By Héctor Borrás, on 11 April 2016
Attracting users to your social networks is not easy, but the true challenge lies in getting them to stick around. On Twitter it becomes even more challenging – if anything describes Twitter, its speed. Messages are read in a matter of seconds, interactions come and go, and unfollowing an account that doesn’t contribute anything is as easy as clicking a button (literally). If you are not ready, you may find that your followers disappear without any explanation. To avoid this, I would like to share with you today 10 recommendations to not lose followers on your brand’s Twitter profile.
The good new is that most unfollows on Twitter have a clear and understandable explanation. There will always be a few due to a sudden mood swing (or even an accidental click of a button), but for the most of them you can influence your users to keep following you for a long, long time. So, if you want to have lots of loyal Twitter followers, keep reading!
1. Don’t tweet too little
There is no simple rule to know when to post, but what we do know is that if someone is following you, then they are interested in you. Twitter is a fast-moving network, so if you don’t tweet enough you will disappear from your users’ timelines and you wont win their trust. Unless you are just starting off, you should be publishing at least a few tweets a day. Like this, you will keep your followers interested in your brand, and give them the feeling of getting to know you bit by bit. Clicking the “Follow” button can mark the beginning of a long relationship.
If you want your tweets to be read the moment they’re published, don’t forget to read this article about the Dead Zone times on social networks, when it's best not to publish.
2# Don’t tweet too much
The other side of the coin is the risk of “spamming” your users and making them flee. Look for the middle ground: a constant rhythm of updates sprinkled down their timeline, without overwhelming them. You should publish several times a day, but use your common sense not to post more than your followers can or want to read. The exception to this rule are answers to other users’ questions: if you use the “reply” function, these tweets will only show up on the timelines of users who follow both you and the user who asked the question, so you don’t run the risk of going overboard.
3# Always answer your users
When people approach your brand, they expect an answer. What characterizes social networks is precisely the conversions that happen on them. If you ignore or neglect your users, they will feel disappointed and will turn away with a broken heart. Don’t let it happen! Answer your comments (especially the negative ones), thank them for their positive reviews and do everything in your power to let them know you are there for them.
4# Don’t be boring
You post with the perfect frequency, you have varied content, you answer your users… but is what you’re saying actually relevant? Make sure your messages have to do with your target instead of trying to please everybody. To avoid losing followers on Twitter, you need to publish content that truly adds value, is useful and intrigues your followers. Surprise them with things they have never seen before!
5# Change the format of your Tweets
It is good to get into a steady routine and rhythm of updates, but don’t exaggerate. If all your tweets are the same, people will stop answering you and eventually following you. For example, don’t limit yourself to posting only the links to your latest news. When the time comes to looking for new content, remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.
6# Create a unique tone of voice
It's not just what you say, it's how you say it. If you don’t have a well defined tone for your brand, there will be something missing from your tweets. If you don’t want to lose followers, show them your personality! Look for a tone, a sense of humor or an attitude that will make your brand truly unique.
7# Keep your rhythm, no matter what
It happens to even the best social media managers: after the initial enthusiasm, they lose their drive, ideas run out and tweets begin to repeat themselves. To avoid this happening to your brand, the best is for you to stop from time to time to analyze your presence on social media to pick out your weak points and rethink your strategy.
8# Don’t be bragging constantly
We know that, when it comes down to it, you are on Twitter to improve your results, but it is a social network, not a store. Twitter can be a very useful tool to generate leads and sales, but that’s not all it does. If you only publish commercial content, you followers will get the feeling that you are only interested in one thing, and they wont trust you. If you want them to stick with you and be loyal, you need to offer them useful, quality content (and for free!) and socialize and interact with them.
9# Be unique or be the best
No one wants to follow accounts that are all but identical, so one of the biggest threats on Twitter is the presence of other accounts that do the same as you… but better. To avoid this, analyze your competition and decide how you can make yourself noticeably different from them. If you can't put a different, new spin on it, you have to be the best.
10# Don’t obsess about losing or gaining a couple followers
Sometimes, the reason they “abandon” you is simply that they didn’t like you that much. That’s OK! You can’t control who follows you and who doesn’t, although you can minimize the effects of it by targeting the right audience, and trying to grow organically.
In any case, small fluctuations in your number of followers is completely normal. Your ego may be bruised, but you have to accept that sometimes, there is just nothing you can do. What you can do is keep following these tips and steadily producing quality content. Your efforts will be rewarded! 
