5 ways to be an influencer on Twitter

Summary

The article outlines the author's personal experiences and unsuccessful strategies in attempting to become an influential figure on Twitter.

Abstract

The author reflects on their journey to gain popularity on Twitter, detailing five imagined strategies that have not yielded the desired outcome of becoming an influencer. These strategies include creating a thread about leaving home due to parents' opposition to the BLM movement, producing high-quality graphics or videos despite lacking professional equipment, discussing political matters, posting inspirational content, and striving for engagement with tweets. The author acknowledges that despite these efforts, they have not achieved significant influence, emphasizing the importance of tweeting about relatable and well-understood topics to gain organic followers and interactions.

Opinions

The author believes that engaging in political discussions on Twitter is not effective for gaining influence, especially in a crowded space with many voices.
Creating high-quality visual content is seen as unattainable for the author due to limited resources and camera shyness.
Inspirational posts are considered ineffective for gaining attention on Twitter, as the platform is perceived more as a space for entertainment and discussion rather than personal transformation.
The author suggests that organic growth on Twitter comes from tweeting within one's area of expertise and engaging with the audience on relatable topics.
Engaging with popular tweets, such as those by Elon Musk, through comments or memes, is viewed as a viable method for increasing followers and interactions.
The author implies that the effectiveness of social media strategies for gaining influence can vary greatly depending on personal circumstances, resources, and the interests of one's audience.

Abstract

If you are an avid user of the social messaging app TWITTER, you should not be new to the fact that people become celebrities just by one resonating tweet or one thread or picture(s). Creating a twitter account gives everyone the hibby jibby of getting close to the imaginary live of actual celebrities, and thanks to Twitter, hashtags and retweets have enabled people to endorse the voice of post (tweets) of other twitter users. I joined twitter in 2019 and became addicted at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemics. Here are 5 ways, that I have imagined becoming an overnight sensation on twitter.

Disclaimer: none has worked, I am still a normal twitter user with followers that mostly don’t care about my tweets.

1. Creating a thread about how I left home because my parents don’t support the BLM movement:

Well, its just imaginary. At the start of the black lives matter protest, some people left their family because they do not support the black lives matter protest and no offence, but those people became famous and got loads of followers. I was in the moment and I planned out a scene where I lived in America and my parents also don’t support the black lives matter movement ideas but guess what, I stay in Nigeria, my parents are not concerned about the “ oyinbo*” struggle, and I strongly believe if the fight gets to Nigeria my parents will support them. So it’s impossible to use that narrative.

P.s: the black lives matter campaign is real and if you stay in places where the campaign is. Please, do well to support.

2. Creating a high-quality graphics content, stunt video or picture:

This idea was because, a lot of people get views and likes because of content they put out, some comedy video or some nice pictures, but the problem here is I am using an Infinix hot 7 pro, and not some Samsung or iPhone. Therefore my pictures are as clear as they get. I can’t be competing with people with iPhone 11s or even people with good professional cameras. Also, I am camera shy and I haven’t had an intentional professional photoshoot. So there goes my dream of trending by quality visual contents.

3. Talking about the political state of my country

I thought if I can give good insight on political views, and condemn political candidates or talk about this or that on politics, I can trend. Peoples comment, on Trump’s tweets alone, gets them quite a handful of followers and people engaging their tweets for example. So I felt I could give my views on political matters, but it doesn’t work for me. I realized talking about politics isn’t within my areas of interest and I can have my views on politics but it doesn’t mean I should impose it on people. Also, times has shown that talking politics on twitter doesn’t do the work. the action gets the reward and reforms we want.

More importantly, I wouldn’t want to get into a sea of people constantly talking about the bad of the Nigerian government or what they can do better, there are a lot of people on that lane and I guess I’d probably be swept under.

4. Making Inspirational posts

THIS DOESN NOT WORK! Please, if you are new on twitter and want to trend, inspirational or motivational post doesn’t cut it. There are a lot of people with high proven certificates on the ins and outs of human behaviour, that people go to for reforms in their lives. You can’t possibly compete, with a motivational speaker with a cult follower of 15 thousand people, ably retweeting and liking and mentioning. You probably can’t with your few hundred followers.

Also, people on twitter don’t go to twitter to change their lives! People go to Twitter to argue, to banter, to laugh, to make memes, to feel better about themselves, to be fake and live their fantasies, to flaunt, to learn new facts or debunk myths or hoax but almost no one goes on twitter to change their lives. No one wakes up and decide the best place to get a life transformation is from twitter. Facebook groups have done more than enough in that line.

5. Simply having people who interact with my tweet

This is perhaps the only possible imagination I have had on how to get more interactions with my tweets, I have googled and watch youtube videos on how to, but none has worked. ( for me though). I have been hoping on getting people that are following me because they like my tweets not just for follow back but it doesn’t happen like that. I guess Nigeria is just a hard country ( most of my followers are Nigerian).

Finally, I think regardless of all I have listed, getting organic followers that interact with your tweet outside of your imagination zone means you have to tweet within your zone, tweet what you understand. I have noticed that on days that I talk about educational reforms in Nigeria or that I make a joke about my University or that I make a thread about rock music or the days I put up my medium articles and tag certain people, because it is relatable to my audience ( followers) and I have good knowledge of the subject matter, I get people retweeting and liking.

Also, days that I comment on another person’s tweets ( especially when I am part of the first 10 people to comment) or I post memes on Elon Musk tweets ( he is largely followed by people with heavy meme preference, so just make meme relating to the tweet) I get more followers on my account, that’s what has gotten me going thus far on the “bird” universe.

* Oyinbo local Nigerian slang for white people.