When it comes to maximizing Twitter for job search and career success, consider the “tree falling in the forest.” You need followers to be heard, to make reciprocal connections and to build a synchronous network. Consider, as well, the myriad reasons people follow people on Twitter. They want information, connection, a platform, visibility, job candidates, customers, influence, job leads and more.

You’ll want to make your tweets meet as many of those needs as possible, within the confines of what you think your target audience wants. And yes, if you are in a job search, you have a target audience! That audience includes executives, recruiters, employers, influencers, leaders in your field—anyone who can help you get direct or indirect access to opportunities. And remember, as in all networking, being on Twitter is a “give-to-get gig.” Generosity is the place you begin.

Below is an array of the best practices and tips for four areas (the who, what, when and where) for attracting Twitter followers.

Who: Your Twitter Persona

• Have a professional headshot (picture) or an exceptional candid photo for your avatar.
• Make sure you’re fully clad and not doing anything illegal in your photo.
• Engage with people. Comment on their tweets. Start a dialogue.
• Be giving, not selfish.
• Be fun, approachable and personable. Do not be boring!
• “Salute” other people by retweeting their interesting tweets. Direct traffic outward as much as you do toward yourself.
• Be friendly and positive (not talking about how you hate your job or are depressed about your job search).

What: Your Tweet Content and Ways to Express It

• The cardinal rule: Have great content!
• Be interesting.
• Don’t be all work or all play. We recommend an approximate ratio of 75–80 percent professional to 20–25 percent personal.
• Add comments to retweets to make them fresh, branded and not “spam-ish.” We’re assuming you are doing it the old-fashioned way and not using the retweet button.
• Participate on lists. When people see others following you, they often will as well.
• To acknowledge new followers, use both @replies and direct messages (shown in Twitter as DM or D) when someone follows you.
• Mention relevant hashtags, such as #career or #jobs. Hashtags tell people you understand how to participate in the community dialogue on Twitter.
• Get known for something(s). Decide on a focus and make a greater percentage of tweets about that thing. If you are in a job search, your focus will likely be on your area of ability.

When: When to Tweet, How Often to Tweet, and Ratios

• Have tweets already in your stream before you start following people. People won’t follow you if you don’t have some body of knowledge.
• Be reasonable with the frequency of your tweets—don’t muck up people’s streams with so many tweets that you become like a spammer.
• Don’t take long breaks from Twitter; people expect consistency. An occasional few days or a week is okay. Months away makes you look like a Twitter dilettante.
• Make sure you express interest in others by following people. If you have many followers compared to the number of people you follow, it might appear as though you’d rather talk about yourself than hear what others have to say.
• Have a decent number/quality of tweets in relation to how long you’ve been on Twitter. Aim for a minimum of 15 tweets a week to maintain your visibility and “Twitter-cred.” Active users often tweet multiple times a day. Caution: Be sure to respect your followers’ time—do not flood their Twitter stream with an overabundance of tweets (more than 20 a day).
  

Where: Tying in Social Media Sites and Offline Activity

• Be active on other social networks, such as LinkedIn.
• Have a link on your bio, whether to LinkedIn or a Google profile, so that people can learn more about you.
• Showcase that you’re doing other things, such as talking about professional association meetings, conferences and so on.