How using Twitter the right way can make your rising star rise faster

MANILA, Philippines - Celebs and their managers have long seen Twitter as a way to broadcast messages to existing fans. But used properly, it can be a powerful tool to exponentially grow one’s fan base and develop a fiercely loyal following.

For those celebrities on TV, the following applies: Fiercely loyal following = Increased viewership = Better ratings = Better contract terms and better opportunities

However, it isn’t enough to simply open a Twitter account, tweeting about the book you just read or how much fun you had at your friend’s birthday party. That simply provides another one-way channel. Plenty of those exist already: TV, radio, and print media.You’ve got to use social media how it was intended to be used: as a two-way conversation. So if you want to build your fan base, you need to step up your game. Fortunately there are ways to do this that aren’t too time intensive.

Professional social media marketers use “twitter management software” that helps them to keep their twitter profiles active, engaging, and interesting. This keeps followers engaged. You can set up a multitude of tweets in the software, and allow the software to spread them out through-out the day to keep you actively involved on twitter while you are working or enjoying free time. Since Twitter is about conversations, one great feature of the software is that it will automatically thank someone who follows you, via direct message. This helps build fan loyalty from the very beginning. Some software will even post a random tweet @someone who posts a tweet directed @you, although we recommend staying clear of computer-generated tweets. If someone figures out they’re talking to a robot, you’ll lose all the loyalty you’d gained.

Also, spend some time reading tweets @you and replying to them. Remember that your reply will be read by all your followers, and the message they will receive is “I care about my fans enough to answer them.”

Director Kevin Smith was an early adopter of social media, starting with Myspace, where he regularly interacted with fans. Now, his Twitter account has 1.7 million followers, more than any other Hollywood director. He still regularly interacts with fans there, and even though he can’t talk with all 1.7 million, when he talks with one, the others see it.

Tweet about more than just your schedule. Your fans want to know your likes and dislikes, because it gives them a way to “get to know you” when you’re not in front of the camera.

Lastly, don’t always be reactive to your followers. Reach out some of the time. There’s nothing like tweeting and having your favorite star reply @you. Simple gestures like this build fierce loyalty. And people talk offline: “Did you know that @myfavoriteceleb replied to my tweet?” Word gets around, and that word is that you are interested in the lives of your fans. We care about those who care about us. So show your fans you care, and they’ll multiply.