Often viewed as the second most important social media outlet (with only Facebook being more valued), Twitter is an extremely important platform through which brands and businesses can engage with a variety of customers, fans and followers. Some of the more desirable traits of Twitter include its simplicity, the wide acceptance and integration of hashtags, and the simple format through which people express themselves. These elements make Twitter a strong contender for any business that seeks to balance its presence across multiple networks and wishes to find one that is both valuable yet simple to use. Your Twitter performance, however, may still be lacking after weeks or months of activity – what is to blame? While plenty of issues may be causing your Twitter account to lag in performance, there are a few techniques you can use to boost exposure and increase overall satisfaction in a number of areas. Below, we will discuss these techniques so you can put them to good use.

Follow the Leaders

Even if your brand or website is pinging a website in a relatively obscure niche, there is virtually a 100% chance that there are already other users and brands on the network who provide a similar product, service or perspective. Do not be discouraged, though: this can be a great opportunity. Savvy Twitter users will find these competitors and inspect who is following them. From here, you can begin following these individuals, retweeting relevant tweets and communicating with like-minded individuals on a one-on-one basis. This friendly yet stealthy form of interaction can help attract new followers from your competition and build credibility for your overall Twitter presence.

Focus on the Big Names

After you have attracted a wide array of new followers using the above approach, you will then want to move to a strategy that seeks to identify those who are most influential. There are several tools out there that can help, such as Klout, so do not be afraid to utilize all of the valuable information and software at your disposal. You can even scope out your competition’s most influential individuals using the same tactics. This can help you understand the true extent of your reach and that of your competitors, but it is primarily used as a way to isolate and focus upon those who are most likely to bring additional attention to your Twitter presence.

Schedule Your Tweets

One reason that your Twitter performance may be lacking is due to an inconsistent flutter of tweets. How often do you post to your Twitter account? Have you determined which hours or days are best for tweets? The answers to these questions may shed light on why scheduling is so important. A consistent wave of tweets from your account (two to three per day) can ensure that everyone who follows you has a reasonable chance of seeing your messages, and subsequently retweeting them. Whether you are pinging a website or promoting a fellow Twitter user, there are plenty of scheduling options that allow users to lay out tweets in advance and have them published at a pre-defined date and time.