is released, and it even tweets to your followers.
Plus, contributing authors are tweeted as well. These writers will often follow you and –best of all- retweet the newspaper. This means that not only will you gain the writers as followers, but some of their followers as well!
It doesn’t get any better than this. So, start out with strategy 1 today! Simply pick an interesting and informative topic for your paper and then use paper.li to get your idea up and running!
Strategy 2: Become a Guest Writer
There are a lot of sites out there – this one included – that are always on the lookout for guest writers. Also known as guest blogging, writing for such a site is an excellent way to gain positive publicity and, best of all, more Twitter followers.
When acting as a guest writer, make sure that you are a good communicator and that you provide worthwhile information to your readers. Take the time to respond to their comments and/or emails. The more they feel they know and can trust you, the more likely they will be to follow you on Twitter.
Of course, it’s up to you to ask them to do just that! A great place to include the invitation is in your author bio. I guarantee if you follow these steps, this will gain you more followers, so get started today!
Strategy 3: Using Your “Thank You” Page
The easiest and most effective strategy is the last one. Once you hear it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself- it’s really that simple. I can’t take the credit either, though. It was my friend, Joshua Sloan, the former Director of Online Marketing for the world’s largest and fastest growing hosting company, 1&1 hosting, who shared the idea with me.
To carry it out, you simply set it up so that visitors who fill out your option form, either to request more information or sign up for a newsletter, are redirected to a “thank you” page.
On this page, you then invite them to follow you on Twitter. Remember that these visitors went the extra step to find out more or request more information, and they gave up their contact information in order to do so. This makes it very likely that they will follow you on Twitter if you only ask.
The Choice is Yours:
I’ve laid out my three proven strategies, and they couldn’t be any more simple! Now it’s up to you to put them to work and to make them work for you. I personally guarantee that no matter what you’re promoting – and I mean anything from a Bumbleride indie twin stroller to dental services to bar stools – these strategies will work!
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James Martell is well know for his podcasts and affiliate marketing trainings, as well as outsourcing and a specialist in SEO. James is host of the Affiliate Buzz podcast on WebmasterRadio.FM (the first ever and longest running podcast about the affiliate industry), and creator of the Affiliate Marketers SUPER BootCamp. He lives in White Rock BC, a seaside suburb of Vancouver on west coast of Canada with his wife, Arlene.
Read MoreThanks, Pro-California Merchants
Seriously, thank you to all the merchants who are based in California that are reaching out to affiliates dropped from other programs to offer their services to get affiliates up & running with their programs. And especially thanks to out-of-state affiliate merchants who are working WITH California affiliates to get through this law and not make the affiliates suffer.
Since I’m keeping a list of merchants dropping California affiliates, I thought it only fair to keep complimentary lists of merchants KEEPING California affiliates. Some of these merchants already have traditional sales tax nexus in California due to physical retail stores. Others have warehouses or corporate offices located within the state. Some, it’s important to note, are services which are not subject to sales tax at all. And still others – in the hardest situations – are choosing to make adjustments internally that will allow them to continue working with their California-based affiliate partners. If you’re a member of these programs, shoot the affiliate manager a hearty thank you for going to bat for their affiliates!
Please let me know if I’m missing any deserving merchants who have reached out to affiliates in California to support them. This list was last updated at 4:25 PM PDT on 8/1/11.
