Twitter claims to have 126 million daily active users. With numbers like this, it only makes sense that some of those people should follow you.

The trouble is, you don’t know how to attract them to click that “Follow” button.

We’ve got the inside tips you need to boost your audience.

Here are ten creative ways to get Twitter followers.

1. Don’t Neglect Family & Friends

They might not be your target audience, but they will become loyal followers. Don’t overlook them just because they are family.

2. Use a Directory

With a directory of social media users, you can find ways to feature your Twitter account for next to nothing. It’s the best way to implement display advertising and doesn’t take much effort.

You want to work with a company that allows you to target by country and interests. Otherwise, you will get lumped together solely by location, which isn’t going to work.

3. Get Active

No, we aren’t suggesting you start exercising, although that won’t hurt. What you need to do is have an active Twitter account. 

Now, let’s get clear, you can quickly start spamming if you don’t purposefully tweet. It’s time to be a responsible tweeter.

Otherwise, you could end up in Twitter jail. Trust us; you don’t want to go there.

Make time to tweet every day. Every time you do, you increase your visibility. It doesn’t even take that much time; simply retweet a few things while consuming your morning coffee.

We recommend that you tweet a few times throughout the day – try not to do it all at once. Drip-feed the tweets over your day. You can also schedule the tweet times to make sure you are following a routine.

4. Run a Twitter Contest

It doesn’t get any easier to run a twitter contest. Just make sure you have a stellar prize.

It also helps if you put a little effort into the planning. Sure, you will have some people that unfollow you when the contest is over, but what you gain will be worth your energy.

5. Live-Tweet an Event

Have you ever dreamt about being a reporter? Pick one local event and start covering it live on Twitter. 

It could be a political speech, conference, PR event or sports game. There is really no limit to what you could cover. 

If the access is exclusive, you will have a more significant following for the coverage. You also want to choose something relatively popular.

If you are planning to cover Merfest in North Carolina, you are only going to gain followers that are fascinated with mermaids.

Once you find the awesome event to cover, watch your followers grow. Just make sure you are using the right hashtags to promote the event. Otherwise, you are just rambling and no one is listening.

In the process, you do want to be careful of your existing followers. They might not appreciate the tweets. 

6. Host a Twitter Chat

Think debates, interviews, Q&A’s, creative polls and panels. Pick one willing victim and start a chat.

You want to select the person carefully. They must have tons of followers for this to be effective.

Of course, you won’t want to look stupid, so make sure you brush up on your debate skills first.

7. Start a Tweetup

That’s not a typo. A Tweetup is just like a meetup, but better.

You want to target people with the interests your audience should have. Then, create a fun meeting for them to join in with.

While there doesn’t have to be a compelling reason to join in, it won’t hurt to have one. For example, if you want your audience to love sports, then create a Tweetup at the local game. 

During that event, you might even be able to persuade a local player to stop by and say hello. You can encourage them to visit if you promise them some new followers as well. 

8. Networking

Before social media, companies had to network to get business. These methods still work today, even though we all attempt to avoid dealing with real people.

Find a networking group with the people that fit your target audience.

As you mingle, hand out your cards, complete with your Twitter @handle. Then, reach out to your new friends and ask them to follow you.

Of course, you will turn up the charm and make yourself irresistible in order to get results. 

9. Tell a Story

If you are a pro, then you already know this tactic and probably don’t need to read this post in the first place. If you aren’t, you must know that you can get massive engagement if you are willing to tell a story.

Aim to create one good thread each week. If you have time for more – go for it.

Focus on creating high-quality content, which is much more valuable than quantity.

For example, take a look at this story about railroad tracks. Once you are done learning a little something, check out how many retweets and likes it received. Stunning!

10. Don’t Buy Followers

We know this is a how-to guide, but this one is too important to exclude.

Never buy followers.

You may not know the difference between fake and real paid-for followers, but Twitter does and you will lose them all. There’s never a reason to pay for a certain number of followers.

It won’t work and it’s against the rules. Whose rules? Twitter.

Some sites claim they can boost your followers if you just give them your password. Does this sound like a good idea? No, it’s not.

They lure followers with mass churning and follow-baiting. Basically, they will follow 100 people, wait for them to follow and then simply unfollow them.

Guess what? Twitter knows this is going on and is ready to suspend your account for it. 

Those companies can also DM spam your followers, sometimes with malware links.

You Can Find Creative Ways to Gain Twitter Followers

It’s possible to gain new followers every day without shady practices. Sure, some of them will require time or some money, but it will be well worth your investment if you do it right.

Start experimenting and see what works for you.

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Bridget is our senior editor, she likes to write about web and marketing mostly. You can reach her at bridget@bigframe.net