The key stumbling block of many twitter users is how to add new followers. To many web users growing such a network seems like a manual time intensive task. There are tools to help automate some of this growth of followers.

Listed below are a set of tools that will help grow not only a targeted follower base, but a valuable community of like minded friends. This is the key difference. There are many on Twitter who follow for following sake. This is seen as “twitter spam”! If your goal is just to add random users, this is not for you! However, If you are interested to grow a niche specific high value twitter community here is a step by step listing of the tools necessary to do it:

Step 1 – Auto Follow Keywords

Twollow.com – This tool allows a you to input up to 5 keywords specific to a niche that you are trying to target. This is done by selecting the amount of people you wish to follow per day based on a keyword, twollow will then automatically follow people. If twollow is set to follow 15 new people per day for all 5 keywords that is a total of 75 new targeted users per day.

Step 2 – Follow Like Minded People

Twannabe.com – Now try to find some niche specific people to follow by doing a general search on your nich keyword on Twitter Search. Once you have identified a few key people in a niche, twannabe allows you to input a key twitter username that will then automatically all people that the key twitter user is following. This allows you to follow those people. This way it ensures that there is an organic growth of like-minded twitter users therefore increasing the chance of that person following you back.

Step 3 – Automate Direct Messages

Tweetlater.com – Send automated Direct Messages when someone follows an account and then one follows the user back instantly! You can automatically thank or direct someone to your website immediately after someone follows you. In this way the community is growing and your account is following like-minded individuals while all on an automated process!

Step 4 – Manage Your Twitter Followers

Tweepular.com – Perhaps the best tool to continue to grow your network on Twitter is the service called Tweepular. This service allows one to refine the audience. Tweepular will continue to suggest new users based on their ‘Build your Tweepularity” feature. You can also who manage who follows you and most important who is ‘not following’ you after a given period of time. With this tool you can continue to refine your community to have active and engaged twitter users.

Step 5 – Track Your Twitter Followers

As your followers begin to grow automatically and organically, tracking tools come in handy to further refine your profile to be attractive to other twitter users to follow you. Tools such as Tweetstats.com and Tweepletwak.com help monitor your twitter statistics.

By following these simple tools and steps a solid foundation can be created in order to have a long lasting organic growth to your social community on Twitter. I would love to hear your feedback after using these steps for a few days and how it these 5 steps are working for you!