I am by no means an expert, but these are just a few things that I have noticed to work well.

• Tweet often, but not too often unless it warants it (breaking news, etc.). Spread tweets out, even if you have the content to do it. Of course, there are always special circumstances.

• Follow the right people. When you follow other people that tweet about your subject and they have followers, you will likely attract some of those folks. Following people also often increases your follows (to some extent).

• Use relevant hashtags, such as #gophernation. Or #bigten. People who track these subjects will see the tweets and then start following you.

• Tweet articles, but try to be more conversational and draw people in. Try to avoid just using the headline, though sometimes this is okay too. Generally, people don’t like robots on Twitter.

• Tweet updates. You don’t always have to tweet articles. If a reporter has some valid info, tweet “Reporter says building off Oak Street is on fire” or just retweet their tweet by using “Reporter RT @username says building off Oak Street is on fire”

• Reply to people. It’s okay to reply to people, but only do it if it is relevant to your followers. As journalists, we encourage good discussion.

 • Enter Twitter Directories. This way people can find you easier, especially if they are searching specific subjects or local areas.

Hope this helps,

Vadim Lavrusik

Editor in Chief