I have a Twitter problem. It seems my follow to followers ratio doesn’t align with Twitter’s rules and best practices and I can’t follow new people until I get more followers.

You follow?

This has been going on for a long time and is an endless battle. You see, most people who follow you on Twitter expect to be followed back. And when they don’t get that reciprocating follow back within a few days of the follow, they unfollow you! Over the course of the six and a half years I’ve been on Twitter I’ve followed some interesting folks who share great content that I want to keep receiving in my stream. Of course, I’ve unfollowed my fair share to make room for newbies, but it hasn’t helped me get past that wall and I’m still stuck at the 2001 follow limit (the limit changes based on how many people follow you).

Then I discovered Twitter lists and all my follow problems were solved.

Twitter lists allow you to group accounts you want to follow without actually following each account. I find they are perfect for accounts associated with corporations, media outlets, and specific niches. I created a list of home reno/DIY related accounts called Around the House. This is where I’ve grouped the likes of Home Depot Canada, Mike Holmes, Lowe’s Canada, HGTV, Houzz, and a bunch of other similar accounts. I also follow other people’s lists I find worthwhile and have been added to many lists myself.

Creating a Twitter list is very simple.

1. Login to Twitter and select Lists from the dropdown menu under the gear icon in the top-right corner.

2. From the Lists screen select Create list just under your profile header.

3. Give your list a name, description (optional), and check whether you want it to be a public or private list then click Save list. You’ve now created a list.

4. When you want to add an account to your list all you need to do is click the profile icon on the Twitter account you want to add and select Add or remove from lists… You’ll be prompted with a screen of lists you’ve created and you just need to put a check beside the one you want. You can also create a new list from this prompt if you wish.

If you created a public list you can share it with others who might find it worth following and use it as a tool to build your own profile. As a bonus, whenever you add someone to a list they are notified they’ve been added, which could also help build your followers.

Was this post helpful? Have any other useful Twitter tips? Leave a comment below, drop me an email at brian@bamcat.com or Tweet me @bamcat.