Keeping California Affiliates:
- 4Checks.com
- AC Lens
- AllPosters.com
- Art.com
- Barnes & Noble
- Baseball Rampage
- Best Buy
- Betty Mills
- Biggerbooks.com
- Blurb
- Business Checks
- Buy.com
- BuyCostumes.com
- CampSaver.com
- Carousel Checks
- CCBerries.com
- Checks Unlimited
- Cherry Moon Farms
- Christianbook
- ChristianGear.com
- Clickinks.com
- CPO Outlets
- DeepDiscount.com
- Deluxe
- DesignForYourWine.com
- Drugstore.com
- eBay
- eCampus.com
- eHealth Insurance
- EverythingFuriture.com
- EverythingOfficeFurniture.com
- Expand2Web Small Business WordPress Theme
- Extra Value Checks
- Fanatics
- GearForGoldens.com
- Girly Checks
- GreekGear.com
- GuidoGear.com
- Guitar Center
- Half.com
- Hancock Fabrics
- HappyBidDay
- Homestead
- Inkgrabber
- JoAnn Fabrics
- JustIrishStuff.com
- KelleyFurniture.com
- Kmart
- Knetbooks.com
- KnowEm
- Kodak Gallery
- Koyal Wholesale
- Layla Grayce
- Lot 26
- Loxly Gallery
- Makais.com
- MilitaryGearUSA.com
- MountainReservations.com
- NationalityShop.com
- Netflix
- NewEgg.com
- Office Depot
- Office Max
- Oneida
- PartyBeans
- Personal Creations
- Petco
- PetSmart
- Pets Warehouse
- ProFlowers
- PsPrint
- RavenTools
- RedEnvelope
- Ring Central
- Sears
- SellBackBooks.com
- Shari’s Berries
- Sheet Music Plus
- Shoe Shopping Spree
- Shopping.com
- Softball Rampage
- Spoonful of Comfort
- Surf Fanatics
- Target
- Tax Brain
- Tea Collection
- TheClymb.com
- TheFurnitureParadise.com
- Tiny Prints
- TShirtHub.com
- Viator
- Walmart
- Waxing Poetic
- WicksWorks
- WyzAnt
Thanks for Nothing, Jerry Brown
Gov. Jerry Brown signed the budget today, which included affiliate nexus language. So, there goes a substantial part of the income of 25,000 small business in California. The Performance Marketing Association reported it earlier today. Executive Director Rebecca Madigan is in Sacramento today attempting to do what she can to benefit Affiliates.
Unfortunately one of the bills that was included also included very vague language about even doing business with California based vendors, hosting companies, etc, so effectively this affects not just the affiliate marketing industry in California, but all small businesses.
Way to go, Jerry, shoot California in the foot.
Luckily for me, I do not make the bulk of my income from being an affiliate. My ventures into acting as an affiliate have been mostly for the learning experience and to try to offset the costs of domains and hosting for my various web-based hobbies.
This does impact my husband’s site, RailroadRedux.com, as he has a large Amazon widget recommending different model railroading books, and impacts my site GirlScoutGuide.com as Fabric.com exclusively carries Girl Scout licensed fabric.
Affiliate Programs Dropping CA Affiliates (Updated As Of 12:45 PM PDT 7/26/11)
- 6pm.com
- 1-800-PetMeds
- Adorama
- Amazon.com
- Amerimark
- Backcountry
- Bag.com
- BagsBuy.com
- Bargain Catalog Outlet
- Barware.com
- BedBathStore
- B&H Photo
- Boden
- BookCloseouts.com
- BrickHouse Electronics
- Brylane Home
- BuildDirect.com
- Cabela’s
- Calvin Klein Jeans
- Camp Saver
- Candelabras.com
- CD Universe
- ChristmasCardsDirect.com
- CKU
- Collections Etc.
