The Sudden Drop In Twitter Followers Explained

In an effort to crack down on the fake followers problem, Twitter will no longer include locked accounts in a profile’s publicly posted follower count.

Why are Twitter Accounts Locked?

Twitter accounts are locked for violating the company’s standards and remain frozen until the owner resets their password. Until then, these accounts will no longer count in a profile’s follower metrics. They are already blocked from tweeting and retweeting, and are not served ads. But this additional layer of security is an important one towards transparency. The company noted that this is the launch of many changes that will take place “more regularly as part of our ongoing work to proactively identify and challenge problematic accounts”.

“You should be confident that the follower numbers presented across Twitter are meaningful and accurate,” tweeted Vijaya Gadde, the head of Twitter’s safety team. “We’re introducing a change to follower counts as part of our work to make Twitter a more trusted service for public conversation.”

While some accounts may see a difference of “four followers or fewer,” many with a larger follower base will see a “more significant drop,” according to the company. This process will continue to be ongoing, but according to AdWeek, 70 million accounts have already been locked.

Community Engagement Strategies to Combat Lost Followers

What can you do to combat the sudden loss in followers? Twitter encourages profiles to take the following steps:

Up their community engagement.
Proactively follow users who fit the key target audience and engage with their content via Retweets, Replies and Likes.
Respond to user questions that are relevant to the subject matter and insert the brand’s expertise to position it as a thought leader of the field.
Leverage trending hashtags and tap into current Twitter chats to insert the brand into wider conversations.

Activating your Twitter profile with these steps will energize your follower growth in an organic and engaging way.

Have any other social media marketing questions? Contact the social media industry experts at Slice Communications and we can help!