Want more twitter followers? Fuhgetaboutit.

There’s so much talk lately about getting more followers on twitter. If you’re a beekeeper do you really need 800 graphic designers following you? The “trick” to attracting a mix of followers you enjoy interacting with is to just forget about it.

Forget the numbers - Look at your twitter stream. If you have a good mix of information, replies, retweets and personal nuggets, you’re having conversation. This is good. If you have a string of self-promoting blurts you are a twitter boor. People will like you – or not - on twitter for the same reasons they do in person.

Forget about being on the take - Instead of focusing on what you can get out of twitter, focus on what you can give. Look for people you can help or share information with. Take the conversation off twitter. Comment on blogs, videos and photos others post. Promote others, but be genuine about it. Don’t pander. The new media culture is finely attuned to the disingenuous.

Forget attracting the social media rockstars – Sure, it’s nice to be able to say that Chris Brogan, Robert Scoble or Jeremiah Owyang is following you. But if you’re spending all your time trying to get people who follow 20,000 people to notice you just to get a follow, you may want to re-think your strategy. Follow and learn from them and look for people behind you who need a hand. We’re all learning together here.

If you’re really determined to catch the rockstars’ attention then challenge yourself to contribute something new to conversations – which you should be doing anyway. Smart, savvy people are attracted to other smart, savvy people. Be what you want to attract.

Forget drive-by promoting - Relate first, promote second – or third or fourth. You wouldn’t walk by a random table at a restaurant, drop your card in front of a stranger and say, “Check out my website!” as you walk out the door. Don’t do the equivalent online.

Forget publicizing private conversations – After a few tweets back and forth with the same person, take your conversation to direct messages. It’s annoying to have your lengthy one-on-one conversation popping up in my tweet stream.

Forget being everything to everyone – If you’re using twitter for business, set goals. Who do you want to attract? Are you using twitter to network for a new job? To find leads? To reach out to customers? To gather information? About what? Gear your tweets and who you follow to reaching your goal(s).

Forget tweeting about your breakfast – People don’t want to know you’re digging into a fiber-rich bowl of bran busters while you surf the news sites. Especially if you don’t say much else. Zzzzzzzz.

And a few things to remember:

• Listen more than you tweet. It’s the only way to get to know people.
• Use twhirl or TweetDeck to make sending and replying to tweets easier
• Use Twitter Search and tweetbeep to alert you to tweets you may have missed. I regularly miss tweets sent to @LisaHoffman with one “n.” These tools can also help you find likeminded tweeters to connect with.
• Link to your twitter page when you comment on blogs
• Consider your timing: Personal tweets are more welcome early and late in the day and on weekends. Tweet out news and information during the workday. Send links to your new blog posts during active periods so more people will see them.
• Got a really funny or compelling tweet? Timing can be everything. Save it to your desktop and wait for the right time.

So what did I forget?

Photo credit: empirik via Flickr