- Compact Appliance
- Costume Craze
- CreateForLess.com
- CSN Stores
- Cymax
- Dermadoctor
- Dr. Leonard’s
- Endless.com
- Eurosport
- Fabric.com
- Fingerhut
- FootSmart
- GAIAM
- Garden.com
- Gardeners Supply
- Gettington
- HalloweenCostumes.com
- Hayneedle Stores
- Herroom
- Jessica London
- KingSize Direct
- K. Jordan
- Luggage Online
- Maryland Square
- MetroKitchen
- Movies Unlimited
- MyFavorite Shoe Store
- OneStopPlus
- Overstock.com
- Overstock International
- PC Connection
- PhotoCardsDirect.com
- Potpourri Group
- Powells.com
- Roaman’s
- Shindigz
- Shoe.com
- ShoeBacca
- ShoeBuy.com
- ShopBop.com
- ShoppersChoice.com
- Silkpalms.com
- SmartBargains.com
- Spiritline
- StumpParty
- TABcom
- theWineEnthusiast
- ThinkGeek
- TimeForMeCatalog
- Total Gym
- Woman Within
- Woot.com
- Zappos.com
I’ll keep this list up to date, so if you are a CA affiliate and get dropped by a merchant not on this list, please let me know.
Edited to add: when my husband came home and I told him to remove his Amazon widget, he decided to not just remove it, but to replace it with a message to his site’s visitors telling them why his book recommendations were removed and urging people not to shop with Amazon.com in support.
Read MoreDue to recent changes in California law which negatively affect affiliates, and the fact that Amazon dropped all affiliates who reside in California, I will no longer be featuring deals from Amazon.com. I strongly recommend that you no longer use Amazon.com or any of their services due to the poor way they treat the people that advertise for them.
Affiliate Marketing Fanatics 55: Interviewing Erin Cigich
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Affiliate Marketing Fanatics – A couple of hyper-caffeinated affiliate marketers (Mike Buechele) and (Trisha Lyn Fawver) talk about all things Affiliate Marketing. From blogging to branding, social media to search, video and more!
You’ve come to love it – our interviews! This go-round we’re interviewing speakers at the upcoming Affiliate Summit East at the New York Hilton in New York City. Today we’re chatting with Erin Cigich about her origins in affiliate marketing & her presentation “Making Affiliate Marketing a Career”. In in this episode we discuss:
- Erin’s ascent to the top at Clickbooth, her origins in marketing , and SEO.
- Determining your strengths to maximize your longevity and stability in affiliate marketing.
- Clickbooth’s new CPC network & staying flexible with your niches and traffic sources.
- Follow Erin on Twitter: @ErinCigich
- Include Erin’s presentation on your calendar, Sunday August 21st at 3:30pm in Sutton (South & Regent)
- Show some love to today’s co-host Eric Nagel! Blog: EricNagel.com & Twitter: @esnagel
Find us on Twitter: @AMF_Podcast, @MikeBuechele & @TrishaLyn. Like us on Facebook! Be old fashioned and just leave us a comment!
Special thanks to GeekCast.fm for hosting Affiliate Marketing Fanatics!
Read MoreAffiliate Marketing Fanatics 54: Interviewing John Monarch
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Affiliate Marketing Fanatics – A couple of hyper-caffeinated affiliate marketers (Mike Buechele) and (Trisha Lyn Fawver) talk about all things Affiliate Marketing. From blogging to branding, social media to search, video and more!
You’ve come to love it – our interviews! This go-round we’re interviewing speakers at the upcoming Affiliate Summit East 2011 at the New York Hilton in New York, NY. Mike’s a busy beaver and needs a break, so my co-host for this episode is the awesome Eric Nagel! Today we’re chatting with John Monarch about his origins in affiliate marketing & his “Ask the Expert” topic “High Risk Merchanting – Management and Risk Mitigation”. John is the President of Monarch Holdings LLC. In this episode we discuss:
- John’s origins in the Physics world and his transition into affiliate marketing.
- Some fellow former physicists Karen Garcia & Brad Waller.
- Merchants in certain niches need to be aware if their space is considered “high risk” by the banking industry (like smaller travel merchants).
- John’s ready to talk to merchants about their banking and how to avoid charge backs and keep their rates at a reasonable risk level.
- The difference between a charge back and a refund. A charge back, whether won or lost, still counts against a merchant’s charge back number.
- Put John’s discussion on your Affiliate Summit Schedule! Monday August 22nd, 5:00 – 6:00 pm in the Networking Space.
- Follow John on Twitter: @papajohn56
- Show some love to today’s co-host Eric Nagel! Blog: EricNagel.com & Twitter: @esnagel
Find us on Twitter: @AMF_Podcast, @MikeBuechele & @TrishaLyn. Like us on Facebook! Be old fashioned and just leave us a comment!
Special thanks to GeekCast.fm for hosting Affiliate Marketing Fanatics!
Read More12 Steps to Becoming an SEO Expert
Guest Post by Amber McDougon .
If you dream of becoming a successful freelance SEO consultant, or joining or creating a robust SEO Services company, this 12-step program details the path to success.
1. Know Your Basics
This step is simple for those familiar with SEO, like bloggers and web developers. For those unfamiliar with the intricacies SEO, do a search for phrases like “SEO techniques.” The links will uncover articles about respected techniques, as well as so-called black hat tactics that should be avoided. There are books on the topic abound, but honestly, most of the information can be found online.
2. Going Live
Start an SEO-related website once you have a command of the basics. Begin with an unambiguous plan. Clearly detail the site through a complete development life cycle: Initial capital and time investment, the right hosting plan, simple setup and administration, the best CMS for you, required optimizations, and monitoring of important metrics and dimensions.
3. Optimize and Thrive
Double and triple check that you are utilizing every optimization tactic in your newly-acquired arsenal: Effective keyword research, optimized tags, metas and headers, a properly configured robots.txt, compelling content, keyword-to-content ratio, etc. These will become first nature before long.
Take the time and the steps necessary to build your own page rank. Social media is immensely useful to this end. Prove to potential clients that you understand the finer points of SEO by building a quality site that gets results.
4. Establish a Base of Satisfied Clientele
Good references are a prerequisite to landing that big project, more often than not. Friends and family can play an important role in your success. Help build websites for them. Do to their sites what you did to yours.
Search in the beginning for the smaller fish in the pond. Once your portfolio boasts satisfied clients, many will personally vouch for the results they had due to your expertise.
5. Do the Legwork: Network
Standard business marketing applies; Word of mouth, business cards, cold calls, make bids for jobs, and so on. With enough legwork, projects are sure to flow your direction.
6. Have an Open Door Policy
Inform potential clients about the process you will implement. Be an open book when it comes to details. When a homeowner hires a renovation company, the homeowner wants specific details of the work to be done. A simple “We do it all!” doesn’t pass muster. Undisclosed changes made without the owner’s permission could end badly.
7. Research, Work, Research, Work
Search algorithms change with lightning speed. Follow closely the blogs of search engineers. Remember the basics that brought you this far. Distractions can cause simple oversights, so always double check your work. Update XML sitemaps after even minor changes so that spiders index those updates.
8. Silence is Not Always Golden
Do not tell a client some new feature will appear on their site in three days, then neglect to update them for two days. A quick phone call or e-mail will suffice. During these points of contact, elaborate on how well the feature works. Use screenshots or uploaded files to backup your claims.
9. A Good Name Equals More Sales
Up-selling is easier for those with reputations for honest work and full disclosure. Up-sell every chance you get.
10. Reach Out and Touch…Everyone
Satisfied clients almost always allow blurbs about how well you improved their business. Note on your site about what you did for them.
11. Entrepreneur or Team Player?
You have built a fine reputation and strong skills. Should you freelance some more, or join or start an SEO firm? Pros and cons are part of each choice. Weigh this decision with the same care you exercised in both yours and your clients’ businesses.
12. “Kaizen”
“Kaizen” is Japanese for “continuous improvement” and “change for the better.” It’s a business philosophy advocating the tweaking of any aspect that could be enhanced or streamlined, down to the smallest detail.
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Amber McDougon who is a professional writer and blogger with a particular interest in the open source Joomla platform. She has been helping companies build and maintain their online relationships with customers since 2005.
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